Lin Lei pulled a robe from his spatial ring with a flip of his hand. After reverting to human form, he draped the robe over his shoulders and said with a faint smile, "Bei Bei, Heilu, let's head back." At the same time, Lin Lei looked toward Heidesen, and Heidesen—the Rock Sword Saint—looked right back at him.
Both Heidesen and Lin Lei had gone pale. This titanic battle had left neither of them with light injuries—internal wounds, both.
Two supreme powerhouses exchanged a slight nod. Without a word of farewell to anyone else, Heidesen shot straight up into the sky and flew eastward, quickly shrinking to a blurred black dot that vanished beyond the eastern horizon.
Lin Lei walked at the front, with the two Saint-realm magical beasts Bei Bei and Heilu trailing behind him.
Watching this man and two beasts, King Johann, Canion, Ranco, and the rest all felt a crushing sense of pressure. Whether it was Lin Lei or the two Saint-realm beasts, their strength was terrifying beyond belief.
"Grand Master Lin Lei." King Johann was the first to step forward, greeting him warmly.
Lin Lei gave a slight nod, his face still carrying a trace of pallor. "King Johann, this battle has brought me certain insights. I'd like to return and begin cultivating."
King Johann was taken aback for a moment, but quickly replied, "Of course, of course. Grand Master Lin Lei's cultivation is of the utmost importance."
Lin Lei offered a courteous smile, then walked over to his own side. Wotton and Dilia immediately came to meet him, and Wotton threw his arms around Lin Lei in a bear hug.
"Brother." Wotton's eyes were reddening, but he was grinning from ear to ear.
"Come on, let's go back," Lin Lei said. He glanced at Dilia beside him. Her beautiful eyelashes were still glistening with mist—she had been so worried when she saw Lin Lei in danger that she had shed tears.
A warmth flooded Lin Lei's heart.
"Let's go together." Lin Lei smiled at Dilia, and she looked back at him, giving a soft nod.
Lin Lei's group departed first. The countless onlookers instinctively parted to create a path for them. Nearly every gaze fixed on Lin Lei was filled with reverence. A young man of only twenty-seven had fought to a standstill against Heidesen, who was hailed as the foremost expert in the Saint Realm—and on top of that, he possessed two Saint-realm magical beasts, one of which was powerful enough to overpower Heidesen himself.
"Brother—" Brumm looked at his elder brother, Olivier.
Olivier was universally acknowledged as a genius. Yet three months ago, he had lost to the Rock Sword Saint, Heidesen. He lost, but nobody blamed him. After all, his opponent was Heidesen, and everyone on the Yulan Continent still considered Olivier the greatest prodigy of the age.
But...
Lin Lei was even younger than him—much younger!
Yet Lin Lei's fight against Heidesen was clearly on a different level from his own. Even Heidesen himself had admitted it—if Lin Lei's battle qi had been sufficient, he would never have been able to win.
Winning because you had more battle qi?
In the eyes of many experts, that hardly counted as a real victory. Mastering the Laws of Elements was tremendously difficult, while battle qi could simply be cultivated over time. Given enough time, a warrior's battle qi would inevitably increase.
"Second brother, I'm going to the Arctic Tundra for intensive training… Take care of yourself," Olivier said to his younger brother, his voice flat and distant.
"Brother!" Brumm's eyes went wide.
He had heard his brother describe the Arctic Tundra. The plane watcher resided there, and a number of reclusive Saint-realm experts trained in that desolate, uninhabited wasteland.
Olivier turned back to look at his brother. "Second brother, remember—you are Olivier's brother. Don't let me down."
"I won't." Brumm nodded solemnly.
Olivier allowed himself a faint smile, then launched into the air and flew straight toward the northern horizon. His robe fluttered in the wind as he soared away with his twin swords strapped to his back, beginning his journey to the Arctic Tundra.
"Heidesen… Lin Lei… By the time I return, I will defeat you both!"
Olivier's gaze was locked on the north, more resolute than it had ever been.
Under the organized direction of the city guard, millions of spectators dispersed quickly and efficiently in every direction. Even as they left, the onlookers were still buzzing with excitement, gathering in small groups to recount the battle they had witnessed.
A single strike that split a mountain. Another that pierced straight through its belly.
A peak that rose a thousand meters high and stretched several li across had been reduced to a heap of rubble.
And the two magical beasts that had appeared out of nowhere at the end.
All of it had left the spectators electrified. After this battle, countless people had become devoted followers of Lin Lei. Being twenty-seven and fighting Heidesen to a standstill would have been enough—but the real kicker was that he had two magical beasts in his power. One of them alone looked capable of defeating Heidesen.
One man, two Saint-realm beasts—such a combination could roam the Yulan Continent unchallenged by anyone.
"Thank heavens I chose Wotton in the end, and thanks to the Martial God," King Johann let out a long, relieved breath. "This Lin Lei—I never imagined he was this terrifying. At least he's now connected to the imperial family by marriage."
The battle at Mount Tujiao west of the imperial capital spread at an astonishing rate through the oral accounts of millions. Lin Lei's name blazed across the sky like the midday sun, becoming the most dazzling name on the entire Yulan Continent.
On par with the foremost expert of the Saint Realm, Heidesen!
Only twenty-seven years old!
A Ninth-level Grand Mage!
A master sculptor!
And possessed of two terrifying Saint-realm magical beasts, one of which could overpower Heidesen!
It was the stuff of legend. Whether in the world of sculpture, the realm of magic, or the field of martial arts—any single one of Lin Lei's accomplishments would have been the stuff of legend on its own. When all of these legends converged upon one person, the result was undeniable.
An unrivaled genius.
The most radiant Saint-realm powerhouse on the Yulan Continent, his name spreading just as the Martial God's name had once spread across the land. Bards endlessly retold his legend in song, and countless youths took Lin Lei as their inspiration, striving and working ever harder!
Lin Lei was destined to leave an indelible mark upon the history of the Yulan Continent.
And yet… Lin Lei's glory had only just begun. He was only twenty-seven, and his future was boundless.
News of the battle between Lin Lei and Heidesen was swiftly carried by flying magical beasts to the Holy Island, delivered by the Church of Light's intelligence network.