"BOOM!"
The remnant Holy Island trembled violently, as though countless giant beasts were thrashing about beneath its foundations. Great chasms split across the island's surface, and boundless seawater surged through them, tearing through the remnant Holy Island from end to end.
The Temple of Light, already in ruins and now bereft of the "Glory of the Lord of Light," was no different from any other collapsed structure. Amid the violent tremors, the ruined temple crumbled apart once more. Above the remnant Holy Island, countless meteorites continued to rain down like hailstones. The few surviving members of the Church of Light scrambled to hurl themselves into the ocean, desperate to escape being crushed beneath the deluge of stone.
Forbidden Magic — Sky Cracks Earth Splits!
High in the air, Lin Lei stood with Bei Bei perched on his shoulder, Dilia's hand clasped in his own, watching from afar as the remnant Holy Island collapsed and sank into the sea. In the end, the entire island vanished without a trace. Where it had once stood, there was nothing but rolling waves, with the occasional corpse or broken timber drifting along the surface.
Lin Lei watched the scene in silence.
Dilia stood obediently beside him, saying nothing. After a long while…
"Let's go," Lin Lei said with a deep sigh.
Dilia squeezed his hand and smiled gently. "What are you thinking about?"
"The past," Lin Lei replied.
"Boss, thinking about the past — got any grand revelations?" Bei Bei chimed in from his shoulder with a grin.
Lin Lei shot Bei Bei an amused glance. "What grand revelations could there be? Come on, let's head home!"
"Yeah, home!"
A quiet stirring passed through Dilia's and Bei Bei's hearts. Moments ago, all three of them had nearly died, yet here they were, heading safely home. Such a dramatic turn naturally brought a rush of emotion.
A cool sea breeze drifted past. High above the boundless ocean, Lin Lei, Dilia, and Bei Bei streaked eastward at tremendous speed.
Gazing into the endless eastern sky, Lin Lei seemed to see everything he had experienced throughout his life unfold before him.
"Father, Mother — the Church of Light has been destroyed!" A faint smile crossed his face. "Father, do you remember what you told me back then? Your life's wish was to see the family heirloom, the War Blade Slaughter, return to us — and you dreamed that our family might rise to greatness once more."
"Now the War Blade Slaughter has returned. The Baruch Empire has been established, and our Baruch Family has become one of the supreme powers on the Yulan Continent."
"Grandpa Derin, when I was a child, I took on the goals of my father and our family. I carried their expectations on my shoulders. On my own, achieving all of this would have been nearly impossible. But because of you, Grandpa Derin, everything changed — cultivating magic, carving with the Flat Knife School's techniques… with your help and guidance, I succeeded step by step. It was you, always helping me."
"You passed away, yet I swore I would uproot the source of all our suffering — the Church of Light. So many years have gone by, and I never once dared forget that vow."
"Now, it's done."
"Grandpa Derin, I feel so light now, truly. My heart is completely free. I'm holding the hand of the woman I love most, and Bei Bei — the one who shared life and death with me — is right here beside me. Grandpa Derin, if you were still alive, I know you'd be happy for me."
"No matter what becomes of me, Lin Lei, I will always be the boy who stood under your guidance. Thank you, Grandpa Derin…"
Crossing the vast ocean, facing east, Lin Lei's eyes burned bright!
From his boyhood days all the way to this moment, Lin Lei had always carried a burden on his shoulders, his heart weighed down by pressure. But today, for the first time, he was truly free of it!
He could finally live more freely, more joyfully, more brilliantly!
Pope Haiting, Leiming, Luoye — all slain in battle. Over thirty more Saint-level powerhouses of the Church of Light had perished as well. Even the Holy Island and the Temple of Light had been reduced to ash, swallowed by the boundless sea. Although countless Church of Light personnel still remained within the Holy Alliance…
Without Saint-level powerhouses as their foundation, the Church of Light would never rise again.
Dragon Blood Castle.
Because the Church of Light's Holy Island had been completely destroyed, because Lin Lei and his companions had miraculously survived, and because Lin Lei himself was finally unburdened, the mood was jubilant. A great celebration feast was thrown at Dragon Blood Castle, attended by a host of Saint-level powerhouses.
The feast was so momentous that even the Emperor of the Baruch Empire, Xini Baruch, came in person.
"Brother, I was so worried… Thank goodness you're back. Here, Brother — let me toast you." Wotton's emotions were complicated.
"Cheers," Lin Lei replied with a smile, raising his cup.
"Wotton, Desli, and the rest…"
After the feast, Lin Lei reflected on it all with deep feeling. "Wotton, Bark and his four brothers, that whole group — during the battle at the Church of Light's Holy Island, when they encountered Balzese, they fled. But I truly don't blame them."
Lin Lei understood perfectly well how Wotton, Bark and his brothers, and the others must have felt.
When Balzese appeared, Lin Lei had ordered them all to run. Desli, Tulilei, Wotton — even the former emperor among them — all knew that staying behind at that point would have been foolish.
They had fled immediately.
Rationally speaking, they had done the right thing. Dilia and Bei Bei choosing to stay, by contrast, risked dying for nothing.
But in their hearts, Desli, Wotton, and the others carried a quiet sense of guilt.
Naturally, at the celebration feast, they did their best to appear joyful, chatting and drinking with Lin Lei, trying to make him as happy as possible. In truth, Lin Lei had never been angry — it was only that Desli and Wotton had a bit of a knot in their own hearts.
"Xini, when the feast is over, come to my study. I have matters to discuss with you," Lin Lei said.
"Yes, Uncle," Xini replied respectfully.
Xini had an elegant, refined bearing — it was hard to imagine that Wotton could have produced such a son. Now twenty-four years old, Xini had served as emperor for several years already. In terms of both personal strength and governance, Lin Lei was well satisfied with him.