The morning sun was just rising, its blood-red rays filtering through the thin mist and spilling into the great canyon. Lin Lei walked out of his house as well.
"The weather's nice." Lin Lei took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill his lungs.
"Whoosh!" A figure leaped down from above. "Boss, you seem to be in a good mood," Bei Bei said with a grin. Bei Bei had been living on the second floor of this small building.
"Indeed it is. It's been eighty years since we came to the Heavenly Sacrifice Mountain Range, and I haven't had a proper fight the whole time, haven't killed anyone. Now I'm about to kill someone, about to fight. Of course my mood is good," Lin Lei said with a smile.
Bei Bei was confused. "Boss, what do you mean?"
"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough," Lin Lei said.
Seeing Lin Lei being mysterious, Bei Bei couldn't help but pout. At that moment, Dilia walked out of her room too, and Bei Bei immediately went over to her. "Dilia, the boss says there's about to be a fight, that people are going to be killed. Do you know what's going on?"
"There is?" Dilia looked at Lin Lei in confusion.
Lin Lei smiled, then suddenly caught the sound of wind. He immediately looked up.
Several figures were descending from the sky, all wearing the standard battle armor of the Azure Dragon Clan. Lin Lei remarked with a light smile, "They're here!" Bei Bei and Dilia also looked up in puzzlement, seeing three green-armored warriors flying toward them.
"Lin Lei!" The leader recognized Lin Lei at a glance. Clearly, the Elder Council had sent their orders, and even Lin Lei's appearance had been clearly relayed.
"Gentlemen, what brings you here?" Lin Lei asked.
The leading green-armored warrior sighed inwardly. He didn't understand how a mid-level god could have offended the lofty elders. But he spoke anyway: "Lin Lei, Elder Emmanuel has proposed a life-and-death battle to you, and the Elder Council has approved it. Come with us."
"Right now?" Lin Lei was somewhat surprised.
That the Elder Council would approve this application was well within Lin Lei's expectations. But being sent to fight immediately—that was beyond what he had anticipated.
"The life-and-death battle will be held at noon today. Right now, we're simply taking you there early," the green-armored warrior explained. In his heart, he felt some sympathy for Lin Lei. After all, from his perspective...
Lin Lei was at the very bottom of the clan, roughly on the same level as patrol warriors like themselves.
But sympathy was sympathy, and there was nothing they could do to help.
"Boss, what's going on?" Bei Bei asked urgently.
"Lin Lei, what is this life-and-death battle?" Dilia also asked anxiously.
Lin Lei looked at them with a smile. "There's an elder in the clan named Emmanuel who insists on killing me. Fortunately, Elder Gavi was present at the time, but Emmanuel still challenged me to a life-and-death battle. It's a fight to the death—no stopping until one of us is dead."
"An elder?" Dilia grew worried.
"Boss, are you confident?" Bei Bei asked.
They were all aware of Lin Lei's strength, but the opponent was an elder of the clan after all. During the eighty years they had been here, they had come to understand the Elder Council—first and foremost, one had to reach the level of a Seven-Star Demon to enter it.
Lin Lei transmitted his voice directly into their minds. "Dilia, Bei Bei, don't worry. Before the Ancestral Baptism, I wouldn't have been certain. But after undergoing the Ancestral Baptism, I am confident."
Dilia was immediately reassured. She trusted Lin Lei.
"Lin Lei, he wants to kill you—is it because of the Coiling Dragon Ring?" Dilia transmitted.
Lin Lei nodded and transmitted back, "I only just found out myself that the Coiling Dragon Ring, this Sovereign-grade artifact, actually belonged to the ancestor of our Azure Dragon Clan. Emmanuel recognized it at a single glance."
Bei Bei and Dilia both understood then.
They knew all too well the allure of a soul-defensive Sovereign-grade artifact. No wonder Emmanuel was so determined.
"Lin Lei, are you ready to go?" the green-armored warrior asked.
In truth, the green-armored warrior wasn't in a hurry either. The life-and-dearth battle wasn't until noon—even Elder Emmanuel himself was still at his own residence and wouldn't head over until the time came. But Lin Lei, being of low status, needed to go early.
"It doesn't start until noon, what's the rush?" Bei Bei不满 grumbled.
"You three, what's going on?" Several figures flew over at great speed—it was Baruch and several other clan members. Seeing the green-armored warriors arrive, they were immediately worried. The arrival of these warriors certainly meant something important.
"Elder Emmanuel wishes to engage Lin Lei in a life-and-death battle, and the Elder Council has approved it," the green-armored warrior said flatly.
Baruch and the others froze, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"An elder? Against Lin Lei?" They couldn't accept it.
"How can a dignified elder challenge Lin Lei to a life-and-death battle?" Hazzad angrily declared. In the days since Lin Lei's return, their Yulan branch had risen considerably in standing, and he was quite fond of this junior.
An elder fighting a mid-level god—far too unfair!
"The Elder Council has approved it. It cannot be changed," the leading green-armored warrior said coldly. "Unless you can get the Clan Master to intervene."
The highest authority in the Azure Dragon Clan was, without question, the Clan Master. As the son of the ancestor 'Azure Dragon,' the ancestor had naturally devoted enormous effort to training his son while he was still alive. His strength was beyond imagination.
Within the clan, his word was absolute.
"What's happening, Lin Lei?" Tarosha, Di Lin, and the others flew over as well, and someone quickly explained the situation. Tarosha and the others were also shocked—an elder of the clan had challenged Lin Lei to a life-and-death battle?
"Don't worry, everyone," Lin Lei said calmly. He then turned to the green-armored warriors. "Let's go."
The leading green-armored warrior nodded.
"Can we go watch?" Dilia quickly asked.
The leading green-armored warrior looked over the crowd, then nodded. "Well, this will be Lin Lei's final battle. If you want to come along and watch, you may." With that, the three green-armored warriors took off alongside Lin Lei.
Dilia, Bei Bei, Baruch, as well as Tarosha, Di Lin, and the others immediately followed.
The news that an elder of the clan and a mid-level god were about to fight a life-and-death battle spread among the lower ranks of the clan slowly. But among the higher echelons, it traveled with incredible speed—especially among the elders themselves, who quickly all learned of it.
"Emmanuel, that kid? He wants to fight a life-and-death battle against a junior of the clan? Am I hearing this right?" A muscular man with short blue-green hair frowned.
"Uncle, there's no mistake about it. Emmanuel really is going to fight a life-and-death battle against a mid-level god," said another tall, brown-haired man. Both wore green armor embroidered with golden patterns and draped in cloaks dyed with special magical runes.
They were both elders of the clan.