Death in Battle and Glory

The long sword flashed with golden radiance as it whistled through the air.

The invisible Dike Race Infiltrator was instantly beheaded.

Holy flames blazed, leaving not even a corpse behind.

"Jialu, are you all right?"

Li Xin hurried over.

She had originally intended to say something else, but when she saw Lin Jialu's pale face, her words turned into concern.

Lin Jialu gasped for breath, terror still lingering in her eyes.

Hearing Li Xin call out to her, the girl stiffly shook her head.

"I'm fine. I was just a little frightened."

"Come to think of it, I was careless too. I never expected a Dike Race Infiltrator to launch a sneak attack. Without a priest's True Sight, they're simply too hard to guard against!"

She had been responsible for protecting Lin Jialu, yet she had nearly allowed the Demon Race to succeed in its ambush.

Even now, the thought still left her shaken.

If Lin Jialu had truly died here, she had no idea how she would face her father.

However, after this incident, the relationship between the two eased considerably once more.

"Little Brother Ye, thank you for saving me!"

Lin Jialu looked at Ye Tian, her beautiful eyes filled with gratitude.

Ye Tian gently shook his head. "We're teammates. It's only right that we help each other."

"Save the conversation until after the battle!"

Li Xin reminded them from the side.

At this point, the Demon Race was already on the verge of collapse. Naturally, no one would pass up the chance to beat them while they were down.

Ye Tian and Ling'er charged into the ranks of the Demon Race once again.

"Awroo—"

Just then, a resounding beastly howl came from the distance.

The fifth-tier Wolf Demon fighting Nalan Shu suddenly changed expression upon hearing it.

Yet after looking at the situation around it, it still gritted its teeth.

"All forces, retreat!"

The moment the words fell, it lost all desire to continue fighting and sought an opportunity to escape.

The other low-tier Wolf Demons received the order and began breaking away from their opponents one after another, fleeing toward the outskirts of town.

"Don't even think about escaping!"

Nalan Shu shouted, golden light erupting around him.

He suddenly launched into a charge.

Though he did not know exactly what had happened, these Demons had carried out such inhumane slaughter here. How could he possibly let them leave?!

The other knights also desperately blocked the Wolf Demons' retreat.

"Get out of my way!"

A vicious look appeared on the fifth-tier Wolf Demon's face as its claws repeatedly tore through the air.

Yet Nalan Shu refused to yield even an inch.

"Die!"

Though he was clearly a Guardian Knight, at that moment he displayed the bearing of a Punishment Knight.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

A sharp rush of wind suddenly sounded by his ears.

The fifth-tier Wolf Demon tensed all over, sensing danger closing in.

Nalan Shu lunged forward, driving his blade viciously into the Wolf Demon's waist and pinning it in place so it could not dodge.

"Damn it!"

The Wolf Demon finally panicked.

A blackish-purple glow abruptly emerged across its body, and it swung a claw backward, ripping into Nalan Shu's kidney.

"Pfft!"

Nalan Shu spat out a mouthful of blood, yet clenched his teeth and refused to let go.

"Sever!"

Ye Tian was even faster. His long sword, blazing with holy flames, chopped viciously into the back of the fifth-tier Wolf Demon's neck.

"Splurt!"

Golden light pierced straight through its neck.

The flames roared, and the Wolf Demon soon became a blazing figure.

Moments later, not even ashes remained.

"Hiss."

Nalan Shu dropped to one knee, using his long sword to support his hefty body as he panted heavily.

He had already suffered no few injuries during the battle, and now, to slow the Wolf Demon, he had abandoned his defense and taken a brutal hit.

Having gone so long without fighting, the intense pain made him furrow his brow tightly.

"Hall Master Nalan, are you all right?"

Ye Tian quietly recited a somewhat lengthy incantation.

The next moment, a stream of golden light rippled out from his body and scattered over Nalan Shu like rain.

As warm spiritual energy flowed into him, Nalan Shu's injuries rapidly began to heal.

Feeling the pain recede, Nalan Shu's face filled with astonishment.

"This is the Guardian Knight's fifth-tier skill, Great Recovery Technique?!"

Nalan Shu stared at Ye Tian as though he were looking at a monster.

The battle had lasted for so long. Although he had not kept his attention on Ye Tian the entire time, the boy must have used quite a few skills.

After all, Ye Tian's opponent earlier had been another fifth-tier Wolf Demon.

Killing it had already been shocking enough.

Yet Ye Tian still had strength to spare. It was simply unbelievable!

"Xiao Tian, how many points of spiritual energy do you have now?"

Feeling the dense holy aura surrounding the youth beside him, Nalan Shu could not help but ask.

"I'm already fourth-tier."

Ye Tian did not hide it.

After causing such a huge commotion in today's battle against the Demon Race, there was no way he could hide it even if he wanted to.

"Fourth-tier?!"

Nalan Shu was astonished once more.

If he remembered correctly, the boy before him was not even twelve yet, right?

A Fourth-tier Great Knight under the age of twelve.

"A genius. This is a true genius!"

Nalan Shu could not help muttering to himself.

In only about a year and a half, Ye Tian had more than doubled his spiritual energy. Such speed could only be described as monstrous.

Even that Divine Seal Knight's disciple could not compare, could he?

"No, that's not right. You don't feel like a fourth-tier to me!"

Nalan Shu came back to his senses and voiced the doubt in his heart again.

Ye Tian smiled and pointed at Ling'er in the sky. "It's all thanks to Ling'er's help. That's how I was able to temporarily increase my strength."

"A Dragon Race member? Is this the mount partner you obtained from Knight Holy Mountain?"

Only then did Nalan Shu notice Ling'er's presence.

And because it was a giant dragon, he was once again shocked into numbness.

Giant dragons were extremely rare magical beasts, yet every single one was a powerful existence.

The dense holy aura alone was enough to make one's heart tremble.

"You little fellow, you really have brought me quite a few surprises!"

Nalan Shu took a deep breath and could not help smiling.

He was even happier for Ye Tian.

For Haoyue City to produce such an outstanding seedling was not only a blessing for the Haoyue Branch Hall, but also a blessing for the entire Knight Holy Temple and all humanity!

The following cleanup work proceeded.

With the cooperation of all the knights, nearly every member of the Demon Race was killed.

One healing skill after another was cast, golden light falling upon the wounded.

Bathed in the warm golden radiance, the injuries on both knights and ordinary people healed at a visible rate.

The fires all around were also completely extinguished.

However, the death and destruction brought by the Demon Race's invasion would remain on this land forever.

The dead could no longer be brought back to life.

They looked upon the horrific scene before them, like a living hell.

More than half the town's residents had been slaughtered, and over half the knights who had set out from Haoyue City had been killed or wounded.

Many of those fortunate enough to survive were left permanently disabled.

Li Xin clenched her fists, her face full of rage.

"Those damned Demons are worse than beasts!"

Lin Jialu did not look much better either.

This deeply harrowing scene pierced their hearts, and it also made the two girls understand just what kind of beings the Demon Race truly were.

Ye Tian said nothing, but his gaze was exceptionally cold and his heart unbearably heavy.

He did not grieve over the knights' deaths.

For them, dying in battle to protect humanity was the highest honor!