Time flew by, and the sun had set three times.
Li Ye bade Lancelot farewell and set off for the Sun King's territory.
The sandstorm raged, swallowing both sky and earth.
It prevented the Green Wyvern from advancing any farther.
"The air temperature is around fifty degrees..."
Having thoroughly blended in with the locals and wrapped his head so tightly that not a gap remained, Li Ye braved the fierce wind and realized that he might be lost.
Unlike his previous journey to the temple with Serenity Hassan leading the way, Li Ye had no guide for this trip through the desert. With no distinctive landmarks amid the sandstorm, he quickly lost his sense of direction in the endless gale.
Who knew how long had passed? Just as Li Ye was beginning to lose patience—
A shadow emerged from the storm.
The winged creature with the body of a lion and face of a human watched Li Ye in silence.
A Sphinx!
Prepared for this, Li Ye recognized the creature before him: the sphinx from Egyptian mythology.
"I had no intention of trespassing into your territory. I can leave immediately!" Having finally encountered something alive, Li Ye had no time to feel pleased and shouted in an attempt to communicate with the Sphinx.
Yet what came in response was not an answer, but a violent beam of magical energy!
The Sphinx opened its enormous mouth, and the sand filling the sky began to move with it.
Boom!
The dazzling beam instantly pierced through the sandstorm, leaving a massive crater amid the endless sand. A layer of crystalline material coated the crater's surface, glittering brilliantly.
Li Ye, meanwhile, appeared in the distance, having evaded the Sphinx's sudden attack.
Do I fight?
Li Ye thought rapidly. Would killing this Sphinx make an enemy of the Sun King's faction?
The Sphinx was undoubtedly an important symbol of Egyptian mythology. More importantly, the Sphinxes had been summoned by the Sun King and others, then placed in the desert.
Fight or flee?
Clang!
After an intense internal struggle, Li Ye slowly lowered his stance and placed a hand on his sword hilt.
As Li Ye's magical energy surged, the power swirling around him crackled like arcs of electricity.
His eyes quietly changed into vertical pupils as well.
Boom!
Crimson Lightning tore through the storm like a dragon, carrying unstoppable force.
The belated thunderclap followed, accompanied by a rain of blood that stained the yellow sand. The Sphinx's enormous body crashed to the ground, a bloody hole running clean through its chest!
Dozens of meters away, Li Ye barely shook off his momentum before turning back to look.
A charred ravine, as though struck by lightning, stretched between him and the Sphinx.
He had not used the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. This was an instant kill achieved through his own power alone!
"I still need to refine it. Keep refining it." Li Ye suppressed the smile tugging at his lips.
Three days of refinement had really yielded results. Lancelot had tailored this Divine Speed strike specifically for Li Ye's explosive power. Its force was ferocious enough to break the sound barrier.
The greatest problem was that Li Ye could not fully control it, and its windup was far too long.
Just as Li Ye basked in the joy of realizing that he was practically a genius, another descending shadow shattered his good mood.
Li Ye could not help clicking his tongue. Just how many Sphinxes had the Sun King released into this desert?
Then an angry demand instantly overwhelmed the howling storm. "Outsider, are you seeking to make an enemy of the Sun King?!"
Only then did Li Ye notice someone standing atop the Sphinx's head. She held the Staff of Vance and wore simple yet imposing white garments and golden chains over dark skin. Though she looked like a young girl, she gave Li Ye an impression of nobility.
Yet from her magical fluctuations, Li Ye instantly identified her true nature.
Her true name was—the Pharaoh of Egypt's Sixth Dynasty, Nitocris!
Nitocris's first sight was the lifeless Sphinx in the sandstorm. Rage rose within her as she demanded, "I am Pharaoh Nitocris. Answer me—do you intend to challenge the radiance of Pharaohs?!"
"I had no such intention. That Sphinx attacked me first!" Li Ye tried to explain, unwilling to clash with Nitocris.
"Such brutality cannot be forgiven lightly!
If you wish to prove yourself, then display the strength worthy of earning the forgiveness of the great Pharaoh Nitocris!"
"Mirror of the Underworld, reveal yourself!"
As Nitocris swung the Staff of Vance, darkness in the shape of a round mirror spread open before Li Ye.
Pristine white skeletons slowly rose from within. Six humanoid skeletons stood before Li Ye!
Undead?!
The undead summoned by Nitocris differed slightly from the ghosts Li Ye had seen in the Temple of Azrael. Their white skeletons were clad in armor and armed with oddly shaped blades and spears.
Moreover, each skeleton felt like a battle-hardened warrior, radiating a grim killing intent!
This is a summoning of the dead similar to summoning Heroic Spirits, but limited to Egyptian dead! From the magical fluctuations emanating from the skeletons, Li Ye immediately realized that Nitocris's undead summons were anything but simple.
Li Ye had no time to think further. The six Egyptian undead charged at him in unison, launching a savage assault!
Clang!
Forced to retaliate, Li Ye immediately tensed himself for battle.
Unlike in the Temple of Azrael, Li Ye now knew how to deal with enemies that outnumbered him.
With an explosive crack, Li Ye instantly closed the distance between himself and the six undead.
Even Nitocris failed to react to that instantaneous burst, much less the six undead!
Bang!
An incomparably fierce punch carried overwhelming force, blasting straight through one undead!
The sudden pressure wave even forced apart the ever-present sandstorm!
Five left! Li Ye's gaze flashed like lightning. His gem-like magic eyes locked onto the nearest undead as he drew his sword!
Crimson Lightning flashed like a rainbow, piercing through the Lines of Death with unstoppable force!
"You have some skill, but it is not enough!" Having recovered, Nitocris heavily swung the Staff of Vance. Streams of golden light shot forth, about to strike Li Ye in the blink of an eye!
Seeing Nitocris attack again, Li Ye immediately abandoned the remaining three undead and retreated.
To his surprise, the streams of golden light abruptly changed direction, carving sharp right angles through the sandstorm as they rushed toward Li Ye again!
Only then did Li Ye clearly see the true forms of the golden lights: metallic eyeballs.
But regardless of their material, they were ineffective against Li Ye!
With only a few sword strikes, he cut down every streak of golden light!
Then, before Nitocris could launch her next attack, Li Ye forcefully dealt with the remaining three undead!
"I must admit, that was truly remarkable brute courage. You are indeed an outstanding warrior—I can only acknowledge it!"
Nitocris's angry voice reached him, making Li Ye relax slightly.
But then her tone shifted. "However, the trial is not over! Since you killed a Sphinx, accept the Sphinx's wrath. Use it to prove whether you can atone for your crime! Let this Sphinx, personally bestowed upon me by Pharaoh, tear your limbs apart!"
The moment she finished speaking, Nitocris vanished, leaving Li Ye to face an abnormally massive Sphinx.
Strong—
Thinking this, Li Ye silently lowered his stance and fixed his gaze on the most prominent Line of Death upon the Sphinx's body.
"Wait!! I take it back. I'll forgive you just like this."
Nitocris hurriedly stopped Li Ye's next move, seemingly appearing from nowhere.
Seeing that Nitocris had lost her will to fight, Li Ye took the offered way out. "So I have finally received Miss Nitocris's forgiveness, then?"
"That is right! Pharaoh Nitocris has decided to forgive you, so feel grateful!" Nitocris shouted, glaring wide-eyed.
"Great Pharaoh Nitocris, may I leave now?" Li Ye did not want to keep tangling with Nitocris and only wished to get away as soon as possible.
"Tell me, are you heading to the Holy City to submit to the Sun King?"
Perhaps having realized that Li Ye seemed easy to talk to, Nitocris immediately questioned him.
"That is right. I traveled a great distance to reach this place precisely to seek an audience with the great Sun King."
Li Ye continued along her line of thought. "Great Pharaoh Nitocris, could you guide me onward?"
After an unknown length of time, Li Ye could feel the sandstorm weakening—until the sky suddenly cleared.
The freshness and freedom of the air did not enthrall Li Ye. Something in the distance instantly caught his eye, and he recognized the magnificent structure he had seen just days ago at almost a glance.
The Temple of the Composite Great God of Radiance!
Unlike the grand divine temple Li Ye had seen when he was first summoned, what stood in the desert was an even more immense complex of buildings.
Even someone like Li Ye, who knew nothing about architectural beauty, could see its splendor at a glance.
Should I go?
Li Ye stopped at the outskirts of the magnificent complex, staring from afar at the central pyramid as he fell into thought.
The Lion King's mission for him had been to gather intelligence, but how far did gathering intelligence need to go?
Did he need to see the Sun King, or was his current progress enough?
Li Ye could not be sure. He had only set out after delaying the mission for three days, and he had no clear measure for it.
After thinking for a while, Li Ye decided that since he had already come this far, leaving now would not do.
As Li Ye officially stepped into the temple grounds, he sensed the presence of something immense.
A presence like the blazing sun in the heavens.
Along the way, Li Ye saw traces of many people going about their lives and immediately understood: not only the territory, but even its people had been summoned along with it. This was a complete nation.
Continuing to observe the city, Li Ye headed straight toward the central temple.
Countless myths were inscribed upon the endlessly extending stone pillars on either side, drawing Li Ye in until he finally came to himself after ascending the long staircase.
Beyond the stairs, two solemn statues greeted Li Ye.
Heads of hawks, bodies of men.
Li Ye took a deep breath and slowly entered the temple.
Jade pillars stood throughout the resplendent temple, while sacred murals proclaimed the identity of its master.
Nitocris, whom he had met once before, stood quietly to one side. Upon a jade throne towering like a spire, the black-haired king slightly lifted his eyelids.
"!"
Li Ye instinctively held his breath.
"Hmm?"
The black-haired king straightened slightly, then could not help bursting into laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha! Isn't this the Lion King's knight? What, did the Lion King send you to gather intelligence?"
Upon his golden jade throne, the black-haired king laughed without restraint.
At nearly a glance, Pharaoh Ozymandias recognized Li Ye as the one who had once stood beside the Lion King.
That was precisely why Ozymandias found it so amusing.
Unlike the Lion King's divinity, Li Ye could be certain that the being before him was a king in every sense of the word. Whether in strength or magnanimity, he possessed the bearing of a true king through and through!
He was both the son and incarnation of the Sun God Ra;
thus, as the sole absolute one upon the earth, he declared that just as birds spread their wings through the sky, fish swim through the sea, and flowers bloom across the fields, he was meant to be the God-King.