"Urgh!" Li Ye bled from all seven orifices as unbearable agony battered his mind, growing stronger by the second.
It was violent destruction and rebirth from the inside out!
First, his bone marrow underwent a qualitative transformation, producing blood infinitely close to Dragon Blood. Then, stimulated by the Dragon Blood, his heart transformed into a furnace of magical energy, endlessly pumping blood and mana through every limb and bone!
Bone, blood, flesh, skin—almost every aspect of him was transforming!
Li Ye was evolving toward a non-human body!
The blessing ended.
Li Ye, who had remained silent throughout, heaved violently. His Crusader armor had long since been reduced to dust by the Lion King's magical shockwave, revealing a torso sculpted like marble.
Amid the soul-piercing pain, Li Ye could clearly feel the changes in his body—not only a complete enhancement, but an expansion of his own limits!
The blessing brought about by the Lion King's Dragon Blood and magical energy had pushed Li Ye's body close to a life-form from the Age of Gods, granting him tremendous potential!
"Lord Li Ye, make good use of your eyes—"
The Lion King's expression remained unchanged, as though the blessing had merely been a casual gesture.
Li Ye's gem-like Mystic Eyes were still active. Compared to before receiving the blessing, he could now see the Lines of Death on the Lion King's body far more clearly.
Within arm's reach, one strike could prove fatal—
Li Ye took a deep breath and declared firmly, "Thank you for your blessing, My King!"
The Lion King was not someone he could challenge right now. Besides, after successfully becoming a knight, Li Ye had found a new goal: cling tightly to the Lion King's thigh!
The Lion King had made up for Li Ye's innate shortcomings. All he lacked now was time to grow stronger.
Therefore, before Chaldea arrived, Li Ye needed to seize every opportunity to gain sufficient power!
"Heretic!! Heretic!!"
Just then, roars rang out in the distance. It was another group of Crusaders!
The instant that group of Crusaders appeared, Li Ye spun around and shot forward with his sword in hand, giving them no chance to approach the Lion King!
Unlike when he faced the Lion King, Li Ye could see every Line of Death on the Crusaders!
They were within reach!
Slash!!
Li Ye moved like a phantom, weaving through the Crusader knights as flashes of cold light streaked past one after another!
The entire group was wiped out without putting up the slightest resistance!
Only one terrified black horse was forcibly spared by Li Ye.
"My King, where do we go next?" Li Ye casually swept his blade, drawing a bloody crescent moon across the ground.
Although Li Ye knew the Lion King's objective, he still needed her to say it herself.
"Destroy the Crusaders and establish Camelot." The Lion King remained expressionless, as if she were discussing some trivial matter.
Hearing that answer, Li Ye could not help feeling a killing chill wash over him.
The Crusaders' end had been decided in a few casual words.
This was the godlike Lion King.
Oh no, the Crusaders' headquarters should be in Jerusalem... but which way is Jerusalem?
Li Ye's expression stiffened slightly. As a former Crusader, this was when he should have acted as a guide, leading the Lion King to Jerusalem and wiping out the Crusaders in one stroke.
But he was a counterfeit Crusader. He did not know the way!
At that thought, Li Ye immediately broke out in a cold sweat. If he ran into a problem like this right after taking office, how could he become the Lion King's trusted great villain?
Li Ye absolutely would not allow his grand undertaking to collapse before it had even begun!
"My King, the Crusaders' headquarters is in the current Holy City—Jerusalem. Do you require a guide?"
After a round of frantic brainstorming, Li Ye finally asked honestly.
"The Holy City lies just ahead. Why would I need directions?"
The Lion King squeezed her legs, and the white horse beneath her burst forth with Divine Speed beyond Li Ye's reach, charging into the wilderness!
Seeing this, Li Ye hurriedly urged his horse onward and followed behind the Lion King.
After several hours of riding and fighting, Li Ye followed the Lion King up a barren mountain as the sun slowly sank toward the horizon.
Under the setting sun, an incomparably magnificent city entered Li Ye's sight. Though he had never seen it before, he recognized it at a glance.
The Holy City—Jerusalem!
It was also the Crusaders' stronghold in this Singularity.
Without another word, the Lion King raised her hand and made a grasping motion. A bizarre spiral lance appeared out of thin air in her palm.
The Holy Lance—Rhongomyniad!
Li Ye's gaze was uncontrollably drawn to the spiral lance in the Lion King's hand. He recognized Rhongomyniad at once: the storm anchor that bound the stars. Legend said its true form was a tower connecting the surface and reverse side of the world!
The next instant, the Lion King's undisguised, godlike magical energy erupted, stirring violent gales that roared between heaven and earth!
The black horse beneath Li Ye trembled in terror and dropped to one knee, scarcely daring to breathe.
"Holy Lance, unmoor. It is the storm anchor that tears the skies and binds the earth. From the end, release the radiance—Spear of the End (Rhongomyniad)."
As the Lion King's ethereal Noble Phantasm chant continued, dazzling rays of light rose from her and connected heaven and earth.
She's being this direct?!
Li Ye had still underestimated what it meant to be a king. There was no need for preparation or probing. With incomparable strength alone, she would simply crush everything in her path!
Boom!!
Unbound by anyone's will, the Spear of Light descended from the heavens like divine punishment.
It struck directly into Jerusalem!!
A blinding explosion of light bloomed. Heat sufficient to vaporize all things swept through the Holy City, instantly reducing every person and object to vapor! The surging wall of wind continued spreading outward until it leveled the Holy City to the ground!
Yet just as the Lion King withdrew the Holy Lance, a massive polygon covering Jerusalem emerged above its ruins. Even Li Ye, standing far away on the barren mountain, could sense the violent fluctuations of magical energy!
"What is that?"
Noticing the sudden halo above Jerusalem's ruins, Li Ye asked instinctively.
"A Heroic Spirit Summoning Circle."
The expressionless Lion King replied flatly.
Before the Lion King's Noble Phantasm had activated, someone within Jerusalem had evidently activated the summoning circle at the same time!
Li Ye's expression tightened at those words.
A summoning circle appearing at a time like this?
The moment the summoning circle ended, the sky blazed with light, as if the sun itself had descended upon the earth.
A magnificent diamond-shaped structure floated in the sky.
Its design immediately reminded Li Ye of a pyramid, making him even more certain of what kind of being the summoning circle had called forth.
"Ha ha ha ha! I am the Sun King—Ozymandias, king of kings! Who are you!"
An utterly arrogant laugh echoed across the heavens. Magical energy no less formidable than the Lion King's filled the sky, standing against hers as an equal!
So confident in himself that he revealed his True Name the moment he was summoned into the world.
As expected, Ramesses II! Li Ye's expression turned grave, yet he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Only someone like Ramesses II could stand against the Lion King at this moment. If any other Heroic Spirit had appeared, the Lion King's plan might have been completed before Chaldea arrived.
If that truly happened, Li Ye would not be able to protect himself either.
Facing Ozymandias's provocation, the Lion King calmly said, "I am the Lion King, Lord of Storms, Lord of the End."
With that, the Lion King gripped the Holy Lance once more.
At the same time, Li Ye saw the temple in the sky slowly open, revealing a gigantic transparent structure resembling a light bulb aimed directly at the barren mountain!
"In that case, let this strike serve as my greeting, Lion King!"
The two kings gathered magical energy simultaneously, and the wind and clouds changed color.
Before you continue