"Just call me Li Ye. I'm currently a Knight of the Lion King," Li Ye said openly, revealing his identity as one of the Lion King's knights.
Before his words had even faded, Cursed Arm Hassan's expression changed sharply. "What?! You're with that person?!"
Visible hostility filled Cursed Arm Hassan's eyes. "Lord Serenity! Why are you traveling with this man?!"
"How are they any different from the Crusaders?! They slaughter our people all the same!" Cursed Arm Hassan said.
"It seems Lord of the Cursed Arm has met Lord Gawain. Lord Gawain's methods for dealing with those who fail the selection are rather direct." Li Ye directly called out Cursed Arm Hassan's true name, striking first to seize the initiative.
"Gawain, Knight of the Lion King's Round Table—I presume Lord of the Cursed Arm has already witnessed the brilliance of his sun. Tell me, how many people are you confident you could save from his hands?" Li Ye did not stop talking, though inwardly he began assessing the possibility of fighting one against two.
Both Hassans were experts in stealth. Li Ye could barely hold out for a while in a frontal battle, but the Noble Phantasms possessed by Heroic Spirits were enough to overturn the situation in an instant.
Cursed Arm Hassan's Noble Phantasm, Delusional Heartbeat, allowed him to use his right arm—the arm of the malignant spirit Saei Tono—to touch an enemy's chest and create a second existence linked to the original. It manifested as a false heart that destroyed the enemy's life force.
Simply put, once he touched you, death was certain.
This was what Li Ye feared most. Cursed Arm's threat was too great; rashly starting a fight would only end with Li Ye's death.
Therefore, avoiding battle as much as possible and making contact with Cursed Arm Hassan was necessary.
"What do you mean?"
Cursed Arm Hassan remained on guard, as though he might melt into the shadows at any moment.
"The new king who replaced the Crusaders and occupied this land—the pure white Lion King—is about to conduct a Holy Selection. Those with pure souls will be chosen to travel to the future, while most of those who fail will face only death. You have already seen that, haven't you?
"Of course, if Lord of the Cursed Arm can defeat Gawain, then there is no problem."
"Or make a deal with me. I will save those who fail the selection. Miss Serenity can testify to that."
Li Ye considered it briefly and realized that Serenity Hassan's situation perfectly complemented Cursed Arm Hassan's. Serenity Hassan had seen Lancelot protect those who failed the selection, yet she still hesitated over his deal. Wasn't that precisely because she had no basis for comparison?
Gawain, who slaughtered those who failed, and Lancelot, who preserved them, were undoubtedly the best comparison!
As he quietly waited for the two Hassans to exchange information, Li Ye's mental storm continued.
In Li Ye's view, his ability to persuade the two Hassans was merely because he had hostages as leverage, but that tactic could not be used forever.
"Is your purpose truly to meet the First Generation Old Man of the Mountain?"
At this point, Cursed Arm Hassan, having finished speaking with Serenity Hassan, approached Li Ye. Serenity Hassan's information had changed his impression of Li Ye somewhat.
"That's right. This is an equal exchange. I wish to visit the First Generation Old Man of the Mountain, while you wish to protect the people of this land. We each get what we need."
"As for whether you believe me, Lord of the Cursed Arm, you've already made your judgment, haven't you?"
Li Ye confidently met Cursed Arm Hassan's gaze. He could not say the same for others, but he was confident he could persuade Cursed Arm Hassan. During his life, Cursed Arm Hassan had been a figure of this very era.
His love for this land surpassed everything else.
"I hope you keep your promise," Cursed Arm Hassan said slowly, making Li Ye smile.
"I won't make things difficult for Lord of the Cursed Arm. You can simply tell me the temple's location, and I'll go there myself."
"You know us quite well."
"I've heard a little."
After confirming that the deal had been made, Cursed Arm Hassan took over the task of guiding him and led Li Ye straight toward the barren mountains.
Li Ye quickly came to understand the dangers of this mountain range.
Desolate mountains and steep ridges, without a blade of grass in sight.
"Who's there?" Li Ye sensed something and turned his head at the same time as Cursed Arm Hassan.
A group of black-robed figures rushed down from the hills on both sides, their eyes fixed on Li Ye's group with the hunger of predators eyeing food!
"Refugees?" Li Ye's expression did not change as he turned to look at Cursed Arm Hassan beside him.
"Please do not take their lives—"
Bang!
Several dull impacts rang out in succession, and the refugees rushing at Li Ye and the others were instantly knocked unconscious by Li Ye.
"So they fled into the mountains..." Li Ye looked at the unconscious people on the ground. Every one of them was gaunt and sallow, making it easy to imagine what they had endured.
Forced into the barren mountains by the Crusaders' atrocities, they had struggled to survive until now.
"Lord Li Ye, we cannot travel the rest of the way with you."
Cursed Arm Hassan looked at the starving refugees. "I will tell you the temple's location."
Li Ye nodded. "Thank you, Lord of the Cursed Arm. Then leave this horse with you and use it to take them back."
With that, Li Ye dismounted and left the black horse taken from the Crusaders with Cursed Arm Hassan. After receiving the temple's coordinates, he set off alone.
An hour later.
Li Ye looked over the endless mountains and the unceasing gale. At the end of it all stood a magnificent Wall of Light.
"Is that... the End of the World?"
Li Ye had never imagined such a sight.
It was undoubtedly a wonder comparable to the ring of light in the sky—the real End of the World.
Before Li Ye could marvel at it.
A shadow shot up from beneath the cliff, whipping up a violent gale!
"Wyverns?"
Bracing himself against the rocks, Li Ye watched three Green Wyverns circle overhead. Their scarlet eyes fell upon him as though he were a delicious prey animal.
Roar! Roar!!
Deafening roars erupted as the three wyverns dove together, opening their gaping jaws and spewing blazing flames!
Heat enough to melt gold and iron was about to swallow Li Ye in an instant!
Buzz!
After a single hum, the raging flames vanished completely.
Li Ye stomped both feet hard and shot into the sky like a cannonball, instantly reaching one of the wyverns' faces!
Rip—
A decisive, fierce slash tore it apart from below!
The existence of the Lines of Death rendered the wyvern's tough scales utterly useless before Li Ye.
The moment Li Ye instantly killed one Green Wyvern, the remaining two immediately scattered. One even turned to flee!
But Li Ye was faster!
Using the still-falling wyvern corpse as a springboard, he closed in on the fleeing wyvern in the blink of an eye. His blade plunged into a Line of Death and severed it at the root, sending it crashing to the ground!
There's one more!
Li Ye's gaze was sharp as lightning. Just as he turned around, a tremendous force struck from his side. The impact, like being hit head-on by a truck, launched Li Ye into the air!
Having lost his footing, Li Ye could only fall freely back toward the ground, but the next attack was already approaching!
Blazing fire came from behind, swallowing Li Ye in searing heat. The following impact sent him plummeting at high speed!
The fireball fell amid the mountains and exploded like a blooming flower, revealing Li Ye's figure.
Crimson magical energy swirled around him, forming a protective layer that blocked all the heat.
Before Li Ye could make a move, the pursuing wyvern rammed directly into him!
Boom!!
The high-speed collision of that massive body, weighing several tons, generated kinetic force far beyond any attack Li Ye had encountered before!
The magical defense around Li Ye shattered instantly, leaving him to resist it with his physical body alone!
Fire burst forth. In the zero-distance collision between them, the wyvern spewed blazing flames once more, pouring down like a tide and drowning Li Ye!
This time, Li Ye had no magical energy around him to block the heat capable of melting gold and iron!
Rip—
Crimson magical energy erupted as the terrifying aura of a Red Dragon swept in every direction like raging waves.
"Roar!!"
Sensing Li Ye's change, the Green Wyvern jolted in alarm and instinctively retreated.
"It's too late!"
Crack.
He crushed the scales with nothing but his grip, his arm piercing straight into the wyvern's abdomen like a spear!
The battle turned in an instant!
Rumble!
That massive body weighing several tons was slammed viciously into the mountainside. Stones flew everywhere, and cracks spread beneath the wyvern.
Li Ye did not let such an opportunity pass. Punch after punch crashed into the wyvern's body, reducing it to a bloody mess in mere seconds!
"Submit to me, or die!"
Li Ye stomped the wyvern's head deep into the ground and stared down at it from above.
The Dragon Blood bestowed by the Lion King was far beyond what these lowly Lesser Dragons could resist. Releasing Dragon's Might from such close range left the Green Wyvern trembling in terror.
In the end, the Green Wyvern submitted and lowered its head to Li Ye.
Whoosh.
As Li Ye stood atop the dragon's back, the wyvern beat its wings and whipped up a gale, carrying him into the sky on the wind!
A gust hit him head-on, blowing Li Ye's black hair back.
"Hahahaha!"
Li Ye's uninhibited laughter echoed through the mountains as he flew away.
"Temple of Azrael..."
Several hours after parting from Cursed Arm Hassan and the others, Li Ye, traveling at full speed with the wyvern's aid, finally arrived at the Temple of Azrael.
The ancient, imposing temple stood amid the mountains. The instant Li Ye stepped within its grounds.
A chilling cold that made his scalp crawl instantly engulfed him!