Fear of Death

The Temple of Light had been able to grow to its current scale in just over a hundred years not only because His Majesty Ceres of the Frost Snow Empire had deliberately indulged it, but also because of the foundation it had established.

As long as someone found a woman with a pure soul, they could bring her to the Temple of Light and sacrifice her, allowing the sacrificer to receive the Light Lord God's reward and directly increase their strength.

All of the Temple of Light's upper echelons had joined it through such means.

Locke could even be certain that, aside from the Temple of Light's upper echelons, quite a few people within the Frost Snow Empire were also searching for women with pure souls.

The reason these people still stood with the Frost Snow Empire was largely because they had yet to find women with pure souls—or, rather, because they had found too few.

One or two girls with pure souls were not enough to guarantee their advancement to the Saint Domain.

Once they were certain they could advance to the Saint Domain, perhaps the very next moment, they would announce their departure from the Frost Snow Empire and become new Saint-level upper echelons of the Temple of Light.

Never overestimate the moral bottom line of humanity in this world.

In a world where great power belonged to the individual, immense strength and eternal life were things pursued by almost all humans.

When someone offered a way to achieve such dreams by sacrificing merely two or more special humans, the "evil" of this world became cruel beyond all measure.

The Knight Commander whom Locke had severely wounded was not particularly talented.

In Locke's eyes, someone like him might have found it difficult even to become a Rank 7 Expert.

After all, Locke had not found many traces of diligent cultivation on this fellow.

Clearly, the reason this man had reached the Saint Domain was that he had sacrificed at least three pure souls.

Locke had no intention of wasting his pity on someone like that.

"Very good. It seems you've recovered quite well."

"My healing magic wasn't wasted on you."

Though the man had his head hanging down and his eyes closed, Locke's Mental Strength had long since detected the fluctuations of his mind.

"Hmph!"

Seeing that his act had failed, the Knight Commander raised his head and looked at Locke, lingering fear still visible in his eyes.

It was not as though the man had never seen other Saint-level Experts in the Temple of Light.

However, in his view, among the Temple of Light's Saint-level Experts, perhaps only the Holy Son, aside from His Holiness the Pope, could compare to the man before him.

Could a Saint-level Expert truly cast a forbidden spell of such power?

As a newly advanced Saint-level Expert, the man clearly did not yet know that cultivation after reaching the Saint Domain was completely different from what came before.

Before the Saint Domain, one cultivated battle aura and Magic Power. As long as the two reached a certain level, one could advance in rank.

After reaching the Saint Domain, although cultivating battle aura and Magic Power could still increase one's strength, to walk a stronger path, one had to comprehend Profound Mysteries.

Relying solely on the strength of battle aura, the peak of the Saint Domain was the limit.

Only by comprehending Profound Mysteries could one break through the peak of the Saint Domain, reach the Saint Domain Limit, and even surpass the Saint Domain Limit to advance into the Divine Domain.

"You bastard, if you have the guts, kill me!"

"I won't reveal a single secret of the Temple of Light."

"Oh?"

A teasing smile appeared at the corner of Locke's lips.

Just how afraid of death was this fellow?

He told Locke to kill him if he could, yet his words revealed that he possessed the Temple of Light's secrets.

If Locke wanted to learn the Temple of Light's secrets from him, then he could not kill him.

Locke sat in his seat, crossed one leg over the other, and said leisurely, "Knight Commander of the Temple of Light, I think you may have misunderstood me."

"I have no interest whatsoever in the so-called secrets of the Temple of Light."

"So there is no need for you to be so nervous. I will not force you to answer anything."

Upon hearing Locke's words, the Knight Commander's pupils suddenly shrank, and a thread of fear rose within his heart.

If what this man said was true, and he had no interest in the Temple of Light's secrets, did that mean he had no value at all in this man's eyes? That he could be killed at any time?

He had finally gathered three girls with pure souls within his territory, directly rising from a Rank 6 Warrior to a Saint-level Expert. He had killed the family members who had once looked down on him and become the ruler of his family.

Moreover, over twenty years ago, he had successfully cooperated with Archbishop Anderson to launch a sneak attack before that Saint-level mage of the Frost Snow Empire could cast a defensive spell. They had killed him and received a great many rewards.

That Saint-level mage from the Frost Snow Empire's Fifth Legion probably could never have imagined that when Archbishop Anderson fought him before, it was not that Anderson waited for him to cast a defensive spell before attacking.

Rather, it was because he habitually cast defensive magic in every battle that Anderson and this Knight Commander had never found an opportunity to ambush him.

And when he had grown accustomed to Anderson not attacking as long as he did not cast defensive magic, one foot was already in the Undead Realm.

The Temple of Light's Knight Commander saw his entire life flash through his mind. He had only been a Saint-level Expert for less than thirty years, and there was still an endless life ahead for him to enjoy...

How could he possibly be willing to die here?

Just as the Temple of Light's Knight Commander was about to say something, Locke's next words temporarily put him at ease.

"As for your injuries, I'm very sorry. I left the military camp some time ago, so I did not continue treating you."

"I'll make up for it now."

With a wave of Locke's hand, a blue glow spread over the Temple of Light's Knight Commander.

"Hiss..."

Under the healing of that blue light, the Temple of Light Knight Commander's complexion immediately improved considerably.

Three minutes later, the glow around the Temple of Light Knight Commander faded away. The wounds on his body had nearly completely healed.

However, the bones inside his body showed no signs of healing at all.

Even so, this put the Temple of Light's Knight Commander at ease.

Clearly, the guy in front of him did not want him dead yet.

As long as he was alive, he would have a chance to enjoy more and better things in life.

After all, he was a Saint-level Expert with an unlimited lifespan!

Sensing that this man's aura had stabilized somewhat, Locke nodded slightly.

He would still need this man's help with some things later.

He could not let him die so easily...