Returning to Red Flame City

Lin Qin returned to Red Flame City and went straight to the Mercenary Guild to submit his mission. When he handed over the Black Crystal still lingering with evil energy, along with intelligence regarding the Dark Church and the "Soul Gathering Array," it caused quite a stir.

The receptionist was an experienced old deacon. After carefully examining the crystal and listening to Lin Qin's brief description, his expression turned grave.

"The Dark Church... a Soul Gathering Array... collecting souls..." the old deacon muttered to himself, his brows furrowed. "Lord Lin Qin, the intelligence you have provided is of vital importance; this far exceeds the scope of an A+ rank mission. I will report this upward immediately and forward the information to the imperial military. We will settle your mission reward at the highest standard and provide an additional contribution bonus for the intelligence."

"Just process the reward according to the rules." Lin Qin did not care much for these things; he was more concerned about the aftermath. "The Dark Church is active on the empire's border with unclear intentions. How do you plan to handle this?"

The old deacon sighed. "In matters like these, our Mercenary Guild primarily provides intelligence and assistance. How to respond specifically depends on the wishes of the imperial royal family and the various temples. However, since it involves the Dark Church, I fear it will not be resolved easily. Thank you for the warning, my lord; we will strengthen our information gathering in this area."

Lin Qin nodded and said no more. He collected his generous reward and left the Mercenary Guild.

Just as he stepped out of the guild gates, a royal guard approached him and said respectfully, "Lord Lin Qin, His Majesty requests your presence; he hopes you can enter the palace for a talk."

Lin Qin was not surprised. The intelligence he submitted involved the Dark Church, so the royal family must have received the news immediately. It seemed this Emperor could not sit still.

"Lead the way," Lin Qin said.

Guided by the guard, Lin Qin arrived at the magnificent Red Flame Imperial Palace once again, this time being taken directly to the Emperor's study. Aside from Joanne O'Brien, the Emperor of the O'Brien Empire, there were two others in the room. One was Hedereson, the Rock Sword Saint whom Lin Qin had met before; the other was an elderly man with white hair and beard wearing red mage robes, radiating a scorching and powerful fire-element magic fluctuation—clearly a Saint Magus.

"Lord Lin Qin, please sit." Emperor Joanne looked to be in his forties, his face dignified and his eyes sharp, carrying the natural aura of someone in a high position, yet his attitude toward Lin Qin, a Saint Realm expert, was quite courteous.

"Your Majesty." Lin Qin nodded slightly and sat in the guest chair. Hedereson nodded at him, acknowledging his presence. The red-robed old Saint Magus looked at Lin Qin with curiosity.

"This is the Chief Mage of the imperial court, Fire Master Ralph," Emperor Joanne introduced.

Saint Magus Ralph smiled at Lin Qin. "Young man, not bad. Hedereson rarely praises anyone."

Lin Qin responded calmly, "Saint Magus Ralph."

Emperor Joanne got straight to the point. "Lord Lin Qin, we are already aware of your discovery in the Death Desert. The reach of the Dark Church is growing longer and longer." His tone carried a hint of coldness.

"They seem to be plotting something, using the Soul Gathering Array to collect souls to nourish some sealed existence and create chaos," Lin Qin stated the information he had obtained.

"A sealed existence..." Saint Magus Ralph stroked his beard, his face serious. "The Death Desert has a long history and many legends. If the Dark Church is truly targeting some ancient seal, then we are in big trouble."

Hedereson said in a deep voice, "No matter what they want to do, we cannot let them succeed. The empire's borders will not tolerate their wild behavior."

Emperor Joanne looked at Lin Qin. "Lord Lin Qin, you have performed a great service this time. Not only did you resolve a threat at the border, but you also brought back critical intelligence. On behalf of the empire, I thank you."

"It was my duty," Lin Qin said.

Emperor Joanne pondered for a moment and said, "You possess great strength and a heart for justice. Now that the continent is full of undercurrents, the Dark Church is stirring, and the Radiant Church may not be peaceful either. I once again sincerely invite you to join the empire and face our enemies together. The empire is willing to offer you the position of 'Saint Protector of the Kingdom,' and we will not be stingy with resources or power."

The position of Saint Protector of the Kingdom was highly esteemed, second only to the War God, which showed the royal family's desire to recruit him.

Lin Qin shook his head again. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. But my ambitions do not lie here; I am accustomed to walking alone and pursuing the peak of power. However, if the Dark Church threatens the peace of the continent, I will not stand idly by."

He made his stance clear: he would not join any faction, but he had his own bottom line regarding matters of right and wrong.

A flash of disappointment crossed Emperor Joanne's eyes, but he did not force the issue. At the Saint Realm level, everyone had their own persistence; a forced melon would not be sweet. Being able to obtain such a promise from Lin Qin was already a decent result.

"Since that is the case, I will not force you," Emperor Joanne said. "If you have any needs while in the empire, just speak up. The empire will always be your friend."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Leaving the palace, Hedereson walked side by side with Lin Qin.

"The Dark Church will not let this go after their failure," Hedereson said. "You ruined their plans, and they might target you."

"I know," Lin Qin said, unafraid. "If they come for me, all the better."

Hedereson glanced at him, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "Your 'Thick Earth Seal' seems to have improved again."

"I had a slight realization," Lin Qin did not deny it. His battle with Hedereson and his experiences in the Death Desert had given him a new understanding of how to use his power.

"Very good," Hedereson nodded. "The path of martial arts is like sailing against the current. Keep it up." After saying this, he parted ways with Lin Qin and headed in another direction.

Lin Qin returned to the inn and began to organize the gains from this mission. Beyond the material rewards, more important was his vigilance toward the movements of the Dark Church and the steady improvement of his own strength.

He decided to stay in Red Flame City for a while longer. On one hand, the resources here were abundant, making it convenient for him to gather information and refine himself; on the other hand, he wanted to see how the empire and various factions would react following the Dark Church incident.

Just as he calmed his mind to prepare for cultivation, the inn waiter knocked on the door to deliver a letter. There was no signature on the envelope, only a faint, familiar water-element magic fluctuation.

Lin Qin opened the letter to find Aileen's elegant handwriting inside.

"Lin Qin, I heard your reputation is growing in the O'Brien Empire; I am very pleased. I am doing well at the Magic Guild, so do not worry. Fenlai City has not been peaceful lately, with undercurrents moving; I hope you take care. I look forward to our reunion soon."

The letter was short, but it made the corners of Lin Qin's cold mouth twitch slightly. He carefully put the letter away and looked toward the direction of Fenlai City.

Fenlai City is not peaceful either... It seems that the Yulan Continent is truly about to see a storm.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart, and immersed himself in cultivation once again. No matter how the outside world changes, improving one's own strength will always be the most fundamental thing.