Something Was Off About Lantan

This was Lei Lin's ultimate trump card. As long as his opponent wasn't a Saint Realm expert, he had nothing to fear!

And if he wanted, he could fly even higher. Once he was more than a thousand meters up, his opponent basically wouldn't be able to reach him.

Then came a thunderous boom~

As ammunition for the Electromagnetic Cannon, the Judgment Straight Blade arrived in an instant.

But its target wasn't the black-clad man chasing him. It was one of the two black-clad men who was still dragging Lantan along.

Simply dragging Lantan was already taking everything the man had. How could he have expected Lei Lin to hit him with an attack at a time like this?

Or rather, even if he had noticed, there was nothing he could do.

He had no strength left to dodge. That was why Lei Lin had chosen him as his target.

The blade pierced straight through the black-clad man's chest. He looked up at Lei Lin in the sky, his eyes filled with pain and unwillingness.

Swish~

A flash of sword light streaked past, and the face filled with pain and unwillingness soared into the air.

Seeing this, the black-clad man who had just used an explosive secret technique turned and ran without a word.

Lei Lin was about to pursue him, but stopped again.

His scouting methods had detected five experts with the aura of ninth-level warriors closing in. Three of them went straight after the fleeing black-clad man.

Sensing the pure light aura emanating from them, Lei Lin immediately realized that they were all members of the Radiant Church.

He glanced at Lantan, who was still fighting and seemed intent on capturing her opponent alive. Without a word, Lei Lin flew to the sky behind her and resumed his role as a capable support.

However, he gradually stopped assisting Lantan and instead focused all his efforts on using Electromagnetic Waves and paralysis spells to hinder the black-clad man.

By the time the other two ninth-level experts from the Radiant Church arrived, victory was all but assured.

Looking at the black-clad man who had been dismembered, his body twitching from time to time under the effects of paralysis, Lei Lin turned to Lantan. "Lantan..."

"Senior!"

By now, Lei Lin had mostly pieced together what had happened.

It seemed that after he made a name for himself, he had attracted the attention of the Dark Church, prompting them to orchestrate this incident.

After receiving word, the Radiant Church had decided to go along with it and used the opportunity to set up this ambush.

That way, the Radiant Church could foil the Dark Church's plans and win Lei Lin's gratitude at the same time.

The Dark Church had been thoroughly used as a tool this time. They'd even lost three ninth-level experts. What a disaster!

Having figured it all out, Lei Lin felt somewhat relieved.

Back when he first became famous, he'd wondered why the Radiant Church hadn't tried to recruit him as they had Lin Lei in the original story.

He'd gone straight to the Magic Beast Mountain Range to train after becoming famous, but even after he returned, no one from the Radiant Church had come to see him. It had left him speechless.

He'd already discussed it with his master, Sa'er, and said that he was willing to join the Radiant Church.

With his current fame and popularity, once Sa'er knew, Clyde was bound to find out.

And once Clyde knew, the Radiant Church would surely hear about it too.

For a while, he'd even wondered if he had to be the protagonist to attract the Radiant Church's attention, and whether he was unworthy of being recruited by this "dark force" that had once spanned countless Dimensions and worlds.

Now he understood. He'd been used as bait!

They'd managed to draw out the Dark Church and earn his gratitude for saving his life. If he were the Radiant Church, he'd have done the same!

And here he'd thought that pure, love-struck princesses really existed in this day and age!

Lantan smiled faintly. "Lei Lin, it makes me uncomfortable when you call me senior. Just call me Princess Lantan instead!"

Lei Lin's mouth twitched. A princess? With enough power to suppress three ninth-level experts, you could beat Clyde, the emperor, and take his throne!

Seeing Lei Lin's expression, Lantan continued to smile brightly. "Lord Lei Lin, I'm not lying to you. I really am a princess."

"If you're willing, I could even become your... concubine!"

She wasn't joking!

Originally, the Radiant Church had only sent her to protect Lei Lin. After all, although Lei Lin was currently the greatest mage in history, his elemental affinity was only average. The higher-ups didn't have much hope for his future.

They figured that even if he managed to reach the Saint Realm, he'd only become an ordinary Saint.

But Lei Lin's performance in this battle had made Lantan realize that his future was boundlessly bright.

In her eyes, his average elemental affinity was no longer a flaw. It only made his extraordinary talent and comprehension stand out all the more.

Once he reached the Saint Realm, Lei Lin would surely become a pillar of the Church and rise to its highest ranks.

If she could become his concubine, then even if she couldn't escape being used as a tool, her life would at least be much better than it was now.

Besides, wasn't sacrificing herself for the great Lord of Light exactly what she ought to do, if it meant recruiting a peerless young talent like Lei Lin?

Seeing Lantan act like this, Lei Lin was stunned.

In any faction, ninth-level experts were extremely precious. With no Saint Realm experts around, ninth-level warriors were the absolute upper echelon. The Fenlai Kingdom had only two of them: Clyde and Kaisa!

What's more, a ninth-level expert could suddenly comprehend the forces of heaven and earth and break through to the Saint Realm at any moment.

By then, no matter what faction they belonged to, they would become a pillar holding up the sky and a cornerstone supporting the sea—truly the foundation that ensured its survival and rule.

Lantan's ability to suppress three ninth-level experts from the Dark Church meant that she was an absolute powerhouse among ninth-level warriors. She might break through to the Saint Realm at any time.

No matter how talented Lei Lin was, there was no reason for her to humble herself like this. She wasn't acting like a ninth-level expert at all!

"Senior Lantan, you really know how to joke~" Unsure what was going on, Lei Lin decided to laugh it off.

But Lantan replied gently, "Lord Lei Lin, I'm not joking!"

"Even in such a dangerous situation, you were still willing to protect me. That righteous character of yours is the perfect embodiment of the teachings of the great Lord of Light."

"There isn't a true knight like you anywhere in the Church!"

"And you don't need to call me senior, Lei Lin. Just call me Lantan."

In just a few words, she'd made her form of address even more intimate.

As she spoke, Lantan wrapped her arms around Lei Lin's, looking at him with complete sincerity.

Lei Lin was a head taller than Lantan. Looking at her sincere face, tinged with shyness, and feeling the softness against his arm, he found his smile freezing in place.

He was using a technique to paralyze the nerves in his face with a microcurrent and control his expression.

Otherwise, he was afraid he really wouldn't be able to keep it together!

Something's off. Very off. My looks in this life are pretty good, but am I really that attractive to women?

Lantan looks quite young, too. For someone her age to have this kind of power, she must be a promising candidate for the Saint Realm within the Radiant Church. Why would she act like this? With all sorts of thoughts tangled together in his mind, Lei Lin had no idea how to respond.