Lantan inwardly regretted it, but kept smiling as she said, "It's extremely precious. Almost no one could get a second sample, but..."
She deliberately paused, making the urgency on Lei Lin's face grow even more pronounced, before continuing, "But you might, Lei Lin, if you can earn that lord's approval!"
Lei Lin immediately pressed her for more. "That lord? Who is it?"
By now, he had more or less figured out where the Mutated Two-Headed Silver Dragon Blood came from. It had to be the familiar of Falling Leaf, the Ascetic and leader of the Radiant Church. But he still had to pretend he didn't know.
Lantan smiled. "Don't be impatient. You'll find out soon!"
Lei Lin asked, puzzled, "I'll find out soon?"
"What do you mean?"
Lantan's smile grew gentler. "Lei Lin, your talent is the greatest in history, and your faith in the great Lord of Light has given you a noble character."
"I specially reported your situation to the Holy See and secured you a chance to become someone's disciple."
"If you can earn that lord's approval, your future will be incredibly bright."
Lei Lin could tell Lantan was doing her best to exaggerate the importance of his chance to become a disciple. After all, what say could a tool like her possibly have in the Radiant Church?
But he didn't mind, and played along. "A lord? Was this dragon blood bestowed by the person you mentioned?"
Lantan nodded. "Lei Lin, you're so clever~"
Before long, the two arrived at Falling Leaf's side, chatting and laughing as they went.
Looking at Falling Leaf, one of the Radiant Church's core leaders and an Ascetic, Lei Lin inexplicably felt a sense of warmth.
If anyone among the Radiant Church's leaders could still be called a good person, it was probably this Ascetic.
After all, even after reaching the Saint Realm, he still lived in the slums and experienced the suffering of the poor. That was truly remarkable!
Even if it was all an act, it was still remarkable!
Lei Lin looked again at Falling Leaf's weathered, wrinkled face, which nevertheless felt warm and kind. At least I couldn't do it!
As Lei Lin studied Falling Leaf, Falling Leaf studied him in turn. "Young man, are you not used to the slums?"
Lei Lin glanced at the shabby, filthy surroundings and answered plainly, "That's right. I'm not used to it."
At his words, Lantan's expression changed. She seemed about to warn Lei Lin, but after looking at Falling Leaf, she held her tongue.
After all, she was merely a tool of the Holy See, while Falling Leaf was a true senior figure in the Radiant Church.
Falling Leaf glanced at Lantan and said calmly, "Lantan, you may leave. I'd like to speak with Lei Lin alone."
Ever since they had learned that Lei Lin could unleash the combat power of a ninth-level fighter despite being only seventh level, his average elemental affinity no longer seemed like a weakness.
If anything, that mediocre affinity only made Lei Lin's extraordinary comprehension stand out even more!
To avoid any mishaps, the Holy See had sent Falling Leaf to interview him in person.
If everything went smoothly, Falling Leaf would take him as a disciple and raise him as one of the Church's own.
Under the circumstances, they certainly wouldn't let a tool like Lantan get too close to Lei Lin.
After all, Lantan was an Angel. In essence, she had no limit to her lifespan and wouldn't slowly grow old and die like an ordinary woman.
A tool like her couldn't even serve the purpose of first building a bond with Lei Lin, then dying of old age to temper his character and help him overcome romantic attachments.
If she really developed feelings for Lei Lin, then later, once he learned the secret behind the Holy See's creation of Angels and discovered Lantan's nature as a tool, he might end up at odds with the Holy See.
At Falling Leaf's words, Lantan's expression darkened, but she left at once without a word.
Looking at Lei Lin, who seemed somewhat confused, Falling Leaf smiled. "Lei Lin, don't get too close to Lantan in the future."
"Of course, there's no harm in having a little fun with her, as long as you don't get emotionally involved!"
"She..."
"She's different from the two women in your family!"
Lei Lin watched Lantan leave, but didn't ask what made her different. Instead, he said, "Lantan told me that you could provide me with Saint Realm Mutated Two-Headed Silver Dragon Blood for research?"
Falling Leaf smiled at Lei Lin, who was so direct and seemed almost feverishly eager. "You're quite an impatient young man!"
"But didn't Lantan tell you who I am or why she brought you to meet me? Is Saint Realm Silver Dragon Blood more important to you than a Saint Realm teacher?"
Though he hadn't tested Lei Lin's talent in person, his apparent greater interest in Saint Realm Silver Dragon Blood had already given him a good sense of the young man's nature.
A true mage, devoted to researching bloodlines and magic!
No wonder he'd reached such a level at such a young age! Falling Leaf already approved of Lei Lin, at least in part.
As for verifying Lei Lin's talent—heh, surely Lantan, an Angel, wouldn't deceive the Radiant Church?
According to Lantan's report, even if Lei Lin's character and morals failed to impress him today, the Holy See would still take him in. They simply wouldn't have Falling Leaf take him as a disciple and raise him as one of their own.
After all, they couldn't possibly pass up a genius who was highly likely to reach the Saint Realm one day. Even raising him as a fighter would be a huge gain!
Lei Lin looked at Falling Leaf and thought for a moment before saying, "Sigh... Lantan told me who you are, sir. Becoming your disciple would bring me many benefits."
"It could even be called a meteoric rise."
"But..."
Lei Lin bowed and cupped his hands. "Please forgive me, sir. I have plans and ambitions for my own future."
"If you were a Saint Realm expert in the lightning element, I would become your disciple without hesitation. But you specialize in light magic!"
At this, Lei Lin pointed to himself. "Lord Falling Leaf, I only have an affinity for lightning~"
"To me, your greatest appeal is that you can provide Saint Realm dragon blood for me to study!"
Lei Lin planned to join the Radiant Church, but that was all. He had no intention of actually becoming someone's disciple.
He especially couldn't become the disciple of someone like Falling Leaf, a core figure in the Radiant Church, even if his impression of Falling Leaf was quite favorable so far.
After all, Falling Leaf would eventually die. If they grew attached, things would become difficult later.
And as a core member of the Radiant Church, Lei Lin didn't believe Falling Leaf was unaware of its dark side.
Lei Lin didn't think in simplistic black-and-white terms, but he still felt that since Falling Leaf had enjoyed the benefits brought by the Radiant Church, there was nothing to complain about when he later had to bear the corresponding costs.
Of course, it was only because he was speaking with Falling Leaf that he refused so directly. If he were facing another senior figure in the Radiant Church today, he certainly wouldn't be so blunt.
Falling Leaf paused at his words and sighed inwardly. This young man's perspective is ultimately too narrow. He doesn't understand the gap between those in the Saint Realm.
Before you continue