Clair

They mixed the blood of magical beasts with the corresponding elemental attribute into Lei Mo's blood and used it to inscribe the rune tattoos. This time, they used only ordinary blood from Saint Realm magical beasts.

As the Runes activated, a tide of elemental energy swept through the main hall.

The seven did not form any inexplicable mental connection with Lei Mo, but they had absorbed his blood and felt much closer to him.

They had no idea why; they simply assumed it was because they were grateful for Lei Mo's help.

"Tell me how you each feel!"

Based on their answers, Lei Mo concluded that ordinary blood from Saint Realm magical beasts was enough to awaken their cultivation talent.

The beasts' attributes and talents differed, but their own battle-aura attributes were not much different. It was also possible that their talents were so poor that the effects of the rune tattoos had simply overwhelmed them.

He sent the seven to find Torista and tell her to come see him.

The seven left, and Torista arrived.

"What's the attribute of your battle aura? Show it to me!"

Lei Mo was somewhat more considerate toward Torista. Afraid she might not know her attribute, he simply demonstrated it himself.

"My battle aura is of the Light Element."

As Torista spoke, she released her battle aura. It came from a very ordinary technique; it could only build up battle aura to Level Six, and after that, she would have to rely on breakthroughs.

"Take off your outer robe and sit cross-legged."

Lei Mo gave the order directly.

Torista obediently removed her outer robe. When she started to take off more, Lei Mo stopped her.

Torista now obeyed Lei Mo's every word. Her fervent adoration was practically spilling out of her.

Business came first. Lei Mo took out more than a dozen drops of ordinary Saint Realm Holy Light Tiger blood and began preparing the mixture in front of Torista.

First, he added the corresponding medicinal powder, then the other necessary ingredients, along with his own blood.

Torista gazed at Lei Mo with her silver-gray eyes, focused and gentle, her eyes rippling like water and a smile playing at her lips.

"Compose yourself. I'll give you something to numb the pain."

Lei Mo handed Torista a bottle of liquid with a strange smell, then took out a new, hollow silver needle.

After using a needle, Lei Mo always put it away. Once he had collected enough, he sterilized them with Fire Element magic.

Lei Mo had only one Light Rune—the Light Rune. It should correspond to the Mysteries of the Light Element.

Time passed quickly. "Hum—" A surge of elemental energy gathered wildly in the main hall again, this time Light Element energy.

"How do you feel, Torista?"

"I feel wonderful, sir! I feel like I could break through to Level Seven at any moment. Thank you, sir!"

Then came another gaze from those beautiful eyes. Lei Mo found it a little hard to bear. This was definitely sexual harassment!

Yet he didn't protest. On the contrary, he rather enjoyed it, and could hardly resist bragging about it.

"Does the Minair family have any other direct descendants you want to train?"

Lei Mo asked directly.

"No, sir! There are only those eight. The others are just lower-level warriors, not worth troubling you over."

Lei Mo closed his eyes and said nothing more. For the next ten-odd days, he cultivated at Minair Manor. Sometimes he took out Franklin and studied the Destruction Rune on it; other times, he practiced martial techniques in the garden.

Then, "Boom!" A sharp sound tore through the air.

"Bailey! Come out and die!"

A figure hovered above Minair Manor, drawing countless gazes upward.

"Coriti?" A voice sounded in the figure's mind.

"Do you want to fight in the city, or go outside?" Lei Mo's voice followed.

"Why would I go outside to deal with a puny Level Nine?"

The newcomer was extremely arrogant and rejected Lei Mo's suggestion.

"Bill, protect Minair Manor!"

Lei Mo sent a mental message to Divine Wind Bear.

"Yes, master!"

Holding Franklin, Lei Mo vanished in an instant and reappeared before the hovering figure.

"You're quite the braggart. Let's see whether your strength matches your mouth."

He didn't plan to give the man a chance to speak again. After shouting those words, Lei Mo swung the Totem Pillar down at him.

Lei Mo's signature move now was to smash—to smash everything to pieces.

Defense and angle meant nothing. Franklin would correct its trajectory automatically. That was how mindlessly he fought.

"Boom!"

With a single blow, the figure was sent flying, smashing through a stretch of buildings.

Lei Mo darted after him, raised Franklin, and brought it down again!

"Boom—rumble—"

The spot where the figure had crashed shook like the earth was splitting apart, and clouds of dust billowed up.

The already-ravaged area was reduced to a heap of rubble.

Whether there were innocent people inside or not, Lei Mo wasn't some kindhearted saint. If someone provoked him, they would pay the price.

Even then, Lei Mo still wasn't satisfied. He surged with battle aura and brought his palm down on the ruins again—

"Boom—collapse—"

The ground sank, leaving a huge crater dozens of meters across and six or seven meters deep.

At the bottom lay a figure in tattered clothes, covered in blood and barely breathing.

"Sir, please spare him! Coriti has already been punished!"

A voice called out, but no one appeared. Clearly, the speaker didn't want a confrontation with Lei Mo and was merely pleading for mercy.

"Why should I spare him? What about my dignity?"

Lei Mo wasn't usually an arrogant man, but this time he was truly furious. He had offered protection to the Minair family, but he hadn't threatened the Coriti Clan in any way. Yet they had come straight out demanding blood. If he didn't wipe them out, he wouldn't be able to rest easy.

"Alas, Coriti was deceived by a junior of the family. If you don't kill him, he'll deal with the Coriti Clan himself. He'll avenge you, sir!"

"I can spare his life, but where's the apology? And who are you?"

Lei Mo's tone was less than pleasant.

"Sir, my name is Clair. I'm a half-elf, just like Torista."

The voice came through, somewhat humble, placing himself on the same footing as Torista.

"The first king of the Keir Kingdom? Fine—I'll give you this favor!"

For Torista's sake, Lei Mo held back. He also tossed out a drop of Golden Liquid to keep Coriti alive.

"Whoosh—"

A figure flew in from afar and descended into the crater. After checking on Coriti, he bowed slightly to Lei Mo.

"Thank you for the precious medicine, sir. Coriti should be all right now."

With that, he picked Coriti up and flew away.

After returning, Lei Mo continued staying at the Minair family manor, paying no attention to outside affairs and focusing entirely on comprehending the Law of Destruction.

Outside, people argued endlessly about the battle that had taken place that day.

"The Minair family somehow found an extraordinary powerhouse. Lord Coriti couldn't fight back at all against him."

"Torista must have traded her beauty for his help, right? Why else would he help her?"

"I heard Torista spends every night in this lord's bed, trying every trick in the book!"

Rumors flew everywhere, but Torista didn't care in the least!

Torista was utterly devoted to and enamored with Lei Mo. She wished every rumor were true!

Why would she deny them?

With the Minair family turning a blind eye, the rumors grew wilder and wilder.

The latest version claimed that Torista had already given birth to several of Lei Mo's children.

One had to admire those rumor-mongers. Lei Mo had been there for only a little over a month, all told. Even if they wanted to have children, there hadn't been enough time!

Then a royal decree arrived from the capital of the Keir Kingdom: Torista was named Duchess of Kemar, and Coriti Province was renamed Minair Province.

The rumor-mongers and gossip-spreaders across the city fell silent in an instant. Ah—this... this wasn't how the story was supposed to go!