A Misunderstanding in Wentesi's Favor

"Aierde, the Light ascetic? What was he doing here?"

Wentesi didn't know many elderly humans. In fact, he knew only one: Aierde, the Light cultivator.

What was he doing here?

Wentesi also recalled how Aierde had looked after taking him away two days ago. He had clearly wanted to say something.

Yet he had hesitated to speak.

I'll go take a look first. We're allies in the matter of the Abyssal Rift, at least, so he won't do anything against me.

Wentesi thought it over briefly, then wasted no time. He spread his dragon wings and soared into the sky, soon hovering high above.

He activated the Brahma Sound Six Consciousnesses Multiple Penetrations he had cultivated that night.

Brahma sounds instantly filled both his dragon ears. As the sounds flowed, every noise for several miles around reached him.

He soon located the steady, drawn-out breathing of a human in the direction of the planting area.

The breathing was different from the heavy panting of beastmen and Devil Beasts. It was regular and even.

It revealed a vigorous life force.

Wentesi adjusted his dragon wings, and his crimson form plunged toward the planting area.

The moment he landed among the fields, his dragon brows furrowed.

A bald, elderly human in long white clerical robes was crouching on the Golden Land in his planting area.

It was none other than the Sanctuary expert Aierde.

Crouching there, Aierde held a plump ear of White Jade Grain between the fingers of his right hand while his left hand lightly stroked his chin beneath his long white beard.

His wise eyes studied the White Jade Grain closely, and he clicked his tongue in wonder.

He was clearly very interested in the White Jade Grain.

A moment later, he released the ears of the several White Jade Grain plants and pulled a muddy Mountain Ginseng from the neighboring field.

Aierde first sniffed it, then, seemingly unconcerned by the dirt, took a bite of the muddy Mountain Ginseng.

Not only was he unbothered by the dirt, he chewed it carefully, his eyes half closed as though savoring its flavor.

It really is light energy. Absolutely delicious!

Aierde praised it inwardly as he chewed.

At the edge of the planting area, the kobold and gnoll guards stood on alert under Walker's lead, their bodies tense and a variety of crude weapons in their hands.

But when they saw this, they all froze.

What was this human doing? Eating the tree roots Master had planted?

In the simple view of the Devil Creatures and the others, the crop the old human had picked up looked like a tree root, smelled like a tree root, and even tasted like a tree root.

So it was a tree root.

As for why Master had planted it-sorry, Devil Creatures didn't have that much brainpower.

Walker was clever enough this time. He wouldn't attack an expert he couldn't beat without an order from his master.

He led the guards in keeping watch outside, without acting rashly.

The minotaurs who had been clearing and tilling land outside the planting area all put down their plows and harrows to watch the commotion from a distance.

Watching Aierde chew so freely, Wentesi felt an inexplicable flame of anger rise in his heart.

These spirit grains and spirit ginseng were no ordinary things. He had traded for them in the cultivation world.

After being nourished by the Golden Land and undergoing a great transformation under the sun's rays, every grain and every plant had been imbued with the essence of the [Hairy Head Sun].

For every plant Wentesi ate, he could condense a wisp of Greater Yang Qi within his body. Nothing could be better for improving his cultivation and stabilizing his foundation.

These were important cultivation resources of his.

Yet here was Aierde, not even bothering to greet him before helping himself to his important resources right there in the field.

My resources!

My resources!!

Hold it in. He's a Sanctuary expert, after all!

Wentesi took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart.

After all, Aierde was a genuine Sanctuary expert.

True dragons had always held experts in awe-or rather, experts much stronger than themselves.

Those true dragons who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth and dared challenge Sanctuary and Legendary experts while still hatchlings or adolescents had long since turned back into dragon eggs.

He suppressed his anger, raised his dragon wings, and settled steadily in front of Aierde, regarding him with an unfriendly gaze from his molten-gold vertical pupils.

Aierde seemed to have expected Wentesi to come. His eyes remained closed as he slowly chewed the Mountain Ginseng.

His jaws worked up and down, making chewing noises.

There was even an expression of enjoyment on his face.

He didn't make Wentesi wait long. Opening his eyes, he looked at the red dragon before him, his voice full of admiration and pleasure:

"Young true dragon, what kind of magic plants are you growing in this field? They really do taste delicious."

Wentesi didn't answer his question. He sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm:

"I don't know what they taste like. All I know is that after growing them for so long, even their owner hasn't eaten any yet.

"Yet a thief came uninvited and helped himself without the owner's permission. Isn't that a thief?"

Aierde's face showed a trace of embarrassment.

He had lived for nearly a hundred years. As an ascetic of the Church of Light, he had always acted openly and honorably, strictly observing the precepts.

This was the first time in his life he had taken something belonging to someone else without permission.

When he had first arrived in the territory, he had sensed the presence of light energy pervading the air and followed it to this farmland where light magic plants were grown.

Unable to restrain himself, he had reached out and picked some to taste.

The light energy that had burst forth in his mouth just now confirmed his suspicion about Wentesi's faith.

Two days ago, when they first met, he had sensed the Power of the Rule of Light coming from this unusual red dragon while his disciple Aila was fighting him.

The Power of the Rule of Light!

This was a power that led directly to the Origin of Light.

Only the angels of the God of Light, the chosen blessed by the god, the grand patriarch who wielded great authority in the church, or believers wielding a holy artifact of light could possess this power.

He had practiced ascetic cultivation in the Church of Light for nearly a hundred years and was all too familiar with the Power of the Rule of Light.

There was no mistaking it!

It had been the same that day. Besides the red dragon being an ally of the Great Tree Sage, the sudden appearance of that presence of light had left him deeply shocked.

How could a red dragon of the evil alignment possess the Power of the Rule of Light?

He first ruled out all the impossible options.

This adolescent dragon was only at the ninth level. He couldn't possibly have slipped into the church's treasury and stolen a holy artifact;

still less could he be the grand patriarch of the Church of Light, or an angel beyond the Legendary level.

That left only one answer.

This red dragon was also a believer in the God of Light, and one of the chosen blessed by the god!

For the past two days, he had tried to ask the Great Tree Sage about the red dragon, but for some reason, the Great Tree Sage had suddenly become like a real tree, saying nothing at all.

Aierde had waited patiently for two days, but in the end he could no longer contain his doubts. So he had followed the red dragon's presence to his territory in person.

As soon as he entered the territory, he saw this land filled with magic plants bearing light energy.

The sight made Aierde absolutely certain.

What else could a dragon who could cultivate crops so full of light energy be but one blessed by the god?

At that thought, Kaiaide's gaze softened considerably as he looked at Wentesi.

He withdrew the pressure and presence of a Sanctuary expert and spoke by voice transmission, his tone carrying a hint of familiarity:

"Brother-in the religious sense-don't be angry."

Brother?

Wentesi quickly noticed something unusual about the word. It didn't mean a brother by blood.

It was an affectionate form of address between fellow believers of the same faith in a religious context.

Wentesi was clever. With a quick turn of his thoughts, he connected all the information he had:

First, the devil in the ring had mistaken him for a gold dragon who believed in the Church of Light. Second, the Great Tree Sage had detected the presence of the Rule of Light on him. Third, Aierde had looked as though he wanted to speak but hesitated last time...

As all the clues came together, realization dawned on Wentesi.

So Aierde mistook the Hairy Head Sun Law Power in me for the power of the God of Light!

Wentesi recalled the information he had obtained from that demon: the God of Light had sealed his divine kingdom long ago and hadn't been heard from in ages.

It seemed pretending to be a believer in the God of Light might not be out of the question.

The key was...

Would pretending to be a believer in the God of Light benefit me?

Wentesi pondered. If it benefited him, pretending to be a believer in the God of Light for a while wasn't out of the question.

Of course, he would play dumb and keep things ambiguous, using the identity to reap benefits.

The God of Light had sealed his divine kingdom for so long that he presumably wouldn't suddenly appear.

I'll try it first and see if there are any benefits to be had. If not, it won't be too late to abandon it then.

For the moment, Wentesi neither answered nor contradicted him. He merely raised his pointed lower dragon jaw, an angry look on his face.

He really is my brother-in the religious sense!

Seeing his reaction, Aierde took it as Wentesi's tacit acceptance of his words and couldn't help breaking into a broad smile.

What did it mean for a red dragon of the evil alignment to believe in the God of Light?