Assassination

Early the next morning, Linley sent someone to the royal palace with a message.

He said that something had gone wrong with his training, injuring his internal organs, and that he needed to recuperate at home for a few days. The stone sculpture he had promised to give His Majesty might have to be delivered later than planned.

Meanwhile, in the royal palace.

As expected, Clayde could not sit still after receiving the news.

"Something went wrong with his training? He injured his internal organs?" Clayde frowned and paced back and forth across the hall. "Why did this have to happen to Linley now, of all times?"

He was determined to obtain a stone sculpture by Linley.

He had seen Dream Awakening, and its artistry was nothing short of miraculous. If he could obtain a stone sculpture Linley had carved for him and display it in the palace, it would certainly be something worth boasting about.

Besides-

Linley was a young man of astonishing talent, not only a Level Seven Mage but also a stone-sculpting genius. Talent like his was a treasure to the kingdom and had to be carefully nurtured.

"Your Majesty," Lansim, the commander of the guards, said from beside him, "shall we send someone to check on him?"

"Send someone?" Clayde shook his head. "No, I must go myself."

"Huh?" Lansim stared at him. "Your Majesty, you're going in person? Isn't that a little..."

A king personally visiting a mage born a commoner?

Wasn't that giving him far too much honor?

"What do you know?" Clayde glanced at him. "A genius like Linley is worth a personal visit. For one thing, it will show him how highly I value him and make him grateful to me. For another, I can check on the sculpture's progress while I'm there."

"Besides," Clayde paused and rubbed his chin, "perhaps he's pretending to be ill to make himself seem more valuable. If I go in person, it will also show him how much importance I place on him."

"Your Majesty is wise," Lansim hastened to flatter him.

"Enough. Prepare the carriage." Clayde waved a hand. "I'll go see him now."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Outside Linley's residence.

A magnificent carriage slowly came to a stop at the entrance.

"His Majesty has arrived-"

An attendant's shrill voice rang out.

A servant from the residence hurried inside to announce him.

Linley was sitting in the living room. When he heard the announcement, the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

He's here.

Just as big brother Haoyue predicted.

"Show him in, quickly," Linley said, rising to his feet and feigning weakness.

Soon, Clayde strode in.

He wore ordinary clothes, with Lansim and several guards following behind him.

"Linley, I heard something went wrong with your training, so I came to see you myself." Clayde walked quickly over, a concerned smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, I'm truly humbled that you would concern yourself with me." Linley bowed respectfully, his face looking somewhat pale.

Of course, it was an act.

With Haoyue there to help, all it took was a little water-element magic to alter the flow of his blood and qi. Feigning an internal injury was effortless.

"How is it? Is it serious?" Clayde looked Linley up and down, frowning slightly. "Shall I send a court mage to examine you?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Linley shook his head. "It isn't too serious. My internal organs were shaken up a little, and I need to rest for a few days. I'm afraid your sculpture may take a while longer to finish."

"Oh, there's no hurry, no hurry." Clayde waved a hand. "Your health comes first. The sculpture can be done anytime. Focus on recovering."

Despite his words, his gaze drifted involuntarily toward a corner of the living room, where a half-finished stone sculpture stood. It was the one Linley was carving for him.

Linley laughed inwardly.

Just as big brother Haoyue had said, the man claimed he wasn't in a hurry, but he was more eager than anyone.

"Your Majesty," Linley said, feigning weakness, "you rarely have occasion to visit. Why not sit down and have a drink? Allow me to show you a little hospitality."

"Gladly." Clayde readily agreed.

He had wanted to stay a little longer and see how things stood anyway.

The two sat down as host and guest.

Soon, servants brought out wine and food.

Clayde sent Lansim and the other guards outside as a show of respect for Linley.

"Come, Your Majesty, allow me to offer you a toast." Linley raised his cup with a smile.

Hemolytic Poison powder was colorless and tasteless.

Even a Saint-level expert might not detect it without deliberately looking for it, let alone Clayde, who was only a Level Nine Warrior.

"Very well." Clayde raised his cup as well.

He wasn't worried that Linley would harm him.

Linley was only a Level Seven Mage. He couldn't cause any trouble before Clayde, a Level Nine Warrior.

Besides, this was Fenlai City, Clayde's own territory. If Linley dared try anything, he would be courting death.

The two exchanged smiles and drained their cups at the same time.

Clayde smacked his lips, seeming to find the wine quite good.

After several rounds of wine.

Clayde gradually sensed that something was wrong.

The Battle-qi in his body seemed to have grown sluggish and no longer circulated as smoothly as usual.

"What's going on?" Clayde frowned.

Have I been too tired lately?

No, that's not right...

He was just about to ask when-

Bang!

Linley slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Clayde!" He looked coldly at Clayde, his voice devoid of respect. "Do you remember the woman you had Paterson take away twenty years ago?"

Clayde was stunned.

"What did you say?"

"I said Lina!" Linley's voice was chillingly cold. "My mother, Lina! You ordered Paterson to capture her and offer her to the Radiant Church, where her soul was sacrificed! It's time we settled that debt today!"

"You..." Clayde's expression changed drastically. "You know everything?!"

He finally understood.

The training mishap and the injury that required rest were all lies!

The boy had deliberately lured him here!

"Guards! Protect me, quickly!" Clayde shouted.

But then-

Bang!

A muffled thud sounded.

Lansim, who was nearby, had just started to draw his sword and charge forward when a black shadow darted from Linley's shoulder.

Bebe!

Puchi!

Sharp claws pierced straight through Lansim's throat.

Lansim's eyes went wide. He clutched his throat with both hands as blood gushed between his fingers. He opened his mouth but could make no sound. Then he fell heavily to the ground, twitched twice, and lay still.

An instant kill!

Lansim, an Eighth-level Warrior, had been killed by Bebe in an instant without even managing to withstand a single move!

"Wh-what kind of magical beast is that?!" Clayde was scared out of his wits.

The other guards he had brought also turned pale with fright. They wanted to rush forward, but didn't dare.

"Clayde, stop shouting." Linley looked at him coldly. "No one can save you today."

"You... stay back!" Clayde retreated, urging the Battle-qi in his body into motion.

But-

"How... how can this be?!" Clayde discovered to his horror that the Battle-qi in his body was in complete disarray and could not circulate normally. Of his once-mighty ninth-level Battle-qi, he could now draw on less than one percent!

"Hemolytic Poison?!" Clayde realized at once. "You poisoned me?!"

"That's right." Linley sneered. "Hemolytic Poison is made to counter warriors like you who train in Battle-qi. With this poison in you, you have less than a tenth of your strength left. Today is the day you die!"

Linley walked toward Clayde, step by step. "Paterson is already dead. Now it's your turn."

"You... you killed Paterson?!" Clayde was shocked and furious.

"Of course." Linley's gaze was as cold as ice. "Neither you nor your brother will escape."

Terrified, Clayde backed away until he reached the corner, with nowhere left to retreat.

"Linley... stay back..." His voice trembled. "I... I'm telling you, what happened back then wasn't my idea alone! There were people from the Radiant Church behind it! They were the ones who wanted your mother! They made me capture her!"

"I know all that," Linley said expressionlessly.

Clayde was stunned.

He knows all that?

Then how can he still be so calm?

That's not right...

Wouldn't most people fly into a rage and lose their senses upon hearing that the Radiant Church had caused their mother's death?

What he didn't know was that Haoyue had long since told Linley the truth.

Whether it was the Radiant Church or Clayde, Linley remembered them all clearly. But he would not lose his senses over it.

He knew that only by remaining calm could he take better revenge.

"Since you already know..." Clayde's eyes darted about as he tried to say something more.

But Linley had no intention of giving him the chance.

Hum-

Azure dragon scales emerged from beneath Linley's skin at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He rapidly grew taller, his muscles bulging as a thick dragon tail sprouted from the base of his spine. Spikes rose one by one along his back, like the sharpest of blades.

Complete dragon transformation!

With his foundation as a Level Seven Warrior amplified by his Dragonblood Warrior transformation, Linley's combat power soared straight to the Early Ninth Rank!

Though he had only just reached the ninth rank, it was more than enough to deal with Clayde, who had been poisoned with Hemolytic Poison.

"Roar-!"

Linley let out a deep roar, like the bellow of an ancient dragon.

He walked toward Clayde step by step, and with every footfall, the entire living room seemed to tremble slightly.

"No... don't..." Clayde's face was ashen with fear, and his whole body shook.

"Clayde, die!"

Linley threw a punch.

His azure fist hurtled toward Clayde's face with a howling rush of wind.

At that critical moment-

Hum-!

A blinding white light burst from Clayde's body.

The white light formed a hemispherical shield, enclosing and protecting Clayde.

Bang!

Linley's fist struck the shield with a deep, resounding boom.

The shield quivered slightly, but did not break.

The Destiny Guard Scroll!

It was a legendary top-tier defensive scroll of the Radiant Church, with defenses so powerful that it could withstand even a full-strength blow from a ninth-level expert!

"Hahaha..." Clayde laughed wildly inside the shield. "Linley, you can't kill me! With Destiny Guard, you can't break through my defenses! When my magical beast, the Icecold Snow Lion, gets here, you'll be the one to die!"

He had deliberately stalled for time just now, waiting for his magical beast, the Icecold Snow Lion!

The Icecold Snow Lion was an eighth-level magical beast with combat power comparable to a Level Nine Warrior. Once it arrived, the situation would immediately turn around!

Besides-

With such a commotion here, the Radiant Church would surely send someone.

As long as he held out until people from the Radiant Church arrived, Linley was as good as dead!

"Is that so?" Linley sneered. "Then let's see whether your tortoise shell is harder than my fists!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

Linley hammered the shield with punch after punch, each carrying ten thousand jin of force.

The shield shook violently, the light on its surface growing dimmer and dimmer.

Powerful as the Destiny Guard Scroll was, it had its limits.

Under a sustained assault from Linley with the strength of a Level Nine Warrior, it would not last long.

Clayde's face was pale inside the shield.

He could feel its defensive power rapidly weakening.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the shield broke!

No, I have to escape!

Clayde gritted his teeth, spun around, and rushed toward the window behind him.

Moving at great speed, Linley rushed into the courtyard and blocked Clayde's path.

"Do you know?" he said with a chuckle. "Your mother... she died long ago! Her soul was sacrificed, and she can never, ever come back! Hahaha..."

He was deliberately provoking Linley, hoping to make him lose his senses.

As long as Linley lost control, he would still have a chance.

But then-

Linley's gaze remained calm, without the slightest ripple.

"Finished?" he said mildly. "If you're finished, you can die now."

The smile froze on Clayde's face.

Linley had already been through all the pain and anger.

Now, only icy killing intent remained in his heart.

"No... you can't kill me... I'm the king of Fenlai... I was appointed by the Radiant Church..." Clayde was still making one last struggle.

But Linley no longer wanted to listen.

He raised his fist high.

Just then-

"Bang-!!"

A tremendous crash rang out.

The doors to the living room were smashed to pieces.

A massive lion, snow-white from head to paw, charged inside.

It was an eighth-rank magical beast-the Icecold Snow Lion!

"Roar-!"

The Icecold Snow Lion let out a roar that shook the heavens and opened its gaping maw-

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...!"

Hundreds of cone-shaped ice spikes shot toward Linley, blotting out the sky!

Meanwhile, outside the residence.

A black-robed figure stood quietly on a rooftop, gazing at the distant sky.

It was Haoyue.

His gaze pierced through layer upon layer of clouds and mist, looking east of Fenlai City.

There, a powerful aura of light was approaching at an astonishing speed.

Peak Saint-level.

The Pope of Light, Heidens.

"So he's finally here," Haoyue murmured, a trace of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.

His figure flickered, and he vanished from the rooftop.

The next moment, he appeared on the main road outside the eastern city gate.

Heidens had to pass through here.

Haoyue simply stood quietly in the middle of the road, waiting for the Pope of Light to arrive.

Today, he would stop a Peak Saint-level expert on his own.

To buy enough time for Linley's revenge.