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And the temporary victory is not Leimen's ultimate goal. His dream is to restore the glory of the beastmen kingdom and ensure its legacy endures for generations. Even if I became a Sword Saint and conquered the world, I'd still only have a few hundred years to live. What then after I die? How can a vast empire be maintained in the face of threats from humans, elves, and various other forces? Perhaps collecting enough "Saint Emblems"—powerful artifacts that could establish a peak force for the beastmen—was part of Leimen's plan.

However, such words should never be spoken aloud, and certainly not by the "War Saint" Leimen. As the idol of the orcish people, who worship the War God, Leimen is expected to embody their ideals, facing all challenges and defeating all enemies. Leimen should not be involved in schemes beyond the battlefield. Therefore, the deeper meaning can only be gradually understood by others.

P.S.: Regarding the power of the sword saints, although many foreshadowings have been laid, I understand that the explanation might seem far-fetched. The issue lies in the fact that Guan Canghai's magical world upholds a balance of power, and those who seek to overturn the world, like the "Great Demon King," meet a tragic end. Thus, the future Chen Xuanfeng must have rivals. Moreover, a long time ago, some readers requested the inclusion of human young heroes. The "Saint Emblem" concept was conceived at that time, akin to the "Gundam" series, where genius youths obtain decisive power at critical moments and alter history. Although such unearned power conflicts with the author's requirement for the protagonist—that every step of growth must come with effort, meaning, and resolve—the author is keen to use it to shape a group of supporting characters, solving the problem of monotonous side characters in the book.

So, for the sake of the second volume's unfolding drama, please bear with it for now!

Chapter 113: A Sad Song to the Ends of the Earth

"As for the second matter, it concerns this." Leimen said, opening a wooden box and pushing it towards me.

Inside the box lay the broken remains of the "Cursed Sword—Soul-Devouring Eternity," a sword that had slaughtered countless beings and was once ranked fifth among the swords of the Mainland. Now, its remains were covered in cracks, with only a fist-sized red orb at the sword's pommel still radiating its original luster. Even the core magic eye on the hilt was shattered.

"Do you wish for me to find a way to restore this epic divine weapon?" I asked tentatively.

"No, I want you to destroy it!" Leimen said decisively.

"Ah?" I was confused.

"Ahem, you probably know that this 'Soul-Devouring Sword' was crafted by the 'Great Demon King' himself. It can absorb the souls of enemies to grant the wielder youthful vitality, correct? But have you considered that the Great Demon King's lifespan was already exceedingly long, and hellish beings never age, remaining robust until death? Was this eternal youth ability even necessary?" Leimen asked, looking at the remains of the sword.

"Hmm... it does seem that way. So, the reason is...?"

"The reason is that this eternal youth was not the original ability of the Soul-Devouring Sword. Its true ability was to extract the soul essence of enemies and form a core of demonic energy, similar to a demon's heart, as a backup body for the Great Demon King. However, after his death in battle, the sword lost its master's control, and the extracted power could no longer be condensed, allowing subsequent wielders to absorb it and gain the ageless vitality of infernal beings. The original energy core was only half-completed, and it is the red orb you see at the sword's pommel."

"Is it because it was unfinished that the Great Demon King died in the Six-Star Demon Slaying Formation?" I asked in awe, looking at the red orb. If this is true, considering how many powerful beings of the Mainland were slaughtered by the Great Demon King, the sheer amount of energy concentrated in this core must be staggering.

"To the best of my knowledge, Barto never intended to use this core as a means of escape. At the time of his death, his power had surpassed that of the Dragon King and the Four Seraphim, and he believed nothing could harm him. He designed this divine sword not for eternal youth but as a vessel to cultivate a new energy core, to push himself to even greater heights. His bloodline was not that of a naturally born super demon, and despite his efforts and opportunities, his energy purity could not match that of a born strong like the Abyssal Dragon King."

"However, that is not the primary reason I must destroy it. The true turning point came during the battle at Saint Spirit Mountain a century ago. The Pope at the time was a ruthless figure. Though I ultimately killed him, before his death, he made a spiteful decision to crack open the sixth layer of the 'Seven Locks Prison.' I was shocked to discover that the imprisoned entity in the sixth layer was none other than the indestructible demonic soul of Barto."

"Barto's demonic soul? But wait, humans weren't involved in the final battle, right?" I asked, frowning.

"It wasn't kept; it was indestructible." Leimen sighed softly. "Hellish beings are entirely different from us. The soul of someone like Barto, who defies logic, is unbreakable. Later, after consulting ancient texts and even asking the elves, I learned that the elves, unable to find a way to destroy Barto's soul, feared he might find a chance to resurrect. To prevent this, they sealed him in the 'God-Sealing Mountain,' which later became 'Saint Spirit Mountain.' Ten thousand years ago, it was the place where the gods sealed the 'False Gods.' Over time, what was once buried deep underground became a mountain. Of course, the seal constructed by the gods was unbreakable by any mortal hand. The elves merely used the sacred energy field of the gods' seal to create a new seal capable of imprisoning the Great Demon King. Later, as humans rose to power, the Radiant Temple, greedy for the sacred aura, moved their headquarters there and renamed it 'Saint Spirit Mountain.' They also requested the Twelve Sages to establish the 'Seven Locks Prison' as an additional safeguard."