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The young werewolf lord before them, despite his face twisted in pain, drenched in sweat, and every step seeming as if he might fall at any moment, walked forward with unwavering determination. Despite the difficulty of each step, he gave Catherine a sense that he would persevere until the end, that he would surpass Samantha.

"…He will surely succeed, he will surely surpass that person, he will surely fulfill my wish…"

No one heard the voice in Catherine's heart; no one knew she was silently praying for him.

It felt like an eternity had passed before I finally reached the wooden cottage. At this point, I was utterly drained, both physically and mentally, wanting nothing more than to collapse and never wake up again. Yet, there was a faint voice within me, urging me on, telling me not to give in.

"Why am I so persistent? Why don't I want to give up? What am I clinging to?"

In the struggle between falling and persevering, a long-forgotten memory resurfaced in my mind.

Under the moonlit night on Peach Blossom Island, I lay naked with Sister Chao Feng in the grassy forest. Back then, she was young and beautiful, and I was young and reckless. After our intimate encounter, we lay together lazily, whispering softly.

"Sister, I have calculated the location where Master hid the Nine Yin Manual. We can act tomorrow. Once we escape from Peach Blossom Island, we'll immediately get married. What do you think?"

"Brother, is it really right for us to do this? Master took pity on us, took us in, and taught us martial arts, yet we…"

"Sigh, I know how despicable I am. But I lost my parents at a young age and suffered countless humiliations. I made a vow then: I wanted a beloved companion, fame across the land, and most importantly, to be invincible, never having to bow to anyone. That's why…"

"Brother, say no more. As husband and wife, your wish is mine. Together, we will strive and never bow to anyone. If there is any sin, we will bear it together."

That's right, I cannot fall, I cannot yield. Even facing Leimen, who surpasses the Five Great Masters, I will not bow down. This is my wish, our shared wish with Chao Feng, the wish for which we sacrificed everything.

My collapsing body and head, about to touch the ground, strangely froze, then lifted as if ignoring gravity. I straightened my back, and a new surge of strength filled my depleted spirit.

I stepped forward, climbed the wooden stairs, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and entered Leimen's residence with dignity.

"Junior Xuanfeng greets Senior Leimen."

"Young friend, you've worked hard. Please sit."

I raised my head and first met a pair of eyes as warm as jade, filled with admiration and respect.

Though I had entered with confidence, I was actually dizzy and disoriented. Only now did I gather my wits to observe the renowned "War Saint" Leimen.

Unlike Catherine, whose human form was complete, Leimen's beastly features were very prominent. His silver-gray mane, broad nose, wide mouth, and round ears made him appear taller than eight feet even while sitting cross-legged on a carpet. His hands, resting on his knees, had sharp claws, and a tail could be seen behind him. In noble beastman society, such features were often seen as a sign of stupidity, but anyone who looked into his eyes would never associate him with foolishness. Even the wisest sages could not possess such deep, profound eyes, a testament to wisdom and the passage of time, shining like diamonds, an unforgettable presence.

I sat down before Leimen and recalled his legendary journey.

"War Saint" Leimen did not come from a noble lion clan family but from the Snow Lion Tribe stationed in the northern lands, alongside my Snow Wolf Tribe, the White Bear Tribe of the bear clan, and the Snow Eagle Tribe of the eagle clan, all defending against the barbarians of the icy plains. Despite the widespread knowledge of the lion clan's supreme art, "Emperor Martial's Overlord Technique," Leimen, born in the remote north, had no access to it in his youth. Instead, he practiced a lesser-known martial art called "Ice Freeze World." However, with his exceptional talent, he broke through to the Sword Sage realm using this second-rate technique.

Becoming a Sword Sage and entering the upper echelons of the northern army, Leimen only encountered the "Emperor Martial's Overlord Technique" by chance. No one knows how he mastered it, but 133 years ago, when the human Radiant Temple and the ice plains barbarians signed a treaty, weapons, armor, supplies, and thousands of divine officials were sent via sea route to the barbarians. The already formidable barbarians, bolstered by magic, devastated the unsuspecting beastman forces. If not for a sudden blizzard that forced the barbarians to halt their advance, the northern army might have been destroyed.

The turning point came during this blizzard, when Leimen, alone, attacked the barbarian camp. He infiltrated the human encampment amidst the storm, killing all the divine officials and Temple warriors. As a Sword Emperor, Leimen shone with two types of aura: "Ice Freeze World's" "Icefield Aura" negated the storm's effects, while "Emperor Martial's Overlord Technique's" "Battle Power Amplification" granted him terrifying strength. After slaughtering all the humans, he engaged the Radiant Temple's "Eternal Sword Saint" Arans in a life-or-death battle, ultimately slaying the human Sword Saint and escaping with the corpse.

In this battle, Leimen gained renown and obtained two crucial items from the fallen Sword Saint: the epic sword "Soul Devourer" and the secret book "Sanctuary" written by the "Ancestor of Sword Saints," Reinster. "Soul Devourer," one of the top ten divine swords, was wielded by the demon king Bato three thousand years ago, possessing various fearsome abilities and the power to devour souls, keeping its wielder youthful until natural death. "Sanctuary" contained secrets for reaching the Sword Saint rank. These two items laid the foundation for Leimen's path to invincibility.