Page 97

Thirty years later, Lei Men finally attained the rank of Sword Saint and openly invaded the human world. Over three years, he battled across the lands, defeating all opponents. Even against countless enemies, he remained undefeated, unmatched, claiming over ten thousand souls with his sword. Later, he even dared to invade the headquarters of the Radiant Temple—Saint Spirit Mountain—and personally slew the Pope of Light. He also attempted to seize the human clan's sacred relic, the "Eternal Holy Grail," leading to a fierce battle atop Saint Spirit Mountain against the five human Sword Saints who had rushed to the scene. Four of the five Sword Saints were severely wounded, and in the end, the Sword Saint of Glory leaped off a thousand-foot cliff while holding the "Eternal Holy Grail," thus preserving the relic. From then on, Lei Men was known as the "White-Haired Demon Lion King" and became a legend in the human world, mirroring the "Abyssal Dragon King" from a thousand years ago, their names etched into history.

Upon reaching the echelon of Sword Saint, one's very essence is transformed, augmenting their lifespan manifold. With the aid of the "Soul Devouring Ferocious Sword," Lei Men has managed to endure for a century, his visage untouched by the ravages of time. Yet, as his cultivation deepens, his once domineering aura has mellowed, reflecting the adage, "Natural purity endures forever; after the splendor fades, true purity emerges." At this juncture, Lei Men has ascended beyond the ordinary in terms of strength, intellect, and spiritual cultivation. Even without considering the might of his aura, his cultivation eclipses the Five Greats of the realm, attaining the stature of Huang Chang and even the Patriarch Bodhidharma. Naturally, I do not surmise that my mentor and his peers were deficient in talent or industry, but at the time of my demise, my mentor was merely in his forties, and the Immortal Chongyang had departed this life before his sixtieth year. The silver-maned lion seated before me has surpassed one hundred and eighty years, a veritable superannuated titan.

PS: Originally planned to have Kame Sennin make a cameo appearance, but the lion clan has been leading in the polls for the past few days, so I changed the setting. After finishing today's writing, I checked the poll again, and Kame Sennin had overtaken by one vote. Frustrating.

Chapter 41: Rebuilding the Beast Army Alliance

"Senior Lei Men, I am well aware of the rules of Tianwu Palace. Since I have attained the rank of Sword Master, it is natural for me to come and pay respects to you and seek your guidance, which will be immensely beneficial. However, since Senior has issued a special invitation, there must be other matters you wish to entrust to me. Please be clear, and if Xuanfeng can manage it, I will fulfill your request."

Sitting before Lei Men, I spoke calmly and respectfully. Lei Men specifically requested to see me, not just for formalities. The trials I faced upon entering the courtyard confirmed my qualifications to converse with him on equal footing, and for me, it was a profound spiritual experience, bringing immense benefits. If he had any requests, I would naturally repay his kindness.

"Since you put it that way, I shall not be modest. You once widely disseminated a peculiar martial art called 'Golden Bell Shield.' I obtained a copy from my disciple Catherine and studied it carefully. Do you know the value of this martial art?" Lei Men took out a scroll of parchment and unfolded it before me. With a quick glance, I recognized it as the version of the Golden Bell Shield secret manual I practiced in my previous life.

"Hmm? Please forgive my ignorance, Senior Lei Men, but I do not understand your point." The Golden Bell Shield was the foundation of my martial arts, and many disciples practiced it, achieving good results. However, for experts, it was not outstanding. It was only later that I discovered its true essence and began to refine it. Consequently, I no longer paid much attention to the earlier versions. When Catherine joined Fontainebleau, she asked for these martial arts. Given the precedent of the Lion Clan publicly sharing the "Emperor Martial Dominator Technique," I did not withhold anything and gave her both versions of the Golden Bell Shield, along with manuals for "Bone Claw," "Heart-Crushing Palm," and "Sunset Sky Bow," entrusting her with training my Snow Wolf Guard.

In any case, my current martial arts have surpassed the realm of external cultivation. Without internal energy, others cannot grasp its essence. If someone were a prodigy who could surpass me through these techniques, I would have nothing to say. However, I found it odd that Lei Men chose to present the weakest version of the Golden Bell Shield.

"Ha ha, there is no need to wonder. Do you know what the greatest contribution of the 'Ancestor of Sword Saints,' Reinster, was?"

"This... should be the pioneering of the Sword Saint realm, right?" Although I knew Lei Men was not seeking this answer, I still provided the commonly accepted response.

"No, I believe it is the 'Nameless Sword Technique.'"

"I see, Senior's wisdom is profound." I immediately understood.

With Lei Men's explanation, everything became clear. Eight hundred years ago, the "Ancestor of Sword Saints," Reinster, emerged, wielding an unnamed celestial sword to sweep across the lands. Back then, the human population was only a few million, and in the following four centuries, only three descendants attained the rank of Sword Saint. For martial arts, the Sword Saint realm is the pinnacle, but for humans, its significance was more spiritual than practical.

In contrast, Reinster personally wrote the four scrolls of the "Nameless Sword Technique," tailored for humans, which spread widely among them, bringing about tremendous changes. It increased the number of humans capable of using aura by fivefold, completely reversing the significant disparity in basic combat strength between humans and beastmen, laying the foundation for human dominance alongside elves and beastmen. This was the most important contribution to humanity.

"You now understand my meaning, young friend. When I first entered the holy domain, feeling invincible, I invaded the human world alone. But when I saw millions of human warriors, I realized how vast the gap between us truly was. We beastmen claim to be born warriors, but only the lion, eagle, ox, bear, and wolf clans can truly mobilize all their members. Even if we mobilized every warrior in our alliance, we would only have a million soldiers, whereas humans can muster millions more, with countless reserves. Four hundred years ago, humans relied on forbidden spells to defeat us, but today, even without magic, they hold an overwhelming advantage. If not for their constant internal strife, our kingdom might have long been destroyed."