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"Damn it, how could it be a Holy Grail Knight? Notify headquarters, cancel the mission, and double the compensation for the commission. All personnel must evacuate immediately." In a distant mansion, a young girl who was watching the assassination attempt through a magic crystal hurriedly issued orders.

"Commander, we know all about the Temple's Holy Grail Knights, but there is no record of this person..." a man in black tried to intervene.

"Idiot, who cares who he is? As long as that 'Holy Ice Thorn Halo' is real—no, even if it isn't, we can't face another century-long hunt from the Temple." The girl angrily rebuked.

The Assassins Guild's assassination plans were always meticulously planned, wave after wave of attacks often leading to certain death. However, they had another habit: once an unexpected situation arose, they would retreat without hesitation. They were not only shocked by my strength surpassing their expectations but also wary of the implications of my "Holy Ice Thorn Halo." Years ago, a mysterious assassin wielding one of the ten divine swords, the 'Sin Sword Regicide,' assassinated the Pope of the unified human world's sacred nation, leading to a bitter enmity between the Radiant Temple and the Assassins Guild. Despite the guild's repeated claims that the assassin was not one of their members, it did not stop the Temple from repeatedly purging and issuing warrants against them, resulting in little development over the past few centuries. Now that the guild had just started to regain its footing, killing a Holy Grail Knight would mean facing the Temple's relentless pursuit again.

"Are you retreating just like that? It's a pity I couldn't engage with those experts, but this is fine too. It’s worth holding back on using the 'Ice Prison Magic Thorn Technique' until now to create a sensation in this city. With the Assassins Guild spreading the news, the Temple cannot possibly ignore it. Now, it's about how to play hard to get and negotiate terms with the Temple." Having settled one matter, I carried Jin Luosha and leisurely walked back to the inn. Unlike the civilized lands of my previous life, here, no one questioned or arrested me for killing on the street. Perhaps it was the false reputation of the "Holy Grail Knight" or the Mercenary Empire's laws; someone would clean up the mess, but no one came to trouble me.

Unbeknownst to me, another group was discussing my actions.

In a private room on the second floor of a restaurant, the four individuals I had seen earlier, accompanied by a group of Heavenly Blade Warriors, watched the entire slaughter. They removed their cloaks, revealing their true identities—a young couple, an old mage, and a half-elf magic swordsman, just as I had guessed.

"Your Highness, it seems our mission will encounter many obstacles," the old mage suddenly said.

"Master Holman, is a single Holy Grail Knight going to hinder our mission? Besides, none of the current nine Holy Grail Knights are under thirty years old. This guy is likely an impostor," the young man asked, somewhat indignant.

"As for the authenticity of the 'Holy Ice Thorn Halo,' I can confirm it is genuine. Whether he is a hidden ace of the Temple or something else doesn't matter. His presence here signifies the Temple's involvement. Regardless of whether we succeed or fail, we will face the Temple's retribution. After all, those items have deep connections with the Temple."

"But Master, didn't we receive intelligence that this Sword Grandmaster named Feng Xuan fled here due to his involvement in the internal strife of the Star Shield Chamber of Commerce? He might not have any ties to the Temple, and even if he does, he may not join our mission," the young woman joined the discussion.

"Sigh, Your Highness must have seen that the boy, while carrying a young girl, moved freely among the assassins. His martial arts are at least at the intermediate Sword Grandmaster level, truly a rare genius. Given his knowledge of magic, such power cannot be threatened by a mere chamber. He likely used the chamber affair as a cover to investigate the ruins," the old mage concluded. "People often project their own thoughts onto others. Knowing the importance of the ruins, they naturally suspect everyone is after them. Unfortunately, I have no idea of the ruins' true value. If not for their emphasis on the ruins, I might have abandoned this mission already."

"So how do we eliminate this obstacle?"

"Well, we cannot act directly. Although the Temple's main forces are in the west, several major city-states in the south have pledged allegiance to them. However, there are still many opposing forces in this desert. They would be happy to remove a future rival. Moreover, the ruler of the Star Shattering Abyss is quite dissatisfied with the Temple's influence. If necessary, let's see if that dual-wielding prodigy can survive the 'Ten Realms Red Lotus' in the hands of the 'Burning Heaven Flame Saint.'"

Even without these schemers, the news of a Holy Grail Knight appearing in the Star Shattering Abyss had already reached the Crystal Palace of the Mercenary King. The Mercenary Empire, which worships the Fire God and has always been at odds with the Radiant Temple, was naturally very concerned about this development. A Sword Grandmaster-level Holy Grail Knight with the "Holy Ice Thorn Halo" could fend off three to five peers. Currently, four out of the Mercenary Empire's five Sword Emperors were stationed elsewhere, and the fifth had ventured into the desert to investigate the ruins. The Star Shattering Abyss had the "Burning Heaven Flame Saint" to deter any troublemakers, but initiating trouble themselves would not warrant disturbing such a supreme expert. Thus, they spent a day hastily planning and assembling Sword Grandmasters and mages. By the time they were ready to find me at the inn, I had already left.

I had anticipated that the forces of the Star Shattering Abyss would not overlook my arrival, or rather, would not ignore the Temple's presence. So, I left the Star Shattering Abyss that night. If not for the 'Heaven-Piercing Tower's' automatic ban on flying creatures, I could have escaped on my flying three-headed wolf, Breeze. Even without Breeze, a skilled light-footed warrior could easily scale the walls. Once I cleared the forty-mile no-fly zone around the 'Heaven-Piercing Tower,' I released Breeze and flew away into the distance.