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"Do you all come to the Temple for any particular reason?" I asked, pretending to be unaware.

"Don't play dumb. You stole the Crystal Dragon data from our empire and used it as a gift to curry favor with the Temple, making the efforts of countless experts from our side go to waste. Do you think this grudge can be erased?" Wright, the disciple of Flame Saint Levis, shouted angrily. It seemed that both his temper and his voice were very much like those of "Heaven-Burning Flame Saint," just without the scorching sound-killing effect due to insufficient skill.

"Hmph, so that's what you're here for. To be honest, that day I was merely hiding far away to watch the commotion. But your master didn't even ask before he struck me with his sword. If it weren't for the divine sword recognizing me as its master, I would have been shattered into pieces. I was forced to hide in that Magic Tower and barely escaped with my life, never seeing any of the experts you mentioned. However, you do have one point: the grudge between us cannot be erased." Hearing their arrogant words, my anger also began to surge. That strike from Flame Saint was the most humiliating encounter I had ever experienced, and I had long sworn that once I reached the Sword Saint realm, the first person I would kill would be "Heaven-Burning Flame Saint" Levis.

"Please wait a moment. We came to Saint Spirit Mountain not to demand the Crystal Dragon data from Sir Fengxuan but because these data have already been handed over to the Temple. Moreover, the Temple is the controller of the Crystal Dragon. We have no intention of touching such an ultimate weapon. We only hope to obtain some secondary derivative technologies to enhance the overall strength of humanity and prepare for future crises. This is a negotiation between our nation and the Temple and will not affect Sir Fengxuan," said the white-clothed female swordsman Xue Lingpei, quickly trying to defuse the tense atmosphere.

"Oh? Then why are you still looking for me?"

"As Sir Fengxuan mentioned, according to the Mainland's custom, a divine weapon recognized by its owner belongs to the owner, but you must remember the other part of this custom, right? If the owner's divine weapon originally belonged to someone else, they should agree to a reasonable request from the original owner as a sign of gratitude. Is that correct?" Xue Lingpei's beautiful face showed a sly smile.

Damn, she trapped me with her words. I knew this rule, but I obtained the divine sword through an accident rather than from the Red Jade Kingdom, so I hadn't thought about this aspect. If I denied it, there would be ways to argue, but since I was playing the role of a Holy Grail Knight, a straightforward martial fool with little guile, changing my character would cause unnecessary trouble. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided on a strategy.

"If it's a reasonable request, I won't refuse. However, the data I obtained from the Magic Tower, except for the portion transferred to the Chamber of Commerce Alliance, has all been given to the Temple. If you want it, please don't look for me."

"Don't worry; our request isn't for that. We heard that Sir Fengxuan found four powerful spider knight puppets inside the Magic Tower. Compared to a divine sword imbued with platinum light thunder, that's a fair exchange, isn't it?"

"Is it? Four spider knight puppets together are enough to kill a Sword Emperor. From my perspective, if I become a Sword Saint in the future, this divine sword is indeed worth it. But for the Red Jade Kingdom, exchanging an unusable collection item for such powerful puppets seems too advantageous. Besides, you will certainly study the technology of these puppets, and everyone who contributed today will benefit. Thus, this request is not fair at all." Looking at the almost exploding Elena of the Red Jade Royal Family, I continued, "However, since you mentioned these puppets, if I refuse, you won't give up. How about this: I'll give you a chance to duel with me. The four puppets will be the stakes for four duels. I'll fight alone, without using 'Divine Punishment' or the puppets. You can choose your representatives from among those present. Dare you accept?"

"This... There are no restrictions on our side?" Xue Lingpei was surprised by the generous terms I offered.

"Naturally, otherwise how could I fight freely? However, I must say upfront that I am a Seventh-Level Sword Grandmaster and will use the 'Holy Ice Thorns Halo.' If there are casualties, don't blame me. For fairness, you two" I pointed at the brother and sister from the Mercenary Empire, "can count as one participant."

"You... I'll make you regret this!" The red-haired youth said angrily, insulted.

Hmph, I'm counting on you accepting the challenge. Did you think I didn't notice your sibling's coordination skills? If I didn't know you were strong enough, how could I find an excuse to disable you and take revenge on Flame Saint Levis while stirring up conflict between the "Divinely Blessed Holy Knight" and Flame Saint?

Chapter Sixty-Three: Ten Blades Breaking the Red Dust Heaven

Soon, they readily accepted my challenge. After all, although getting all four puppets would be ideal, they hadn't expected me to comply easily. Obtaining one or two would already be worth the effort for studying their intricacies.

There were many buildings on Saint Spirit Mountain, so we couldn't fight where we stood. Although Sword Grandmasters aren't as powerful as Sword Emperors or Sword Saints, destroying a few buildings wouldn't be a problem. Fortunately, as the headquarters of the Radiant Temple, numerous experts gathered here, and the venues needed for sparring were always available. We quickly found an empty training ground. The structures here were magically reinforced to withstand intense destruction and had special holy fields to weaken the battle's aftermath, ensuring the safety of the buildings without suppressing the fighters' abilities. In fact, this technology originated from the domain of War God's divine arts, and the place with the strongest protective force was the "Divine Arena" where the Beast King selection took place every ten years. Without such prohibitions, no building could withstand the battles of a group of Beastman Sword Emperors, especially when one or two inheritors of the "Emperor Martial Overlord Art" often became the main characters.