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"Why? Tell me the reason." After I finished off the last Holy Sword Knight, I finally stopped and turned to face Lansino. By this time, Lansino had also calmed down and looked at me quietly, as if seeing a stranger.

"I'm sorry, I am an orc." I hesitated for a moment, but decided to speak the truth, recalling the scene on the Dragon Sealing Platform of Sacred Dragon Mountain where he risked his life to save me from the dragon, so that he could die with understanding.

"What?" Although Lansino had already confirmed my betrayal, he had not expected such an answer.

"My identity, name, and background are all lies. I am Xuanfeng Storm Wolf Wolfort of the Snow Wolf Tribe, lord of Fontainebleau City of the Orc Alliance and the War God Temple's Staff Knight. We have long mastered a method of human transformation that can deceive the Temple's detection." I sincerely revealed the secret that had been hidden for years.

"How is it possible? Even if your identity could deceive the Temple, it couldn't deceive the Light God. At the moment you became a 'Holy Grail Knight' and obtained the 'Holy Ice Thorn Aura,' when the divine essence of the Light God touched your soul, no secret could be hidden from the eyes of a god. Only those with pure hearts can receive the blessing of the Light God."

"Oh? I didn't know the 'Holy Ice Thorn Aura' held such a secret. As for the 'Holy Grail Knight,' is this what you mean?" I smiled slightly and opened another crimson ring on top of the existing "Holy Ice Thorn Aura," a circle of fist-sized red rune balls flickering and shining brilliantly on the ring.

"Two... auras? No, the auras conflict with each other; no one can open a dual aura. So, your 'Holy Ice Thorn Aura' is actually a lunar-attributed battle aura. No wonder its power is so strong." Lansino, a Temple elite, quickly grasped the intricacies, "Then, was the 'Doomsday Horn' also stolen by you?"

"Yes, that was my goal, and Master Dajiaxi is also one of us orcs. Additionally, I had already guessed the clues behind today's forbidden spell attack. Those who died under the Fortress of the Gale were just half-orc slaves. If there's anything else you wish to know, feel free to ask. As a friend, I will answer everything."

Lansino laughed bitterly in anger and exclaimed, "Friend? You, a traitorous orc, still consider me a friend?"

I shook my head and said solemnly, "That's not how it should be put. During my time in the human world, the only ones who truly treated me well were you and Apu Knight. The battle on the Dragon Sealing Platform, the healing with dragon heart blood wine, and the care along the way—I remember them all. From a personal standpoint, we are friends, and this friendship is genuine. However, from a racial standpoint, I am an orc, and I must fight for my race. I do not intend to shirk this responsibility. Today, I killed Apu Knight, and now I must kill you. I feel guilty, but I have no regrets. You call me ungrateful, and I admit it, but would you have me betray my race and stand by as you unleash forbidden spells to slaughter my kin? Would that make me virtuous?"

"Since everything has been said, I have nothing else to ask. You make a valid point—we belong to different races, and at this moment, there is no choice but a fight to the death." Lansino exhaled softly, revitalized from his previously dejected state, his posture straightening abruptly, as if a glow appeared on his face. "However, just because you wish to kill me doesn't mean you'll succeed; perhaps it is you who will lose your life here."

I smiled slightly and said indifferently, "From the moment you calmed down, I noticed your aura constantly changing. Though I've never seen it before, I can guess that you've already broken through to the Sword Master realm and officially stepped into the Sword Empress domain. All that talking was just to wait for your internal power to fully transform, wasn't it? Congratulations, Knight Lansino."

The world's battle qi martial arts may be easy to start, with astonishing power, but those rooted in physical reinforcement are also limited by the body. In reality, the power produced by martial artists reaches its limit at the tenth level of the Sword Master realm and becomes difficult to advance further. Only by unraveling the mysteries of spatial power flow and drawing boundless power from the 'Sea of Stars' can one progress further. However, while the 'Sea of Stars' is the foundation of the World Tree and all planes, finding the spiritual opportunity of the 'Sea of Stars' amidst the torrent of material plane laws requires a psychological sublimation akin to a Buddhist enlightenment. This opportunity varies from person to person, and no one can teach another how to reach this level. Lansino had been lingering at the peak of the Sword Master realm for years, unable to find the entrance, while another Sword Master of the Holy Grail Knights had not advanced for over a decade.

Although the power difference between Sword Master and Sword Empress is vast, I had no intention of stopping Lansino. Not only did I wish for this friend to die a glorious death, but I also looked forward to battling a Sword Empress to test the growth of my own strength. The orcish instinct for battle burned within me, driving my fervent fighting spirit.

"You chose to reveal your identity now to seize the 'Tear of the Firmament,' didn't you?" The fiery battle qi on Lansino's body, which had been leaping and surging, gradually transformed into a dazzling halo resembling the sun. "This operation betrayed our barbarian allies and completely destroyed their city for the sake of human interests. Yet Apu and I silently approved of this behavior. From this perspective, I can understand what you said—guilt, but no regrets. It is said that in recent years, many human mages have joined the orcs. With the 'Mark of Ice' and those pieces of equipment, perhaps forbidden spell mages can be cultivated. To prevent such cursed terror from befalling the human world, I must also fight with my life. Whether you are the Wind Mystery Knight or the lord of Xuanfeng, let sword and blade decide the fate of the future."

"It's rare that we agree. Please—" With swords crossed in salute, the ancient and seemingly blunt 'Divine Punishment Lightning' in my hand was suddenly filled with white-golden lightning, transforming into a sharp blade aimed directly at Lansino's throat. The Xuanfeng sword, imbued with white-golden lightning, is a weapon that can cut through anything in the world, even epic divine arms or the magic of the Twelve Sages, cannot block it.