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"It's an aura strike, Miss Lijia, be careful!" Lijia finally had the chance to warn her master. At the same time, she activated her own power, and a crimson magic circle appeared beneath her feet. Countless red crystalline scales covered her body, forming her "Crystal Dragon Scales" as a Crystal Dragon Knight. It not only granted her immunity to all magic but also resisted most legendary divine weapons' physical attacks.

"Boom—boom—boom!" Just as Lijia was about to summon her weapon, three more crimson light beams shot toward them. This time, the attack was ten times more powerful, though slower. The aura was extremely violent and fiery, exploding upon contact with Lijia's armor and sending her, a Sword Empress, flying back. The force of the impact left three large, connected craters in the plaza.

Jin Luosha had been standing behind Lijia, and when Lijia was forced back, she bumped into her. Fortunately, Jin Luosha had learned martial techniques from another realm. Although her talent in martial arts was average, she had considerable proficiency in lightness skills. With just one hand on Lijia's back, she easily retreated alongside the Crystal Dragon Knight.

"Very strong, the enemy's aura has surpassed the Sword Empress realm; it must be a 'Saint Crest Knight.' Crystal Dragon, come forth!" Lijia stopped after a dozen steps. The power of the crimson light beams was astonishing, but her "Crystal Dragon Scales" protected her from harm. However, considering Jin Luosha's safety behind her, she immediately summoned a crystal dragon. The massive artificial war beast slowly rose from beneath Lijia, and Jin Luosha sat behind her, with countless crystal dragon scales also covering the girl, protecting her.

Meanwhile, the attacker finally revealed himself.

"Ha ha ha ha!" A young man with golden short hair, dressed in golden heavy armor and a luxurious silk cloak, stood arrogantly on the rooftop opposite the temple. He pointed at Jin Luosha and Lijia with his chin, laughing arrogantly, "What 'Light Goddess,' isn't she just an underdeveloped little girl? Even with power, she's still a lowly woman. The useless servants of the Light God are even more trash for being troubled by a woman!"

Though the newcomer was arrogant and frivolous, Lijia's expression grew more serious. As a creation of the Twelve Sages, her method of detecting an opponent's strength was more precise than any warrior's. The golden-armored youth before her contained vast power, seemingly infinite, which naturally alarmed her. However, the beautiful Crystal Dragon Knight was fearless and merely locked onto the enemy in front of her, shouting in a clear voice, "State your name, coward, and prepare to face justice!"

"Hmph, don't think having a crystal dragon makes you invincible. Even if the crystal dragon's scales can block flames, if I burn up all the breathable air in this space, you'll still suffocate to death," the golden-armored youth straightened his short hair and stared at Lijia and Jin Luosha's beautiful faces arrogantly, laughing, "So surrender now, and I might just be generous enough to make both of you my personal slaves and train you properly. Remember the name of your master: I am the Fourth Prince of the Mercenary Empire, the inheritor of the 'Flame Saint's' 'Saint Crest' and the 'Ten Realms Crimson Lotus,' the new generation Sword Saint, the Red Sun Knight, Inteleidaza Long."

"Moron," Jin Luosha, sitting behind Lijia, curled her lip in disdain. "The creations of the Twelve Sages are known for their perfection, so how could there be such an obvious flaw? Not to mention, as an artificial human, Lijia doesn't need to breathe. Even as a human, I can resist external threats using the crystal dragon's built-in circulation system."

"Indeed, a moron," Lijia nodded in agreement, being Jin Luosha's most loyal follower. The Mercenary Empire, situated in the desert, had a low view of women; even official wives were often treated no better than slaves. However, it was one thing to provoke an opponent in battle, but to speak so arrogantly and foolishly in front of enemies on the battlefield was a level of stupidity beyond arrogance.

Moreover, ever since the "Red Sun Knight" appeared, the guards and attendants who had been protecting the Light Goddess had quietly retreated, and the believers who had surrounded the plaza were quickly evacuated. It was clear that the side of the Heaven of Saint Love had made preparations, yet this golden-armored youth from the Mercenary Empire hadn't noticed at all. He was only focused on the two beautiful women in front of him. Whether it was due to his dullness or his blind confidence in his own strength, this wasn't the proper stance of an excellent warrior.

"How dare you insult me! Don't think your little tricks will work. In the face of absolute power, all cleverness is useless!" The "Red Sun Knight" Inteleidaza's face turned pale with rage, and his arrogant expression turned violent as he shouted loudly, "I'll make you regret your ignorance for the rest of your lives! Feel the wrath of my power! Crimson Forbidden Palace!"

With his shout, a deep red light rose from the golden-armored youth's head, forming a never-ending beam of light. Then, the light expanded in all directions, instantly forming a massive red spherical space hundreds of meters in diameter, covering the entire plaza.

"Heh heh heh heh... Ha ha ha ha, do you see, you ignorant women? This is my peerless technique as a Sword Saint—the 'Crimson Forbidden Palace.' Here, my power will double, and without my permission, no one can enter or leave this domain. All who are trapped here are my prisoners and captives. In the face of my endless power, you have only two choices: destruction or surrender. Women, which will you choose?" The smug proclamation came from the golden-armored youth, clearly delighted to display his power in front of others. Unfortunately, his two audience members had no interest in applauding.

Jin Luosha looked up at the red light covering the sky and shook her head dismissively. "So this is your famous Crimson Forbidden Palace? It’s nothing more than a Sword Saint’s domain. The strength of a domain isn’t determined by its size but by the density of power. This fire-based domain may be large, but it’s barely hot enough to boil water. Pathetic."