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Of course, Chen Xuanfeng was unaware that the selection of the "Saint Crest" inheritors was far from as simple as he had speculated. In order to deceive the orcs and practice the "Six Stars Demon-Slaying Formation," the six Sword Saints each guarded a nation, opposing one another in constant battles to refine their elemental attributes and master dual cooperation. Unexpectedly, this pretense turned into reality, and each of them became intricately connected to the nation they guarded, with ties that could not be severed. Consequently, the authority to manage the "Saint Crests" they left behind naturally fell into the hands of the leaders of various major powers. For the world’s human rulers, nothing could be given up except power, and the power represented by the "Saint Crest" was the purest form of authority. Moreover, once one entered the Saint Realm, it also granted a lifespan several times that of ordinary humans. Who wouldn’t be tempted by that? If it weren’t for certain limitations, the first inheritors of these Saint Crests would likely have become the highest rulers of their respective nations.

Therefore, in the matter of selecting "Saint Crest" inheritors, the considerations of intrigue and power struggles far outweighed the assessment of the inheritors' innate talents. For instance, although the "Red Sun Knight," Hein, was also known as a genius, in terms of aptitude, he was not the most outstanding among the disciples of the "Flame Saint." However, being a legitimate member of the royal family of the "Mercenary Empire" and notoriously inept in political matters, he neither betrayed the royal family nor threatened the existing power distribution among the royal members, making him the obvious choice for inheritance. As for Carol, although he was the legitimate son of the first family of the Kuta Tribal Alliance, his mother was the eldest princess of a major kingdom within the southern 16 Kingdoms Alliance. The bloodline from this marriage made him a member of the royal family of the 16 Kingdoms Alliance, yet he had no claim to the throne. This guaranteed he wouldn’t betray either of his parents' alliances, making him an ideal candidate for the "Saint Crest" inheritance.

The situations of others were largely similar. Even if they were not as politically and militarily naive as Hein, once they inherited the "Saint Crest," they could only fully devote themselves to martial arts, completely abandoning other talents. Otherwise, a strong individual wielding the power of the Saint Realm seeking to usurp the throne would be a terrifying prospect for anyone. As for the methods to guide or force the "Saint Crest Knights" onto this path, there were naturally many, as these young individuals were not like the elders who had lived for over a century. Relatives, friends, hobbies, beliefs, environment, reputation—there were too many aspects that could be manipulated, and these were precisely the areas where human rulers excelled. As for those who could not be controlled by these means, even if there was only a slight possibility or suspicion of losing control, no matter how talented they were, they would be excluded from the list of "Saint Crest" inheritors.

The most obvious example was Chen Xuanfeng's human disciple—Xi Luo.

At this time, Chen Xuanfeng was unaware of these secrets and naturally did not know that his influence had caused the most talented young knight of the Holy Province to lose the opportunity to inherit the "Saint Crest." However, this might not necessarily be a bad thing, as at least now the two of them did not have to immediately engage in a life-and-death battle. Even if Chen Xuanfeng encountered Xi Luo, he could pretend not to see him and simply pass by.

While pondering this, the battle at the center of the battlefield had reached its climax.

The "Red Sun Knight," Hein's natural talent and cultivation were already far inferior to those of the "Hanyue Knight," Carol, and now, having lost an arm, his combat power was further diminished. Although his severed arm had been repaired with a secret technique and fitted with a prosthetic, and the soul energy within the eerie heavy armor he wore could still unleash formidable strength, it ultimately could not match the power of a Sword Saint's true body. Thus, he was quickly pushed into a disadvantageous position.

"Hein, although our nations of origin are opposed, the Sword Saints are the ultimate force protecting all of humanity and should not engage in internal strife. Why don't we both withdraw from the military actions of the 'Mercenary Empire' and the Tribal Alliance and cease our conflict here?" Carol’s twin blades danced like phantoms, yet his handsome face showed no trace of ferocity, remaining calm and composed. As he fought, he attempted to sway his opponent's resolve with words, hoping to force Hein to voluntarily cease hostilities and avoid creating a deep enmity. After all, in the future, they might need to unite against the two "Emperor Martial" orcs, and if Hein were to harbor a deep hatred, it could lead to betrayal during cooperation.

"Huff—huff—damn you... Do you think you've already won? I'll show you what true power is—" Although Hein's natural talent fell short of the previous generations of Sword Saints, he had fully inherited the "Flame Saint" Levis's temper and arrogance. Faced with the shadow of defeat, he showed no intention of retreating, instead continuously expanding the channel through which he drew power from the "Sea of Star Souls," attempting to compensate for his lack of control with sheer force.

"It's useless. No matter how much power you borrow from the 'Sea of Star Souls,' if it is not under your control, it cannot become an effective attack..." Carol shook his head with a sigh, yet his offensive did not weaken, maintaining control over the situation.

"Hahahaha, you fools, clinging to the experiences of a few old men and lecturing others on their shortcomings. Unfortunately, no matter how good someone else's path is, it is not yours. Only I can forge my own path in the Saint Realm. Today, you will witness my greatness—" Despite being at a disadvantage, Hein suddenly let out a bizarre, maniacal laugh as his flames reached their peak. Simultaneously, his fighting spirit underwent a drastic transformation. The nine ghostly faces on his "Nine Ghost Demon Armor" let out mournful wails, and countless translucent vengeful spirits poured out from the mouths of the ghostly faces, converging into the intense flames surrounding Hein. The flames, as if doused with oil, exploded and surged, their color deepening into a heavy black. Twisted flames continuously morphed into the faces of wailing spirits, only to vanish in an instant. The power of the flames had more than doubled in an instant. "Hahahaha, see this? This is my true power—330,000 Forbidden Demon Black Flames Descend—"

"Ugh—" Carol, clearly unprepared for his opponent's sudden reversal, was momentarily unable to withstand the attack and had to disperse his blade net, retreating hastily.