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Though her voice was calm, the pressure it carried made the members of the Splitfang Clan break into a cold sweat, prompting them to hastily gather their elders for discussion.

The power of the Saint Martial Emperor [a supreme martial title] was something the Splitfang Clan understood better than any other clan, after all, their former patriarch, Samandar [male variant of Sandara], had been the first Saint Martial Emperor. If they could rally all their Orc Warcraft Warriors along with the various powerful mages they had trained and recruited over the decades, they might challenge her. However, with only thirty percent of their elite forces remaining in Lion Heart City due to the ongoing civil war, even if Catherine’s injuries weren’t fully healed, they stood no chance—especially with the four formidable warriors behind her, each capable of matching a Human SwordSaint. In short, any confrontation now would be hopeless.

Every orc was brave, but when they formed an interest group, they also learned to compromise. In the end, just as Chen Xuanfeng and Catherine had predicted, the Splitfang Clan silently joined the election for the new patriarch.

The outcome was easy to guess. With five of the seven great clans siding with the Battlefang Clan [Battlefang Family] and Catherine, a Saint Martial Emperor, backing them, the desperate resistance of the Splitfang Clan proved futile. By noon on the third day, the position of the Lion Clan’s patriarch became Catherine’s prize.

"But this is only the beginning." Seated on the high throne, Catherine showed no expression, letting her gaze drift into the distance.

At the other end of the continent, amidst distant mountains, another battle had just concluded.

The lush green hills spanning several kilometers had been torn apart by immense force, leaving the landscape in ruins. Trenches carved into the earth bore traces of ice, fire, lightning, and wind—as if a group of top-tier mages had unleashed a frenzied bombardment. It was hard to imagine such destruction being wrought by a single human youth. Even more astonishing was that despite wielding such power, the one responsible for this devastation had been utterly defeated.

His opponent was a black-robed skeleton wielding a slender rapier.

"Xi Luo, perhaps you truly are a rare martial prodigy, and the fact that *Hero’s Blade* acknowledges you as its wielder proves as much. But I must tell you this—history is filled with countless geniuses and monsters who surpassed you, and the twelve who forged *Hero’s Blade* were the greatest monsters among them. If you wish to fully master the crystallization of their efforts, you must abandon all common sense of a normal person, erase every notion of ‘impossible’ from your heart, and undergo a complete transformation—both in soul and body. Otherwise, even if you were two or three times stronger than you are now, you would never defeat that werewolf.”

The victorious black-robed skeleton stood before the defeated youth, declaring his verdict in a hollow, rasping voice.

"But Mr. Leinster, even if you say that, I have no idea how to achieve such a transformation or transcendence," the young Pope replied dejectedly, hanging his head.

The skeletal First SwordSaint shook his head. "If you could understand before advancing, that would be called training, not transcendence. In truth, your current strength has already reached the limits of humanity. Normal cultivation can no longer make you significantly stronger, yet this level is still far from mastering the eight power domains of *Hero’s Blade*. So, you have only one path: constantly tell yourself that you must grow stronger—leap beyond your limits—then push your body beyond its limits without relying on your mind, forcing out every ounce of potential. If you have the talent, you may complete the transformation."

Xi Luo looked up, blinking. "Then… how much potential do you think I have?"

Leinster paused before answering. "No one knows. There is no way to estimate. This deepest layer of potential has no connection to a person’s surface. So—"

"Alright, I understand." The youth sighed, pulling the eight-hued crystal sword from the ground beside him. "I’ll ask for your guidance again tomorrow."

As the boy’s figure vanished beyond the mountain, another figure—a young woman—appeared beside the black-robed skeleton. She bowed respectfully to Leinster before speaking. "Ancestor, do you truly believe Xi Luo’s progress is still insufficient to face that werewolf? Last time, he displayed formidable power—only his technique and experience were lacking…”

The skeleton raised a hand, cutting her off. "Celestial Knight [a divine-ranked warrior], do not measure that werewolf’s true combat strength by what he has shown. There are things I cannot explain in detail, but at the very least, you must gauge him by the standards of my potential—or that of the twelve so-called Sages who were nothing but madmen. Though Xi Luo’s ambush during the Beast King’s coronation succeeded, I am certain his opponent did not reveal his true strength. Remember, he didn’t even unveil his SwordSaint’s domain. Moreover, the first few years after ascending to the Saint realm are when one’s power grows the fastest. We need Xi Luo to progress even faster than his foe, and that is not something ordinary training can achieve."

"Then… even with your Space-Time Sword, it’s still not enough? If you restrain the werewolf while Xi Luo uses *Hero’s Blade*’s domain, at least—"

"Enough. I know you don’t wish for me to take that step, but we truly have no other choice. Had that werewolf revealed his domain during his last clash with Xi Luo, no matter how strong he was, I wouldn’t be so concerned. But the fact that he deliberately concealed it suggests his domain holds an even greater secret. After all, he is a genius who has created several pinnacle martial arts. A domain he meticulously crafted would undoubtedly surpass my ‘Cloud Sword Realm’ or Leimen’s ‘Golden Snow Kingdom’—perhaps even something beyond my imagination. A lone powerhouse may not mean much, but a ruler who commands a mighty nation is every enemy’s nightmare." Leinster sighed. "Since you’ve already resolved to sacrifice yourself, why hesitate over the rest of an old undead like me? It’s just ironic—when those twelve madmen resurrected me, I resisted so fiercely against helping them complete *Hero’s Blade*. Yet now, after their demise, I must laboriously perfect this blade’s power to its perfect peak."

Tan Yueer, however, persisted. "But Ancestor, your existence is irreplaceable. As long as the Holy Sigil artifact remains, there will always be successors to take my place. But you—your presence is irreplaceable."