Mivana: "With Teacher West’s Talent and effort, breaking the all-time promotion record won’t be a problem."

Westheid thought so too. It wasn’t that he was full of himself, though.

It was mainly that his two Tier T0 growth Talents, Withered Glory Sun and Dragon Soul Furnace, were just too broken. With them, even a dog could reach the Legend Tier.

What accumulation? What training? What tempering... None of it was necessary!

All he had to do was kill and consume relentlessly, and he could trample all over the decades of painstaking training others had endured, rendering it worthless.

It was so unfair... What? Reiya only obtained this Talent after traversing the Path of Life and Death? The more powerful the Talent, the more unbearable the pain one must endure?

’Oh, never mind then. That’s only fair.’

So, what pain did Westheid have to endure, you ask?

To maximize the power of Heart and Soul’s Gift, Duke Qinghui had to work around the clock, continuously performing the Revolving Wheel Technique. Wasn’t that a form of torture?!

To obtain a Tier T0 Talent, he had to deftly navigate a chaotic scene and endure immense pressure. Wasn’t that also a trial?

Greatness needs no further explanation.

The only thing limiting his growth was Tier promotion. Other than that, it was as if he had a cheat engine running.

In comparison, the Lady Knight’s promotion was much more difficult. She had to train for real, and the "Experience Points" for her Knight Path could only be obtained through exhilarating combat.

"But I’m confident I won’t fall behind you."

Mivana stood up and tied back her long, purple-black hair. The motion awakened a very unpleasant memory for Westheid.

’Wait, why are you suddenly tying up your hair? We’re out in the middle of nowhere... No, is it *because* we’re in the middle of nowhere?’

Westheid’s heart skipped a beat. He took half a step back out of reflex, terrified that Mivana would squat down in front of him.

However, after Mivana drew near, she didn’t do what Westheid expected. Instead, she kicked open a tactical case set to the side and began to arm herself.

CLICK—

Silver metal Arm Armor clicked into place on her slender forearms. A brown leather belt secured the sheath of her Knight’s Silver Sword behind her waist.

Then, the Wolf-eared Maiden opened her arms and hugged the man.

Mivana closed her eyes, rose slightly onto her tiptoes, and pressed her delicate, flawless face against Westheid’s cheek, rubbing it slowly as she spoke:

"Teacher West, don’t be afraid. I can control myself."

"I won’t be a slave to my instincts anymore. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from you, it’s an incredibly strong desire to master my own destiny. Desire can no longer break my will."

"Fighting with you has allowed me to comprehend the Path of the Knight. It’s not about restraint, nor submission, nor even control. It is about following one’s heart."

If she had said this a few months ago, Westheid wouldn’t have believed a single word. He would have just assumed it was a ploy, like a wolf playing dead to lure its prey.

But recently, Mivana had indeed been diligently restraining her instincts. She was so calm and rational that Westheid found it a little strange.

Westheid relaxed as well, gently patting the Lady Knight on the back.

The two of them held each other close in the silence for a good while. There were no lewd connotations, only pure affection and tranquility.

A sweet warmth, carried on their breath, dissipated in the wind.

Nearly half an hour passed before Mivana reluctantly pulled away, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword.

"Let me fight by your side. At least for this battle, I can still keep up with you the whole way."

Westheid smiled.

"Of course. This glory and these achievements should be shared by us both!"

Having made this solemn promise to Mivana, and with the Country of Yonglan’s Knightly Path expedition hanging over his head like the Sword of Damocles, Westheid couldn’t afford to hesitate for a moment.

The Qinghui Army immediately prepared in the shortest time possible, getting ready to advance on Winter Fall Province, which had fallen to the Plague of Corruption.

But no matter how urgent it was, the proper procedures for dealing with the Corrupted Holy Tree were indispensable. The Little Holy Tree had been completely reversed, overwhelmed by the violent power of Chaos Undivided. It was no laughing matter; its corrosive power was terrifying.

He couldn’t have Duke Qinghui himself burn it away inch by inch again, could he?

Unlike the situation when he reclaimed Qinghui Territory, Westheid was now a man of status. Moreover, his legion had been built up, so he no longer had to do everything himself.

Fortunately, the Witches of the Ring of Clear Skies had come along as well. They had a unique understanding of how to purify Chaos.

The Qinghui Legion’s vanguard and the Ring of Clear Skies’ Caster team were the first to set up camp on the corrupted border of Winter Fall Province to make advance preparations.

When Westheid arrived with the main body of the legion, he immediately saw a towering spire. It was emitting wave after wave of colorful ripples into the murky sky, preventing the Chaos Erosion from spreading further.

"The Circle of Clear Skies Technique, the Endless Resentment Technique, and the Purifying Earth Technique have all had their basic formations laid. We worked day and night to finish before you arrived."

Ailu’er and Hecate came before Westheid. The two Witches’ outfits were as alluring as ever. Over their one-piece bodysuits, magnificent and exquisite dresses perfectly accentuated their respective charms—one bewitching, the other pure.

Their proud, ample chests strained against the white lace collars of their dresses.

And they pressed right up against him.

"Duke Qinghui, shouldn’t you reward us for our hard work?"

Ailu’er deliberately pulled her collar down a bit and whispered. Hecate didn’t say a word, but the bewitching, cold-eyed Red-haired Witch pressed even closer, answering with her actions.

But Westheid pretended not to understand and replied:

"Haven’t I already granted you unrestricted access to the Demon Path? That’s the greatest reward."

"Hmph... I suppose you’re right. Then we are truly grateful for your gift."

Ailu’er’s eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction as she let go of Westheid’s arm.

His lack of romantic tact wasn’t because Mivana was nearby. With her straightforward Beastman mentality, the Wolf-eared Maiden didn’t mind Westheid "marking his property." In fact, she would feel proud that the man she admired had plenty of partners.

The main reason was that Westheid had brought many outsiders with him and needed to maintain his image as a wise and great leader.

Turning around, Westheid looked at a group of nobles from the Pioneer Territory. They were huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

"Is Duke Qinghui making us fight too?"

"It’s a good thing if we can get command of some troops."

"Those people... are they Witches from the Ring of Clear Skies? Duke Qinghui is actually mixed up with them?"

"Hanging around with Demon Practitioners, borrowing the power of heretics... this is really..."

"And there’s a Beastman, too! I hear she’s one of the Yonglan People!"

"Duke Qinghui isn’t picky about his company, is he? Even in times like these, he shouldn’t be mingling with heretics."

"..."

"Everyone!"

Westheid paid no mind to their discussions. He raised his voice and gestured for them to come to where he was standing.

"You. Come and see."