[Annihilation Light Punishment]

[A Combat Technique imparted by the Yonglan Riding God to His followers. It channels boundless Magic Power through a weapon, annihilating all enemies of Order ahead.]

[The purest form of slaughter, not with blades or claws, but with a power born of arrogance. Witness the might of light and Storm Power!]

[May the Riding God’s radiance crush all demons and ghouls.]

The Yonglan Knights were widely considered overpowered, all because the Path pioneered by the Riding God was so cold.

Their stats were brutally cold.

And in the eyes of a Yonglan Knight, [Annihilation Light Punishment] was filled with more statistical beauty than any other Combat Technique. Its effect on mortals aside, so long as a target fit the description of "non-human," the Light Cannon would rain down destruction and death upon it with perfect impartiality.

This was a Combat Technique that nearly all High-tier Yonglan Knights knew, and it was a watershed moment for them—the sign that one knight could now be an army unto themselves.

"...I recall you saying you couldn’t walk the Knight Path."

Westheid said, looking at Mivana’s handsome and delicate profile.

"Yes. The knight’s path requires one to immerse themselves in the joy of battle to seek breakthroughs. But I feared the curse of my bloodline. Even though I’d honed countless skills and defeated many powerful enemies, I never once found joy in combat... until I met you."

Mivana sheathed her Silver Sword. Her calm, golden eyes turned to Westheid, and she said, panting slightly:

"The battle where West woke me from my berserk state caused my stagnant Path of the Knight to advance by leaps and bounds. After that, I finally broke free of my shackles. I no longer feared losing myself, and could truly focus on and enjoy battle."

"After that, I came to understand why I fight, and how I fight... I learned all of this from you, Teacher West. You might not realize it, but I’ve always been watching you. Besides Viona... no, Teacher Viona and Teacher West, you are both equally important to me."

Westheid: "I’m glad I could help."

He wisely decided not to ask what Mivana meant by "enjoying battle"—whether she meant slaughtering Chaos Creatures or ravaging him.

’Still, Mivana actually put me on the same level as Viona. To think, the Star Lake Sword is practically the parent who gave her a second life!’

’Mivana isn’t like the White-haired Dragon Lady, who’s always declaring her love and making heavy statements, but her affection level is probably not that far behind Reiya’s.’

’So when am I getting that [Cursed Source Blood]? The pity system should’ve kicked in by now, right?’

The Wolf-eared Maiden looked ahead, lifting her head high. The slight upturn of her lips formed a smile brimming with confidence and vigor.

"I have conquered myself and now stride confidently along the Path of the Knight. By combining the techniques Teacher Viona taught me with actual practice, I naturally grasped the Riding God’s radiance."

A single [Annihilation Light Punishment] hadn’t been enough to break through the Corrupted Holy Tree’s defenses, but the effect was significant. A large portion of the barrier leading to the Corroded Giant Tree’s roots had already been melted away.

The Lady Knight rested for a moment before unleashing [Annihilation Light Punishment] again. The Light Cannon, tearing through the twilight gloom, roared once more.

This was a common sight on a Yonglan Knight battlefield. During expeditions, they would simply spam [Annihilation Light Punishment] repeatedly, and just like that, a Chaos Tide would be dealt with.

Even a hardcore power gamer like Westheid couldn’t help but roar at the heavens.

’This is a total wheelchair build!’

Compared to ordinary High-tier Knights, whose stamina would be drained after one or two shots, Mivana was without a doubt a stamina monster. She fired [Annihilation Light Punishment] one after another, relentlessly. On the fifth shot, the foundation protecting the Corrupted Holy Tree finally collapsed with a thunderous crash.p>

The parts melted by the Light Cannon could no longer conceal or support the path to the Corrupted Holy Tree’s main body. Its true vulnerability was now completely exposed.

"Hah... huff..."

Mivana’s lovely face was pale. She knelt on the ground, leaning on her sword. Despite her extraordinary Talent and overpowered stats, she didn’t have a Heaven-Extending Talent like [Withered Glory Sun]. Five consecutive shots of [Annihilation Light Punishment] had utterly drained her.

Her fluffy, purple-black beast ears drooped, and the Lady Knight’s weak voice followed.

"Teacher West, I’ll leave the rest to you."

Westheid quickly helped her up and said,

"Let’s go. We’ll claim this fruit of victory together."

Duke Qinghui trembled with excitement. According to his calculations, as long as they could claim the title of "First to Purify the Corrupted Holy Tree," the achievement would be enough to help both of them ascend to the Legendary Tier.

That’s right, the Corrupted Holy Tree was just that massive of an EXP pack. As a being with the combined buffs of "Celestial God Flesh and Blood," "Chaos Creature," and "Root of Corruption," the achievement for defeating it was terrifyingly high—enough to provide multiple High-tier Transcendents with the capital needed for promotion.

In *Poem of Destiny*, the vast majority of the obscure Legends who emerged in the Imperial’s future ascended by leeching off the achievement of subjugating the Corrupted Holy Tree.

This thing was practically made for breaking through to the Legendary Tier. Even though the Plague of Corruption had caused the Imperial devastating losses, for many Transcendents, an era of conflict was far better than an era of peace.

"No, my path to promotion isn’t here. It’s in the Land of Knights."

Mivana shook her head firmly, refusing this easily obtainable promotion. She looked up at Westheid and said,

"I want to walk the Knightly Path to its very end and become an official Grand Knight."

Westheid immediately understood Mivana’s resolve. She wanted to properly inherit the position of Grand Knight and ascend to Legend by completing the Knightly Path Trial.

And the final step of that trial was to complete a pilgrimage to the Country of Yonglan.

"Mm."

Westheid respected Mivana’s decision and didn’t try to persuade her further. He slowly drew [Shadow-Born] from his waist, touched its tip to the ground, and took a deep breath, once again imitating one of Wan Qi’s Combat Techniques.

This time, however, it wasn’t Wan Qi’s army-annihilating slash, but her finishing blow against the Chaos Source God.

"SHINK—"

In a flash, Westheid’s figure had already shot up the Corrupted Holy Tree. He moved across the colossal tree, dragging his crimson blade. Everywhere its tip passed, it left a trail of crimson embers that greedily devoured the withered wood.

From the surface to the branches, from the roots to the crown, the ripples stirred up by Shadow-Born spread to every part of the giant tree. Now utterly defenseless, the Corrupted Holy Tree could only allow the embers—brutal things filled with Destructive Dragon Thunder and the Flame of Extinction—to ravage its body.

"CRACKLE—"

Brilliant sparks rained down with a blast of scorching heat, carrying the ashes of corrupted matter, like a shower of fire.

And as this fiery feast reached its conclusion, Westheid finally obtained the one thing he had always dreamed of.

[Your Tier has been promoted from "Hero" to "Legend"]