Enzo didn't have so many concerns. The lava patterns on his body slowly smoothed out, and he let out a satisfied groan.
The feeling of immense power coursing through his body made him grin, and he excitedly whispered, "Hey, Boss Mark, this trip was a total steal! The orc shaman experience was amazing! Where to next? How about we follow Alfonso's example and storm the Orcish Royal Court, treating that greenskins' lair like a dungeon! We can race all the way to the peak of Tier 9, take down a few legendary figures, and then we'll..."
He waved his fist, as if he could already see himself in his lava giant form, swaggering before the orc throne.
"Going solo to storm the royal court? Now?" Mark shook his head decisively, his voice low but exceptionally clear, shattering Enzo's passionate fantasies.
His gaze swept over the grim array of the Eleventh Knights in the distance and the remnants of the Ninth Regiment who were being held captive.
"Going out now would make us sitting ducks. Those rats from the Enlightenment Society are definitely watching from the shadows, and the Orcish Royal Court, just crippled, will certainly not let this go. More importantly..."
He paused, his gaze falling on the depths of the withered bone forest, in the direction where the puppeteer had disappeared, his eyes sharp as knives.
"Commander Alfonso hasn't taken back our 'identity'." Mark pointed to the inconspicuous badge on Little M's chest, symbolizing his unofficial membership in the Thirteenth Holy Knights.
The insignia was not retrieved after the war, and when Alfonso was reorganizing the 9th Regiment and issuing new orders, he seemed to ignore this squad that had demonstrated the power of "non-holy light".
This tacit approval, in the current situation, is both an invisible protective umbrella and an unspoken constraint.
Monica instantly understood, and like a cheetah in the shadows, added, "That's right. Moreover, the two main knightly orders of the Holy Light Church are joining forces to sweep away all obstacles and wipe out the entire Blackwater Shallows area and even the surrounding Rotten Vine Alliance strongholds."
A shrewd glint flashed in her eyes.
"Following the main force of the church to sweep through these strongholds is safer and far more efficient than taking risks on our own. The heretics and orcs in those strongholds are ready-made experience packs and new 'health packs'."
Kyle had been listening in silence, but now his eyes, burning with a golden flame, turned to Enzo and Mark, his steady voice carrying a hint of warning:
"Enzo, Mark, it's good to have increased strength, but don't let the surge in experience go to your head. Reaching legendary status is far more complex than simply accumulating experience points to reach the peak of the ninth rank."
His words drew everyone's attention, even Ruby, who was pretending to admire the scenery, couldn't help but turn her gaze back.
Kyle's gaze was complicated as he looked at the silver-armored figure in the sky, who stood like a pillar of strength, exuding the aura of a newly ascended legend—Alfonso Lin.
"Commander Alfonso is the best example." Kyle's voice was deep and respectful. "Back when he entered and exited the Orc King's Court seven times, shaking the entire continent, he had already leaped from the early stage of the seventh rank to the peak of the ninth rank! In a place like the Orc King's Court, the number of orc powerhouses he killed and the experience points he gained were probably far more than all of us combined."
He paused, as if recalling some secrets circulating within the Church of Holy Light, his tone becoming extremely serious: "But did you see that? He remained at the peak of the ninth rank for nearly ten years! Only today, on this battlefield, in that way, did he finally complete his legendary advancement ceremony."
"Why?" Enzo couldn't help but ask, the excited blush on his face fading slightly, replaced by confusion.
Kyle shook his head, a hint of confusion on his face: "The specific reasons are probably only known to the parties involved. All I know is that the conditions for each professional to break through to the legendary level are completely different and very, very special."
"It doesn't seem to have any absolute or necessary connection with your profession, gender, or status. It's more like... an ultimate test or ritual that belongs to your own path. It requires a specific opportunity, environment, or even... state of mind."
He glanced around at the members of Mark's team, his gaze sweeping over Mark, Monica, Anna, Ruby, and himself, before finally settling on Enzo:
"Therefore, don't assume that accumulating enough experience points will automatically lead to success. This is why, despite the abundance of experts in the thirteen great knight orders of the Holy City, including many ninth-tier powerhouses, only a handful have truly crossed that insurmountable barrier and achieved legendary status. That step is as difficult as ascending to heaven, and it varies from person to person."
A brief silence fell behind the pile of bones.
Mark's eyes were deep as he pondered Kyle's words.
Their journey in cultivation has been incredibly smooth, unlike others who have to painstakingly collect faith points when advancing in cultivation.
It's as if their supreme god doesn't need faith.
Now, hearing Kyle say this, they realized that the path to power was far more complex and difficult than they had imagined.
Think back to the occasions when this mysterious being makes an appearance...
Mark's heart skipped a beat.
Could his ritual to advance to legendary status involve sacrificing a false god or something similar?
What about Monica and the others? They seem to have been affected by the mysterious entity as well. I wonder if the ritual to advance to legendary status will become more difficult as a result!
Mark didn't dwell too much on these things he couldn't understand; everything would naturally become clear when he reached the peak of the ninth rank.
Anyway, those at the ninth rank are considered to be at the top of the pyramid on this Holy Dragon Continent, aren't they?
...
Led by Count Ferdinand, the 11th Holy Knights, like a heavy iron chain, escorted the disoriented and disarmed remnants of the 9th Regiment away from the Blackwater Shores, which were filled with the stench of blood and scorched earth, and retreated towards the human pass on the edge of the Lor Swamp.
As arranged by Alfonso and by the secret order of the Holy City's highest cardinal, Ferdinand was to personally go to the pass to meet the incoming envoy of the Inquisition and to give a detailed account of Harrington's treason and the purge of the Ninth Regiment.
Ferdinand sat astride his warhorse, glancing back at the swamp soaked in death, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
He assisted the 13th Regiment in sweeping up several outlying Rotting Vine Alliance strongholds. Although the process went smoothly, the doubts in his heart lingered.
Where did Alfonso get the irrefutable evidence that proves Harrington's collusion with the Enlightenment Society and his secret dealings with the orcs?
Ferdinand's intelligence network was quite comprehensive, yet he had absolutely no clue about this.
What puzzled him even more was that at such a crucial moment of handover, Alfonso, who had orchestrated the trial and held the core evidence, chose not to personally return to the pass to meet the Holy City's envoy. Instead, he took on the entire responsibility of subsequently eliminating the Rotten Vine Alliance and led the main force of the 13th Regiment deep into the mud of the Lor Swamp.
"This newly appointed legendary commander... his actions are indeed unpredictable."
Ferdinand murmured to himself, but in the end he just shook his head, cracked his whip, and disappeared into the dim swamp mist with a group full of questions and a heavy burden of prisoners.
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