The immense pain had numbed Leo’s nerves. He felt so tired and sleepy, wishing he could just drift off forever and never wake up again.
Just as Leo’s consciousness was on the verge of collapse, a woman’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind, “Leo… Leo…”
Leo slowly opened his eyes and found himself seemingly in the vast expanse of the universe.
Had he already left the Infinite Sacred Realm?
“Who is it? Who’s calling me?” Leo looked around in confusion.
“Leo, you cannot die yet,” the woman’s voice sounded again, feeling both distant and close, yet he couldn’t see anyone.
“Who are you?” Leo asked, bewildered.
“I created you,” the voice replied cryptically.
“Created me? What do you mean?” Leo pressed on.
The voice did not answer his question but instead said, “I will now teach you the Dragonascent Art.”
“Dragonascent Art?” Leo’s heart stirred.
A beam of white light appeared from nowhere and shot into Leo’s forehead.
Following that, an esoteric incantation entered Leo’s ears.
“You can now use the Dragonascent Art once to resolve today’s crisis…”
The voice grew fainter until it completely disappeared, no matter how much Leo called out, it did not return.
Leo’s vision turned white again.
With a sliver of clarity remaining, Leo gathered all his Spiritual Power and performed the Dragonascent Art.
His body began to feel torn apart, an ancient power erupted within him.
The tearing sensation transformed into a feeling of expansion. The immense and terrifying power made Leo let out a wild roar towards the sky.
This roar didn’t sound human; it resembled that of an ancient beast.
Leo’s eyelids opened, revealing eyes that were no longer human but like those of a giant lizard, glowing with a golden hue.
After a violent tremor in the space around him, the force that had been tearing Leo’s body dissipated into nothingness.
This sudden change terrified Cedric.
The blue sky reflected his pale face, filled with shock and disbelief.
“How can this be… how is it possible…” Cedric’s lips moved, eyes filled with murderous intent, his stunned expression turning vicious.
“Boy, even if you can evolve and mutate, don’t think you can turn the tables! No one has ever left my Infinite Sacred Realm alive!”
“Oh holy Lord, please heed your faithful servant’s prayer, let heaven and earth become one, Amen!”
Meanwhile, on the grass outside Vitre Castle, three of the nine knights had already fallen in battle.
The remaining six knights, after enduring a terrible plague, stood up unscathed. This scene stunned Deane and his two companions.
“Incredible, how can mere mortals withstand the plague power of the Corrupted Manacle!?” Duke Joseph’s face was full of astonishment.
Duke Deane’s lips twitched involuntarily, his sharp teeth faintly visible under his lips as he coldly watched the six knights approach.
Leading them was Knight Charles. The six knights held Cross Swords in their hands. Despite their tattered clothes, their proud aura was unmistakable.
“Pathetic knights, your monsignor has fled. If you continue to resist stubbornly, we will offer your blood to the prince of darkness,” Gawain threatened.
The knights showed no fear. Bart shouted loudly, “Running away does not exist in a knight’s life. Our mission is to send you to hell!”
Duke Deane let out a few strange laughs and licked his dry lips. “Gawain, Joseph, let’s taste some knight’s blood today.”
“By the radiance of the Holy Lord, for the honor of knights, fight to the last moment of life!” Berger raised his Cross Sword high and shouted.
“Fight to the last moment of life!” echoed the other five knights.
Then all six knights made the same gesture, holding their Cross Swords before their chests and loudly declared: “Bravest knights, we are children of God and loyal defenders of the faith. We guard the light and drive away darkness. Merciful Lord, please show your power through our hands. Divine Judgment!”
As the last syllable fell, the Cross Swords in their hands turned into streams of light and disappeared.
Terrifying Holy Power descended from the sky. One by one, white halos appeared in the sky, radiating sacred light.
Feeling the overwhelming Holy Power, Deane and his two companions could no longer maintain their composure.
They knew very well that the six knights had combined their strength to launch their most powerful attack.
A single knight’s strength was equivalent to two vampire dukes. No vampire duke could claim to withstand an attack from six knights combined.
The terrifying Holy Power gathered in the air. If not for their cloaks covering them tightly, the holy light alone would have significantly weakened the dukes’ strength.
Against such an attack, they knew escaping was futile because Holy Power attacks locked onto their targets relentlessly.
There were only two ways to deal with Holy Power attacks: either withstand them or launch an even stronger attack.
“Gawain, Joseph, this is it. Let’s show these pitiful knights the power of darkness.”
Deane formed a hand seal with his right hand. “It’s time to reveal your true power. Come forth, Corrupted Manacle!”
“Angel’s Spike!” Gawain shouted loudly.
“Executioner’s Axe!” Joseph also shouted loudly.
Corrupted Manacle, Angel’s Spike, and Executioner’s Axe were sacred artifacts of the vampire clan, possessed only by grand dukes.
Corrupted Manacle contained terrifying plague power. Angel’s Spike was equally dreadful; it was said that 5 million people had died by Angel’s Spike, earning it the nickname “butcher knife.”
The souls of those killed by it were cursed and imprisoned within Angel’s Spike, creating endless resentment that turned them into slaves of its wielder.
Holding the butcher knife meant having 5 million Necron Warriors at one’s command.
As for Executioner’s Axe, it could increase its wielder’s strength tenfold but had a backlash effect causing continuous bleeding.
The six halos in the sky merged into three larger halos and pressed down towards Deane, Gawain, and Joseph on the ground.
The intense light forced some vampires who had rushed out of Vitre Castle to help back inside with screams of agony.
They had no choice; their levels were too low to withstand the holy light.
Corrupted Manacle, Angel’s Spike, and Executioner’s Axe rapidly enlarged and charged towards the three halos.