"If the Heavenly Flame Dynasty dispatched troops to attack us, with our pellet-sized strength, how could we possibly resist?"
"When that time comes, not only will our people be plunged into an abyss of suffering, but when we are forced to surrender after defeat, it will only be viewed as defeated captives begging for peace. What room for negotiation would there be?"
Alex, sitting on the side, nodded. "Your Majesty’s words actually make a lot of sense."
"However, for such a major matter as becoming a vassal state, should you not still discuss it with your royal relatives and officials?"
"There is no need to discuss it!" Ebon slammed the table, finalizing the decision on the spot.
"For so many years, the Mourning Candle Dynasty has been isolated and helpless, left at the mercy of others. I have had enough of living like a dead ruler!"
"Now that Saint Lord Alex has arrived, it is like a great drought finally meeting sweet rain. How could I let this opportunity slip by?"
"Saint Lord Alex, as long as you dispatch your Hale family disciples to station themselves in my Mourning Candle Dynasty..."
"...I will immediately travel to the Heavenly Flame Capital to pay respects to the Heavenly Flame Empress and announce our submission as a vassal state to the world!"
Having said that, Ebon turned to look at Lilith and smiled faintly. "Lilith, what do you think?"
Lilith’s face was full of misery. Oh, Imperial Father, after acting crazy for so long, you finally remembered you have a daughter? You have already finalized the decision, what else is there for me to say? You might as well just betroth me as a concubine to their Hale family while you are at it.
"Good. With His Majesty showing such sincerity, this seat truly has nothing left to say." Alex smiled faintly.
"After I return to the Holy Land, I will immediately order the Third Elder, Tobias, and the Fourth Elder, Lara, to lead a thousand family disciples and garrison the Mourning Candle Dynasty in advance."
"I hope that from now on, our two families can join hands and jointly create brilliance!"
"Come, cheers!"
After concluding this pleasant banquet, Alex did not delay and directly set off to return to the Holy Land.
Noah remained in the Mourning Candle Dynasty to help Ebon demarcate the Hale family’s station and construct cave dwellings.
The plan was a complete success, and having an unexpected harvest like the Profound Ice Spirit Core put Alex in an incredibly joyful mood.
Just as he was leisurely riding his cloud back, the communication jade slip in his robes suddenly emitted a rapid, flashing green light.
"Hmm?" Alex frowned, and his expression instantly turned solemn, he picked up the jade slip and pressed his finger against it.
Lara’s voice rang out from within.
"Saint Lord, something has happened!"
"Tobias was attacked by an unknown expert and is severely injured! Please, Saint Lord, return quickly!"
This was a recording from half an hour ago, and the tone was extremely urgent. Alex’s heart instantly filled with immense tension.
Not daring to delay, he channeled his full power into the floating cloud, rushing toward the Holy Land at top speed.
At this very moment, within the Hale family Holy Land.
Tobias was lying on the plaza square, drenched in blood and hanging by a thread.
First Elder Cedric, Fourth Elder Lara, and a crowd of disciples were gathered around him, all wearing expressions of extreme anxiety.
Lara had been continuously using healing techniques to treat his wounds.
Erik carefully spoke up with deep concern. "Fourth Elder, my Master... he will be alright, will he not?"
"Tobias’s injuries are extremely severe. He was struck by someone with profound cultivation. A single blow shocked his abdominal cavity and nearly shattered his dantian." Lara said gravely.
"I must use the Rejuvenation Technique to heal the cracks on his dantian without stopping."
"If I stop for even a brief second, Tobias’s life will be hard to preserve!"
Hearing that his usually formidable Master was injured this severely, sparkling tears could not help but well up in Erik’s eyes.
Cedric asked in a deep voice. "Erik, what exactly happened?"
"Tobias was perfectly fine. Why would he suffer such heavy injuries?"
"I... I do not know either." Erik shook his head and sobbed.
"Just now, Master was leading a few of us in practicing Daoist techniques on the plaza."
"Suddenly, a butcher knife descended from the heavens! The spiritual energy upon it trapped Master inside and heavily injured him in an instant."
"That butcher knife is right here."
Erik pointed behind Tobias, to a rust-mottled butcher knife lying on the ground.
Cedric furrowed his brows tightly, he picked up the butcher knife, focused his gaze, and his pupils shrank abruptly.
"This is..."
"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"
Lara raised her head in confusion. "Brother Cedric, what is wrong?"
Cedric’s face was deathly pale, his eyes full of thick terror. "Lara, do... do you know of the third Saint to emerge after Sword Saint Evergreat Sword Ancestor and Buddhist Saint Heavenly True One?"
Lara froze for a moment, then said in astonishment. "You mean... the Slaughter Saint, Human Butcher?!"
"Exactly!" Seeing both Cedric and Lara so terrified, Lucas and the other younger generation could not help but ask.
"Master, who exactly is this Human Butcher?"
"He is a terrifying legend from ten thousand years ago. He once single-handedly slaughtered hundreds of thousands of living beings." Cedric said hoarsely.
"That man caused all the major dynasties to turn pale at the mere mention of his name, and made all the experts in the world tremble upon seeing him."
"He made the outer realm Demon Race, Monster Race, and other races realize that the one who slaughtered humans most ruthlessly... was a human himself."
"He is the only human to prove his Dao through killing, stepping upon mountains of corpses and seas of blood to successfully become a Saint."
"This butcher knife was the weapon the Slaughter Saint, Human Butcher, most commonly used."
Hearing these words, Lucas and the other young geniuses could not help but reveal looks of panic.