Ken looked up at John and smiled. "As long as you possess the Duke's Bloodline, with your talent, you will surely become a Holy Knight. His Highness will also favor you, Captain. By then, the City of Death will welcome its own master."

"Haha..." John smiled but didn't dare laugh out loud. After a couple of low chuckles, he waved his hand. "It's still too early to talk about this. Sodan is of the Duke's Bloodline, after all, with the strength of a peak Legendary Knight. Even if he's fallen into slumber, he might not be easy to deal with. Not to mention, that person's method might not even work. Can the Duke's Bloodline really be transplanted into my body?"

"Let's go!" he declared. "Depart!" With a grand wave of his hand, he urged the troop forward.

The closer they got to the City Lord's Mansion, the more merfolk and Legendary Creatures appeared nearby, and the brighter John's eyes shone.

The Duke's Bloodline! It's right in front of me!

He actually had no doubt about the mysterious person's method. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the Death Knights and acted on his own.

Suddenly, a deafening ROAR! erupted not far away. In the silent night, the roar was like a clanging gong, drawing all sorts of attention.

In a corner of the ruins, the short-statured Ron cupped his hands around his mouth, his stomach bulging, and roared again.

"ROAR!"

The rumbling sound waves covered a good half of Freedom Port. Countless merfolk turned towards the sound, and one Legendary Creature after another was startled awake by the noise.

"Damn it!" John, riding his horse, scowled. He clamped his legs around the horse's belly forcefully, and his steed leaped dozens of meters in a flash. He saw nothing, nor did his senses detect anything, in the direction the sound had come from. But that didn't trouble him.

"Die!"

Battle Skill—Storm Blade!

The long spear in John's hand spun. Countless Wind Blades swept in all directions, enveloping an area dozens of meters wide.

"PFFT!"

Two figures hiding in the dark were swept out by the Wind Blades and, in the blink of an eye, were sliced into chunks of flesh.

But at that moment...

"BANG!"

"BANG! BANG!"

Bursts of firelight ignited nearby, like torches, illuminating the area around the City Lord's Mansion. The troop of Death Knights was right in the middle of it. This, of course, was a witchcraft technique unleashed by Carl.

Not only that, Hawke, who was supposed to draw away the merfolk, came roaring and running from a distance, a large group of merfolk following him.

"RUMBLE, RUMBLE..."

The ground trembled. Attracted by the various disturbances, countless merfolk surged like a tide, charging towards the Death Knights.

"Damn it!" John clenched his teeth, his eyes fixed on the blood-soaked Hawke, his expression twisting beneath his mask. "Scum of Jiliu City..."

"Captain!" Ken spurred his horse closer, his eyes flickering. "What do we do now?"

With their strength, retreating was still an option.

John looked at the City Lord's Mansion, not far ahead, a surge of extreme unwillingness welling up in his heart. He was only one of the captains from the City of Death, and not even the strongest one. The three hundred knights before him were his entire foundation. If they failed this time and his Death Knights suffered heavy casualties, there would be no second chance.

What should I do?

"Continue!" Gritting his teeth, John roared loudly, "Block them! Escort me into the City Lord's Mansion!"

"Captain..." Ken's expression changed. He understood John's choice and then nodded heavily. "Alright!"

「On the outskirts of Freedom Port.」

Carl and Yana stood side by side, looking towards the City Lord's Mansion, listening to the battle cries growing closer.

"Here they come."

The first to arrive was, surprisingly, Hawke. His left arm was gone. His right hand tightly clutched a trident, his face deathly pale, as he leaped before the two. "John has taken a few men into the City Lord's Mansion. The other Death Knights are breaking out; they're very strong."

A flicker of fear crossed Hawke's eyes. "Be careful."

No John? Carl's eyes flickered. This is much better than expected. If John weren't trapped, he would most likely choose to leave, given the huge disparity in strength. Now that he's not with them, it might be worth a try.

"CLIP-CLOP..."

The urgent sound of hooves grew clearer. Dozens of Death Knights appeared at the edge of their vision. They smashed through the merfolk blockade and charged furiously in their direction.

There are still so many? Carl frowned, slowly drawing his twin swords. The merfolk are quite unreliable!

He looked around. Aside from Conni, who still seemed in good shape, the others looked like beggars. Including the people Hawke brought, their numbers were only about twenty, and many were wounded.

No wonder they absolutely had to get me involved. Otherwise, with just these few people, they would be nothing but moths to a flame!

"Guardian," Yana spoke. "I'll go first."

With that, without waiting for Carl's response, she shot out like an arrow released from a bowstring, heading straight for the Death Knights.

A few breaths later, a slender figure wielding a greatsword clashed head-on with the Death Knights.

Seventeen Consecutive Slashes!

"PUFF!"

Four Death Knights, along with their steeds, were simultaneously chopped into irregular chunks of flesh by the greatsword. Moreover, stray Sword Qi roared and swept wildly forward.

Desecration Knights? Ken, mounted on his horse, felt his eyes narrow. Setting a trap wasn't enough? They actually dare to ambush us here?

His rising anger transformed into a thick killing intent. His weapon was a strangely shaped horse-slaying saber. He waved it lightly forward, sending out a gust of chilling wind. Around his body, bursts of blue smoke appeared, rushing toward Yana.

Supreme Dharma Seal—Wraith Summoning!

The wraiths automatically locked onto Yana and rushed towards her, while the other Death Knights also charged, weapons brandished.

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