Cole's earlier threat had indeed almost scared Kross and Marek out of their wits.
But every ninth-level warrior secretly longed to break through that final barrier and become a high-ranking Sanctuary-level cultivator.
The stage from ninth-level warrior to Sanctuary is called a "barrier" for a reason—among hundreds of ninth-level warriors, only a rare few ever reach Sanctuary.
In the Wakanda Plane, many people reach ninth-level each year.
Sanctuary-level cultivators, however, appear only once every ten or twenty years.
Sometimes, it takes thirty or fifty years for a single Sanctuary to appear across the entire Wakanda continent.
This shows just how difficult it is to break this barrier.
Kross and the others had been ninth-level warriors for over two hundred years.
Because they knew the chances of reaching Sanctuary were slim, they didn't hesitate when Bolton invited them—they joined the Tsunami Legion, hoping to secure a good future for their descendants.
Although Lord Bolton was ultimately killed by Lord Locke, they still achieved their goal.
Under Lord Locke's leadership, they defeated the Radiant Temple's knight legion, reclaimed their territory, and became viscounts under Locke's dominion.
However, during their governance, some members of the Radiant Temple secretly contacted them.
It was from these people that Kross and the others learned that such opportunities existed in the world.
Of course, while intrigued, they also knew that carrying out such acts would be nothing less than a betrayal of Grand Duke Locke.
If Locke were just an ordinary Sanctuary, they might not have struggled so much with this decision.
After all, once they found those with special souls and successfully performed the sacrifices, they themselves would become Sanctuaries.
But as the five generals of the Tsunami Legion, they had witnessed Lord Locke easily killing Lord Bolton and effortlessly defeating two Sanctuary-level warriors from the Radiant Temple.
There was no doubt that even among Sanctuaries, there were ordinary ones and extraordinarily powerful ones.
Kross and the others had self-awareness.
Even if all five of them achieved Sanctuary through the Radiant Temple's sacrificial methods, they could never become powerful Sanctuaries.
Even if all five reached Sanctuary, if Locke pursued them, their fate wouldn't be much better than Lord Bolton's or the two Radiant Temple Sanctuaries'.
They wanted the power and eternal lifespan that came with Sanctuary, yes.
But only if they could survive.
If they became Sanctuaries and Locke immediately came after them, what could they do?
With the strength Lord Locke had shown, they doubted that anyone in the Radiant Temple—except the Pope—could stand against him.
Yet, faced with such temptation, how could the five resist?
After several years of deliberation, the five reached a consensus.
They would involve Locke's brother, Cole, in their plan, making him part of the scheme.
They believed that as Lord Locke's brother, even if Cole betrayed the Frost Snow Empire and joined the Radiant Temple as a Sanctuary, Locke would never kill him.
Perhaps Locke might even, because Cole joined the Radiant Temple and renounced his Frost Snow title, follow Cole into the embrace of the Supreme Radiant God.
Even then, they would remain under Lord Locke's command.
With Lord Locke shielding them, they would also receive more attention from the Radiant Temple.
Perhaps, as a reward for bringing a powerful Sanctuary to the Radiant Temple, the Pope would even grant them rewards.
Thus, Kross and the others were serious about cooperating with Cole.
"Hoo… hoo… hoo…"
Locke's body streaked across the sky like a meteor.
He did not form a protective barrier of battle aura or magic around himself; the icy wind cut across his face, making him squint.
To be honest, in both his previous life and this one, Locke felt he had failed in his duty as a son.
In his previous life, marrying the wrong person saddled him with debts, dragging his parents into trouble.
Even when things improved, and he wanted to become the family pillar, his parents refused his help, saying he only needed to manage his own household—they were not old enough to require care.
After that, nothing more happened.
Because now, Locke had come to the Coiling Dragon Universe!
In this life, he wanted to fulfill his filial duty.
Yet who would have thought, a single seclusion would make him miss the chance to see his parents one last time?
In both lives, Locke had failed to honor his parents, which left a heavy mark on his spirit.
His emotions seemed to ripple through his soul, affecting heaven and earth.
The endless grief around him seemed to lower the surrounding air temperature.
Frost appeared on his hair and eyebrows.
From the ground, Locke looked like a jet, leaving a white trail behind him through the sky.
"Whoosh!"
Flying at full speed, Locke crossed Locke Territory, Bedia Territory, and half of Enbo Territory, reaching Puer Village in less than a day.
Hovering above his birthplace, Locke looked at the village he had been born in.
Now nearly a hundred years old, almost none of the villagers were people he recognized.
Yet the village seemed much the same as it had been ninety years ago.
Casting a visual influence on himself to affect others, Locke slowly descended.
Nearly forty years had passed since he left Puer Village.
The small wooden house he had built was now overgrown with vines, creating a picturesque scene.
But since Locke had originally used ordinary wood for practicality, much of the material had rotted over the decades.
The villagers had built bamboo fences around it to keep children from playing there and accidentally damaging the structure.
Not all the wood had decayed.
Some pieces had sprouted tender green branches, as if given a second life.
In front of the small house, there were two mounds of earth with stone tablets standing before them.
These were the final resting place of Locke's parents.
(End of Chapter)
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