The League of Saints

City of Death, within the council hall.

Mo Fei sat at the seat reserved for the lord of the city, gazing at the two elders seated to his left. One held a staff and wore a mage's robe; the other carried a longsword on his back, clad in the attire of a warrior. Though both appeared advanced in years, Mo Fei did not underestimate them. From the mage-like elder, he sensed a spiritual force no less than that of Dean Mars, proof that this elder was also a grand magus. The warrior, though seemingly not as formidable as the mage, possessed the strength of a Sword Saint.

"Gentlemen, you have come to my City of Death so suddenly, and specifically asked to see me. May I ask what brings you here?" Mo Fei inquired from above.

"We had heard that you, Lord Mo Fei, possess profound magical abilities comparable to a grand magus at such a young age. At first, we doubted it. Now, seeing you in person, we are truly humbled. For someone so young to have such mastery, you are a rare prodigy. We came today to invite you to join our Alliance of Saints," the elder mage said, looking at Mo Fei.

"What sort of organization is this Alliance of Saints you speak of? If you do not explain it in detail, how can I make a decision?" Mo Fei asked, intrigued by the mention of the alliance. The name alone suggested that its members were all of saintly or higher rank—a coalition of the continent's most powerful beings. How could Mo Fei not be interested?

"Our Alliance of Saints spans the entire continent. Its official members are all of saintly rank, and its auxiliary members cover every stratum of society. It is fair to say that our alliance is the most powerful organization on the continent," the elder continued, a trace of pride in his gaze.

"You've talked so much, yet I still don't know what your alliance actually does!" Mo Fei remarked, exasperated by the elder's apparent desire to flaunt superiority before him.

"Our purpose in forming the Alliance of Saints is to effectively regulate the actions of those above saintly rank, forbidding them from participating in the continent's conflicts. If any are found to do so, the alliance will take necessary measures and impose sanctions," the mage said, his eyes hinting at a warning as he spoke to Mo Fei.

"In recent times, your City of Death has gained quite the reputation, Lord Mo Fei, and you yourself are so young and powerful. Our alliance invites you to join, hoping you will restrain your actions. It is best that you refrain from interfering with the current balance of the continent," the warrior elder added.

"My city's armies have not employed powers above saintly rank in battle, have they?" Mo Fei sneered.

"Precisely because you have not used such powers, we came to give you a reminder. Otherwise, matters would not be so simple, and you would not have received an invitation," the mage replied.

"Oh? I'm curious, what would your 'not so simple' response entail?" Mo Fei's tone grew cold.

The Sword Saint, unaware of Mo Fei's change in demeanor, continued arrogantly, "If you ignore our warning and allow saints or stronger to participate in mortal wars, our alliance will represent the continent in sanctioning your City of Death, and the offending saints will face judgment by the alliance."

"How absurd. Why should my people submit to your alliance's rules? Even if my saints join mortal wars, it's none of your concern. To threaten me with judgment? Who gave you such authority and confidence?" Mo Fei was enraged by their arrogance.

"So, Lord Mo Fei, you refuse to join our alliance and abide by its rules? Let me remind you, these rules were not set by me, but by the great Magic God Odin and Sword God Barton," the mage said coldly, his expression unreadable.

"Is that a threat?" Mo Fei suddenly stood, unleashing the powerful aura of a Golden Core master upon the elders below. "Let me tell you, even if my city does not use saints in battle, there is no army on this continent that can withstand the iron hooves of my death knights. My City of Death will not be threatened by any organization or individual, even those so-called 'gods' you speak of! Do you understand?" Mo Fei declared, enunciating each word.

The two elders below felt the pressure emanating from Mo Fei and were shaken. "Wasn't it said that Mo Fei's power was at most that of a grand magus? Why does he feel as formidable as Lord Odin, even more oppressive?" the mage wondered privately.

Suppressing his fear, the elder continued, "Since you have such faith in your army, let us hope they truly do not require saints in battle. Since you refuse to join our alliance, we shall take our leave." With that, the mage and the Sword Saint departed.

Kane, who had remained silent, now stepped forward. "Young master, are we really allowed to use powers above saintly rank in future battles?"

"Why? Do you lack confidence in our army? Must you rely on saints?" Mo Fei asked, surprised. Kane had always prided himself on the invincibility of the city's forces.

"Of course not. It's just that, after their warning, it feels like we're avoiding their threat by not using saints. It leaves a sour taste."

"Why worry about that now? Aside from me, who else in the City of Death possesses saintly power?" Mo Fei laughed.

Indeed, apart from Mo Fei, the strongest in the city was Kane, who was only a Grand Swordmaster, still short of Sword Saint. The dark elves of the Elven Kingdom, though all magi above magus rank, were neutral and obeyed only their queen, so Mo Fei kept them outside his city's forces.

Mo Fei paid little mind to the alliance's threats. These two were merely a grand magus and a Sword Saint; even if their so-called gods came in person, he would not fear them. Since regaining his Golden Core stage and obtaining two golden cores, Mo Fei felt an unprecedented confidence—no one on the continent could threaten his safety or that of those around him.

...

After leaving the City of Death, the two alliance elders spoke. "Elder, Mo Fei is truly ungrateful. He ignored our invitation and even disregarded the two lords. Does he really think we dare not act against him?"

"Let us not speak of this again. All we can hope is that he abides by the rules and keeps saints out of mortal wars. Otherwise, we truly have no way to deal with him. Mo Fei's strength is not as reported; today in the hall, he felt as formidable as Lord Odin," the grand magus said, still shaken.

"You mean he has broken through to godhood? Impossible! If he had grand magus power, I could believe he was a magical prodigy, reaching such heights in a few decades. But to reach the realm of Magic God? That's unbelievable. Not even if he started training in the womb!"

"Believe it or not, my intuition is never wrong. He felt even more terrifying than Lord Odin! I have no idea how he trains. Our intelligence says he hasn't trained for long. Mo Fei must be hiding a great secret. We must inform the two lords and let them decide!"