Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 21 Goodbye
After returning to the Dragon Offering Church, Lu Mingfei learned the three prayers—Dragon Flame, Dragon Bite, and Dragon Claw—from the old knight with great speed, which surprised even the old knight.

"Your speed in learning to pray ranks among the top three in the history of the Storm Knights."

The old knight watched as Lu Mingfei used the Dragon's Blessing Mark to summon a giant dragon head that spewed flames, his tone complex:
"The reputation of the Faded Ones as skilled warriors is well-deserved."

Lu Mingfei was currently immersed in the excitement of gaining new power.

He was having a great time with the three kinds of prayers that were comparable to incantations, completely unaware of the old knight's gradually darkening expression.

"okay!"

The old knight kicked Lu Mingfei in the butt:

"Stop playing!"

Lu Mingfei then sheepishly put away the mark, shrank his neck, and retreated back to the old knight's side.

"Do not become addicted to the power of the Dragon's Feast."

The old knight said to him sternly:

"Dragon Feast is a dangerous weapon, and it can only be a weapon. Even though you have not developed a desire for the Dragon Heart, you cannot treat Dragon Feast as a game."

"is teacher."

Lu Mingfei nodded.

"Tell me," the old knight asked casually, hands behind his back, "what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these three types of prayer?"

Lu Mingfei carefully recalled his feelings when he cast it:
"It takes time to prepare, and it's easy to become a target when it's released."

Among them, Dragon Flame takes a long time to fully unleash, while Dragon Bite and Dragon Claw are relatively quick.

Dragonfire and Dragon Claw are suitable for dealing with multiple enemies, while Dragon Bite is better suited for one-on-one situations.

The old knight nodded slightly, revealing an expression that said, "This young man is teachable."

"Not bad, you've made some progress."

"But, teacher."

Lu Mingfei suddenly remembered something:
"There's something I don't understand. Why is it that the Storm Knight in the Border Heroes' Graveyard can unleash dragonfire without summoning a dragon's head and with almost no casting animation?"

The old knight frowned, barely understanding the new term 'casting animation,' then sneered:

"Do you think the Storm Knights have been carrying out the Dragon Feast for so many years just to do nothing?"

That's an improved version of 'Dragonfire,' used only by Storm Knights; it's a closely guarded secret of the Knights Order.

Your next task is to learn it.

The old knight indeed began to impart his knowledge of the improved Dragonfire technique without reservation.

Lu Mingfei learned extremely quickly, mastering the essence in less than two days.

Compared to the original 'Dragon Flame' which requires summoning a dragon head and charging up, the improved version is incredibly overpowered. Not only does it consume half the mana, but it can also be released with a simple gesture and continuously, allowing it to be chained after any attack. It's practically a god-tier skill.

Lu Mingfei practiced with great enthusiasm, his eyes gleaming with a thirst for knowledge:
"Old man, are there any other prayers for improvement? Ordinary ones are fine too. Surely there aren't only these three?"

Snapped!
The familiar boots kicked my butt again.

"Do you think the Dragon Offering Prayer is like fallen leaves and flowers by the roadside? There are only three of them! Let me tell you, there are only these three!"

"If you hadn't met me, you wouldn't have learned a single thing!"

The old knight roared:

"Not all Storm Knights follow the path of Dragon's Feast; most specialize only in 'Dragon Flame,' for fear of being consumed by desire!"

Do you think everyone is like you?!

Lu Mingfei looked embarrassed and lowered his head in shame. He had indeed been blinded by the power of the Dragon Feast and forgotten its extremely serious side effects.

The veteran knight also realized this:
Since Lu Mingfei experienced no adverse effects from performing the Dragon Feast, he could naturally act without any restrictions.

The old knight sighed deeply, his silver breastplate rising and falling slightly with his breath.

He looked up at the gloomy sky outside the church and slowly said:

“High-ranking dragon offerings and prayers are certainly available, but I will not do them.”

Only by hunting high-ranking dragons and swallowing their hearts can one obtain that powerful and overwhelming prayer.

Such dragons are often powerful, occupy a territory, and have several hearts.

The power of those dragons was enough to instantly incinerate the will of the weak.

The church fell into a brief silence.

“Lu Mingfei.” The old knight suddenly turned around and stared into those golden pupils.

Lu Mingfei was startled.

In the past, the master and apprentice addressed each other as "old man" and "brat." Lu Mingfei rarely called him "teacher," and the old knight never used his formal name to address him.

For a moment, he thought that his attitude had angered the old knight.

However, the old knight remained calm, his voice as still as a deep well:
"After you've learned 'Dragon Flame,' I'll have nothing left to teach you."

I have imparted to you all the creeds, combat techniques, and prayers that have been passed down through the ages by the Storm Knights.

My mission is complete.

You never chose to learn this skill. From now on, whether you consider yourself a Storm Knight or not is irrelevant.

Whether you pass on your combat skills and prayers to others or not, I don't care.

I know you have your own mission. Go, go and fulfill your mission.

Lu Mingfei stood there, stunned.

He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

The old knight still stood there, his silver armor perfectly aligned, exactly the same as when he first met Lu Mingfei, as if he had never changed.

"Old Man"

He called out the name subconsciously, but his voice was low and hoarse.

The old knight did not respond, but simply turned and walked toward the headless dragon statue.

His silhouette appeared exceptionally lonely, and the scratches on his armor were clearly visible—some old, some new.

"You should have left long ago."

The old knight's voice was calm, as if he were stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

"You've always been anxious. Whether you're learning combat skills or praying, if you didn't have something to do, why would you be working so hard?"

Lu Mingfei clenched his fist. He wanted to say something, such as "I haven't fully mastered the dual-sword technique yet," or "You haven't told me where to learn the advanced Dragon Offering Prayer."

But the words that came out of his mouth were:

"Can I come back?"

The old knight paused for a moment.

“The church is right here,” he said, “but you don’t need to come back, and I may not be here either.”

These words were like a blunt knife, slowly piercing Lu Mingfei's heart.

He suddenly realized that the old knight had seen through him long ago.

I saw through his inevitable departure, and I saw through his soul that did not belong here.

The old knight, too, will eventually face death.

"I"

"Go."

The old knight interrupted him, his voice still calm, yet unquestionable.

"Don't let your mission wait for you."

Lu Mingfei stood there, feeling his chest churning.

He wanted to say "thank you," "take care," and even "come with me," but in the end, he simply bent down slowly, knelt on one knee, and performed a perfect knightly salute, just as he had done on his first day.

"teacher."

He said it solemnly, as if making an oath.

When he straightened up, the old knight was still standing where Lu Mingfei had first met him, with his back to Lu Mingfei, as if he had never turned around.

Lu Mingfei turned around and slowly stepped out of the church.

At that moment, the final words of advice echoed through the Dragon Offering Church:
"Don't die, you brat."

His voice was still as rough as a rock, still impatient, yet it brought tears to Lu Ming's eyes.

He didn't turn around, but simply waved and strode towards Cifu.

(End of this chapter)