Lord: I can see loyalty.

The moment the door to the knights' practice room was pushed open, the candlelight in the corridor flickered violently.

All eyes were on Vio—his robes were soaked with sweat, clinging to his body and outlining the contours of his well-defined muscles.

Several dark red lines, not yet completely faded, still remain on her skin; these are traces left by the surging magic within her body.

But his eyes were brighter than when he left, like two flames burning in the dead of night.

"Your Excellency," Jimmy rushed forward first, asking eagerly, "Did you succeed?"

Vio nodded, his gaze falling on the panel only he could see. "Tier 4."

Two simple words caused an instant uproar in the corridor.

Gina, standing a little distance away, loosened her hand from the hilt of her sword, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips. Valentine, leaning on his staff, a hint of relief flashing in his old eyes, stroked his beard and murmured, "Fourth rank now, so there's no need to worry about Cedric..."

Cohen and Vance exchanged a glance, both seeing a sense of relief in each other's eyes.

"Congratulations, Your Excellency!" Everyone shouted in unison, kneeling on one knee.

Vio simply waved his hand, signaling them to get up. "It's not over yet."

His gaze swept over Alec, Jimmy, and Gina. "Gentlemen, I need you to help me practice."

Alec raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in his gray eyes, but he still spoke, "My lord, you have just broken through, and your body has not fully recovered yet..."

"That's why we need to try," Vio interrupted him, turning and walking towards the training ground. "How will we know how strong a fourth-tier cultivator is if we don't try?"

On the training field, the moonlight, like water, spilled onto the sand, giving it a cool glow.

Vio stood in the center, his Demon Feather Sword pointing diagonally at the ground, the purple patterns on the blade faintly visible in the moonlight.

Alec stood opposite him, his greatsword held horizontally in front of him, his platinum armor gleaming warmly in the moonlight.

Jimmy and Gina also retreated to the sidelines, holding their breath and staring intently.

"Come on," Vio said calmly.

Alec didn't stand on ceremony.

The White Whale Breathing Technique was activated at full power, and the knight's aura instantly unfolded, causing the air within a radius of several feet to suddenly distort.

He leaped high into the air, his figure like a white-gold lightning bolt, rushing straight towards Vio, his greatsword slashing down with immense force!

This sword strike is enough to split open the city gate!

But Vio didn't dodge; he simply raised his Demon Feather Sword slightly and parried with nonchalant ease.

"clang--!"

Sparks flew everywhere, making the air tremble.

Alec's arm jolted, and he was thrown back several steps, leaving two deep furrows in his wake. Shock flashed in his eyes—he had used all his strength in that sword strike, yet Vio had blocked it so easily.

"My turn." Vio's figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

Alec's pupils contracted sharply.

He felt an invisible pressure surging from all directions; it was Vio's knightly aura, but stronger, denser, and heavier than his own.

Alec's movements became sluggish, as if he were stuck in an invisible quagmire, while Vio's figure was so fast that he could hardly see it.

A flash of sword light!

Alec instinctively raised his sword to parry, but Vio's sword was already at his neck.

"It's too fast..." Alec's voice was a little hoarse, "I can't keep up at all."

Vio sheathed his sword and took a step back.

"Your strength is still greater than mine, but your speed can no longer keep up with mine. The fourth-level sand breathing technique mainly improves speed." He paused. "Let's try again."

This time, Alec changed his strategy.

Instead of launching another attack, he held his greatsword horizontally in front of him, unleashing his full knightly aura in an attempt to wear down Vio's stamina through defense.

But Vio was too fast; his sword flashes came from all directions, each time landing precisely on Alec's weak points in his defense.

"Clang clang clang clang—!"

The sound of metal clashing was as dense as rain, and sparks flew everywhere in the moonlight.

Alec's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his breathing became rapid, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered.

Finally, just as Vio thrust his sword toward his ribs, his parry was a beat too slow, and the blade grazed his armor, leaving a faint white mark.

"Stop." Vio sheathed his sword and took a few steps back. "Your reaction was too slow."

Alec leaned on his greatsword, panting heavily, a complex emotion flashing in his gray eyes.

"Your Excellency, how much force did you use just now?"

Vio was silent for a moment. "Seventy percent."

Alec gave a wry smile. "Seventy percent... Fourth-tier is truly powerful."

"It's not your fault." Vio patted him on the shoulder. "The difference between fourth and third tiers is bigger than I imagined."

On the sidelines, Jimmy and Gina exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

They knew Vio was strong; readers were all discussing the allure of fantasy novels in the forums. But they hadn't expected him to be this strong—Alec, a third-tier Grand Knight, ranked among the top in all of Rovia, didn't even have a chance to fight back against Vio.

"Your Excellency," Jimmy swallowed hard, "maybe... we shouldn't try?"

Vio looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "What, scared?"

"It's not fear," Jimmy said awkwardly, scratching his head. "It's knowing you're outmatched but still fighting head-on. That's not bravery, that's foolishness."

Vio laughed. "Speak like a human being."

"Okay, I'm just scared..."

Vio shook his head and waved to him, "Come on, I don't need to go all out."

Jimmy took a deep breath, drew his longsword, and walked to Vio. Gina also silently walked into the arena, her broadsword dragging on the ground, carving a shallow furrow.

"Let's all come at once," Vio said.

The two exchanged a glance and attacked simultaneously.

Jimmy's sword was as fast as lightning, aimed straight for Vio's throat, while Gina's broadsword, accompanied by a whistling sound, slammed into Vio's side.

One was fast and the other heavy, their perfect coordination sealed off almost all escape routes.

Vio simply sidestepped Jimmy's sword, while his Demon Feather Sword effortlessly deflected Gina's broadsword.

Then, he took a step forward.

It's just one step.

The knightly aura instantly unfolded, and an invisible pressure pressed down like a mountain, causing Jimmy and Gina's movements to slow down simultaneously, as if an invisible hand was pressing down on their shoulders.

Their swords slowed down, slowed down enough for Vio to easily dodge them.

A flash of sword light.

Jimmy's longsword flew out of his hand, twirled a few times in the air, and landed on the ground with a clatter.

Gina's broadsword was struck by the spine of Vio's sword, slipped from her hand, and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The two stood there, stunned, staring at their empty hands, their faces filled with disbelief.

"One second." Vio sheathed his sword, sensing the difference between fourth-tier and first-tier. "Can I only last one second...?"

Jimmy opened his mouth, unsure what to say. Gina silently picked up the broadsword, her head bowed, her expression unreadable.

Vio looked at them and sighed, "It's not that you're weak, it's that I'm too strong."

This may sound like boasting, but everyone knows it's true. The gap between the fourth and third tiers is like a chasm that can't be crossed by hard work alone.

"My Lord," Alec stepped forward, "the power of a fourth-tier being is more terrifying than I imagined."

Vio nodded. "That's why I'm worried."

"What are you worried about?"

"We need to worry about Cedric," Vio's voice deepened. "After all, he's a fourth-tier hero."

The training ground was silent, and the moonlight cast long shadows on the sand.

In the distance, the lights of Portol twinkled in the night, a scene of peace and tranquility, but everyone knew that this peace would not last long.

"Alec." Vio turned around and looked at the great knight from the West.

"exist."

"It's time for you to start working on your breakthrough."

After a moment of silence, Alec shook his head.

"My lord, I am still lacking in experience. My foundation at the third level is not yet fully solid. Forcing a breakthrough now would only backfire."

Vio looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in his gray eyes.

He trusted Alec's judgment; the great knight was neither boastful nor modest.

"Then let's prepare the materials first." Vio looked at Cohen. "We need to continue collecting those rare materials: Dragon Scale Magic Stones, Icefield Giant Bear Hearts, Snowfield Thunder Eagle Feathers, Deep Sea Giant Squid Eyes... collect as many as we can."

Cohen nodded. "Understood."

Vio turned and looked towards the northern horizon. There, dark clouds were gathering, and lightning flashed.

Cedric Villar, the eldest son of the Golden-Maned Griffin family, the King of the North, a fourth-tier Grand Knight, he will come sooner or later.

"Fourth tier." Vio clenched his fist, feeling the newfound power within him. "Now... I might be able to hold my own against that red dragon."

"Your Excellency," Alec's voice came from behind, "you wouldn't be thinking of...

"Not now," Vio interrupted him. "The most urgent thing is to see what the Griffin family is up to. They can't possibly stay put."

He turned around and glanced at the crowd.

"Cohen, the Brotherhood will continue to keep an eye on the North. Report any unusual activity to me immediately."

"Yes."

"Jimmy, the Azure Peak Knights are on high alert. All knights are canceling their leave and are ready to be deployed at any time."

"Yes, sir!"

"Alec, the same goes for the Giant Whale Knights. The defenses of the Western Frontier cannot be relaxed, and patrols along the coast of the Garuda must be strengthened."

"clear."

Vio took a deep breath and looked towards the northern horizon.

"Cedric," he said softly, "you'd better not keep me waiting too long."