Chapter 274: The Path

Flames engulfed Li En, and the black knight restored his condition on the surface.

He increasingly understood the strength of the "Masked Dragon Knight" class—this armor, after all, was still his own flesh and blood, and thus could be replenished when necessary.

His formidable body rapidly recovered; the artifact "Prince (Deer) Heart" on his chest accelerated his healing, even actively repairing the armor.

"Heal."

"Enough, conserve your strength."

Li En told Larry to stop the healing spell—use it sparingly.

This small squad of paladins had only one who could heal, and even his effect was abysmal—truly bizarre.

On one hand, everyone was a "Judgment Knight," with healing effects so weak they were nearly nonexistent.

On the other hand, apart from Larry, all were Classical Paladins, with an alarmingly limited divine spell list and no "Divine Favor" bonuses.

The healing ability of paladins and priests stems from guiding "(Life) Positive Energy," a special energy from the Upper Planes (a type of divine realm), which is also why healing spells are classified as "Evocation"—ultimately, it's the use of elemental forces.

Deities grant believers, knights, and priests special "Positive Energy Plane Channels," enhancing healing effects to some degree, especially for priests and paladins of the Life domain—one priest could match ten paladins.

Beyond that, Divine Favor grants exclusive "privileges," such as Divine Armaments, Divine Grace, Divine Steeds, and Divine War Servants (often high-ranking Upper Plane beings). Classical Paladins are indeed rare; in reality, they are more often an advancement of ordinary divine paladins.

"Looks like the team needs a professional priest. Hmph, I don't want to be micromanaged by a deity."

If Li En were willing to pledge allegiance to a deity, countless deities would clamor for him—but he could not accept a deity's control over his actions.

"If only there were a fool of a deity willing to offer divine benefits without interfering or meddling…"

Li En chuckled bitterly—how could such a fool exist, granting divine power without demanding anything in return?

Most deities in this world are so-called "Faith Deities," whose core objective includes faith and religious domains; their subordinate churches naturally pursue "return on investment."

Thus, divine authority and royal authority forever compete for influence—they will never miss any opportunity to proselytize.

"True gods, evil gods, outer gods—all untrustworthy. My faith must never be entrusted to another." The more he observed, the more resolute Li En became, even bordering on the demeanor of an unbeliever.

In truth, what most changed Li En was not merely possessing "power."

"I must never die like Lex—a fool right to the end."

Lex's fate served as a warning to Li En.

This world is not merciful; there is no unspoken rule that if you treat others well, they will at least treat you decently. Mercy and conscience are seen as weakness to be exploited; kindness is deemed stupidity.

Was Lex not strong? Yet the man, pure and steadfast in his love and loyalty, was used by the powerful as a gullible tool.

"I must seize my own fate—not just others', but mine. Even in pursuing love, I must possess it, not be controlled."

At this moment, Li En's sword swings grew more decisive.

There was no choice—the negative example was too terrifying.

Lex was strong, nearly invincible—but did he have anyone he could trust?

Even as a high-ranking noble of the kingdom, did he have his own organization or power base? King Griffin could easily manipulate those around him, controlling information and binding him morally, turning him into a puppet.

A lone man, no matter how strong, is meaningless unless he is willing to be someone else's puppet or a mere destroyer.

"Elder (Furnace Flame)."

This time, on this journey, Li En had no intention of holding back.

He needed reputation, authority, and the power to seize his own fate.

The Furnace Flame, summoned by Dragon Speech, struck the retreating Scorpion-Lion with full force.

This adult-tier threat, naturally reaching the Great Warrior standard, had no chance of survival against Li En's small squad—Li En had no intention of wasting much time on it.

"Clang!"

Its pained counterattack—the steel-tearing scorpion tail—pierced deep into Li En's armor, even lifting him off the ground.

"Smite Evil!"

Sacred power erupted again, forcing it back. Li En's magic was nearly depleted, but his sacred energy reserves remained substantial!

The other Scorpion-Lion lunging at him was blocked by Larry's warblade, back-to-back.

The paladins' Smite Evil strikes had little effect on the Scorpion-Lions. Though counterintuitive, these powerful man-eating beasts were true "beasts," devoid of any concept of good or evil.

Using Breaker, Li En could wound it—but only barely.

In contrast, Hela's sword qi proved more effective against such powerful monsters without regenerative abilities—fast swordsmen often achieved surprising results.