[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces":3,"chapter-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-287":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon of a Thousand Faces",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2269933,4431,"Chapter 287: The Fruit of Victory","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-287",287,"\u003Cp>Wars eventually end; when the last altar was leveled, this long war was declared over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Awakened Divine Art: Second-Ring Divine Art Realm of Truth (You, Do Not Lie), Third-Ring Divine Art Elemental Weapon (Stack, Stack Damage).】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the reward from Pure Goodness descended upon Li En in the form of divine arts, he finally felt the peace of victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad—fourth-rank paladins and third-rank ones aren’t much different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he didn’t reach fourth rank, two highly practical divine arts were still an excellent return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering Pure Goodness’s usual stinginess, granting two divine arts outright clearly proves how severe this disaster was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Li En’s involvement, this city would have been doomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chain reactions triggered the revival of demon gods, the collapse of the kingdom, and even wars between beasts and beastmen—no one knows how many would’ve died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not far from fifth rank,” said Dimon, his excitement making Li En feel numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is he really about to become a Grand Paladin? Li En glanced at the other paladins; most wore smiles—they too had received rewards from Pure Goodness, some even divine grace from the deity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opportunities to slay demons and save cities are rare for them. Paladins cannot grow through cultivation alone; killing is their only path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battlefield was being cleared; city guards were the main force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many mid- and high-rank practitioners had stood idle, gathering spontaneously while healing, eating, and resting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, despite possessing the abilities of a sorcerer, mage, or even warrior, Li En was still drawn into the paladin crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Weaver’s Knight Order—all sworn knights, a rookie group. Most members are former slaves and commoners. We mainly patrol the docks and maintain order; please, seniors, guide us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having fought side by side, they were easy to relate to; this “slum knight order,” composed entirely of classical sworn knights, left a deep impression on the seniors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other adventurer groups, former slaves often faced disdain or prejudice—but in the paladin circle, it seemed to be an asset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially after learning of his Oath of Poverty—which his appearance and gear made impossible to hide—it made him a rising star among paladins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more “persistent” one is, the more respect one earns in a field demanding unwavering will—and naturally, greater recognition and trust follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do take the Oath of Poverty; my witness is Senior Li En.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En watched as Dimon thrived among the seniors, even taking the opportunity to introduce Li En to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En had now fully made his name in Huicheng’s paladin circle; those who had vaguely heard of him now saw him in person—and confirmed he was indeed a formidable figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En did not refuse any of the friendly greetings; they were comrades, now and likely always.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though most paladins were church members, how much true loyalty they held toward deities was hard to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Path of Pure Goodness conflicted with a deity’s path, whom would they choose? This remained the classic dilemma of the paladin world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most veteran knights warned recruits to prioritize the deity—after all, deities can truly revoke your status—but in practice, slightly more chose the other path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Practice goodness, question your heart, preserve benevolence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High-rank paladins of the True God Church must face this “interrogation.” Unlike priests who require faith, blind believers rarely reach the top of the paladin path—though a tiny few who believe “My God is always right” are an exception; such fanatics rarely live long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wait for post-battle procedures often became a time for reflection and exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, becoming familiar with faces could lead to bonds forged in life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En did not overly engage, yet he unknowingly drew too much attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this battle, he displayed power rivaling a Grand Practitioner, along with too many powerful and rare traits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Swordbearer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That sword—pure and overwhelming, a hundred percent Judgment Blade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this what a true classical paladin looks like?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pure, unbreakable “Demon-Slaying Sword” was clearly an epic paladin hero’s legacy; the sword arts Dimon and Li En displayed became objects of envy and focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dimon drew attention mainly because of his unbreakable “Soul Power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For paladins, such pure and powerful energy was also a reflection of their moral character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sensed it—Judgment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncompromising Judgment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anger and hatred toward the unjust—they will never yield to any criminal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The passion of youth is enviable. Old men like me have learned to compromise—perhaps I should strive once more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Swordbearer’s legacy may become the emblem of Li En and the Weaver’s Knight Order.\u003C\u002Fp>",757,"2026-06-19T21:45:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1220e49ebf0c2f3e36d8edcccbad01df3012622a680b923176fa7bf3d326499d","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-288","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-286",362,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-cover.jpg"]