“Hahahaha! That was exhilarating! It’s been ages since I’ve had such a satisfying fight, kid. Let’s see if you can handle my next spell.”

“Hmph. Stop your boasting. Whatever tricks you have, just bring them forth,” Mo Han stared coldly at his opponent.

The Lich King ignored Mo Han completely, suddenly snapping his fingers. Several drops of inky green blood trickled slowly from his digit, but instead of falling, they began to orbit the Lich King, spinning faster and faster beside him.

Simultaneously, the Lich King adopted a solemn expression and began to chant: “Oh, greatest power born of the endless abyss, by the bond of my blood, I summon you here.”

Mo Han, watching the incantation, grew grave. Though his strength surpassed the Lich King’s, the difference wasn't vast, and the magic the Lich King was unleashing now was clearly immense—it required his own blood as a catalyst.

Mo Han recalled hearing from Blithe that some of the Nether Race’s top-tier magic required blood as a prerequisite. Except for the Nether King, no member of the Nether Race could bypass this restriction, and these spells were invariably devastatingly powerful. Some spells were even on par with human Divine Curses. One could only imagine the terrifying might of magic unleashed through Nether Race blood.

With this thought, Mo Han dared not underestimate the situation. He hastily summoned the Holy Dragon Staff in his hand, releasing his signature light-elemental guardian magic—the bane of all Nether Race beings: “Purest light of the world, most magnificent Light Elementals! I use my magic power to implore you to guide the hope within the warrior’s heart, make fear vanish, let courage reappear, grant them the strength hidden in their souls, and with this strength, shatter all evil across time. Bless your people so they are not troubled by malevolence. Appear—Lightwing Aegis!”

As Mo Han unleashed his spell, an incomparably pure light-elemental protective shield instantly materialized before him. The entire barrier flowed with serpentine white ripples, tightly enveloping Mo Han at its center. It appeared breathtakingly beautiful.

At the same moment, the Lich King’s magic neared its conclusion.

The Lich King rapidly intoned: “All things decay and fall, returning to dust. I hereby inherit the eternal covenant, in my own name, I offer the souls and blood of all living beings before me as sacrifice, and curse again—Lich King’s—Death Blight.”

Instantly, a vast spread of purple smoke, shaped like blooming flowers, appeared above Mo Han’s head as if it had always been there, utterly without warning. These purple floral mists surged toward Mo Han within the attack radius, the churning vapor relentlessly battering the Lightwing Aegis.

Under the constant impact of the purple mist, the white ripples lingering on the shield’s surface began to flow rapidly with the purple vapor, emitting dazzling bursts of light.

Mo Han, sheltered within the guard, felt his very vitality showing signs of dissipation under the assault of the purple smoke. He couldn't help but be inwardly shocked. Even with the protection of light magic, this Death Blight could still affect him inside the barrier. This spell’s power was terrifyingly abnormal. If an ordinary person were touched by even a sliver of this mist, all their life force would surely be instantly drained, leaving them a dried husk.

Realizing this, Mo Han could only keep channeling his magic, constantly replenishing the astonishingly mana-draining Lightwing Aegis.

Several minutes passed this way before the purple smoke slowly vanished without a trace. The Lich King’s formerly ashen face had transformed into an unnatural, eerie purple. However, the Lightwing Aegis Mo Han had cast still stood firmly in place, staunchly protecting him, though the entire barrier now emanated a faint purple sheen under the influence of the Death Blight.

“I must say, your strength is quite impressive, human,” the purple-faced Lich King said to Mo Han with surprise. “You are the first human capable of enduring my Death Blight. Are you perhaps interested in joining our Nether Race? I can guarantee that if you join, you will certainly become a revered Nether General. When we conquer the Dragon Ascent Continent, a generous portion will be yours.”

Mo Han, safely shielded, couldn't help but find the situation darkly comical. The Lich King, even mid-battle, was trying to poach him. Was the King truly an idiot, or just hopelessly naive, to think of recruitment during their clash? What a peculiar talent.

With that thought, an idea sparked in Mo Han’s mind. He responded calmly, “Oh? What benefits would I receive should I join the Nether Race?”

Hearing this, the Lich King assumed Mo Han was swayed and strained to force a pleasant smile, trying to appear amiable. But his appearance—coupled with his ashen skin—was anything but reassuring. Mo Han fought the urge to simply punch him, turning his head away, desperately trying to avoid that punchable face lest he lose control of his impulse.

Fortunately, the Lich King quickly continued: “Rest assured, if you join us, you will be the eleventh Nether General beneath the Nether King—a position countless Nether beings dream of. For a human to achieve the rank of Nether General is supreme honor!”

“Apologies, I have no interest in the position of Nether General. How about we strike a deal?” Mo Han looked at him coolly.

“Speak. As long as you agree to join the Nether Race, I will grant any condition you name,” the Lich King responded generously.

“Oh, it seems your standing in the Nether Race isn't low. May I ask your own rank within the Nether Race? How can I trust your assurances?” Mo Han continued to probe.

The Lich King, pleased, boasted, “Don’t worry. In the Nether Realm, only the Nether King and my elder brother, the Hell Demon King, hold greater authority than I. Can you trust me now?”

A big fish indeed, Mo Han thought to himself. He hadn't expected this Lich King to be the third highest authority in the Nether Realm. No wonder his strength surpassed that of the other Nether Generals by such a margin. Mo Han’s resolve to kill him only solidified. Since the Lich King’s strength wasn't significantly higher than his own, a proper strategy would be necessary to secure the kill.

“Hmm, the terms are indeed excellent. Why don't we discuss the finer points now?” Mo Han smiled slightly, looking at the Lich King and lowering his voice. “But you’re standing so far away, it’s tiring just to converse. Why don’t you step a little closer so we can discuss this properly?” As he spoke, Mo Han slowly lowered his Holy Dragon Staff, signaling a lack of hostility, hoping to lure the Lich King closer.

Who knew that while the Lich King might be simple, he wasn't an idiot. Seeing Mo Han’s movement, he warily shook his head. “You are a Human Archmage; how could you possibly tire? You could simply use an Amplification Spell, why approach? Furthermore, I know you cultivate both magic and martial arts. Your Warrior strength should be at the Sword Saint level. If a mere mage like myself approaches you, wouldn't I be walking into a death trap?”

Damn it, this guy isn't completely dense, Mo Han cursed internally, realizing he had to change tactics immediately. “Are you an idiot? If we use an amplification spell, everyone below will hear! How am I supposed to act as your inside agent then? I have a plan: once I coordinate with you from the inside, we can annihilate all those humans below in one go. That would be a huge merit! Don’t you want that?”

“This…” The Lich King clearly hesitated. Seizing the moment, Mo Han pressed his advantage. “How about this: if you’re worried, just trap me in a magic barrier, and then you can come over. It’s fine, I promise not to resist.”

Seeing Mo Han’s proposal, the Lich King thought it over. He seemed truly unable to resist the allure of wiping out the entire human army of Weihai City. Moreover, the Lich King knew that, being a top-tier Lich King, his power surpassed that of human Saint-level experts by a wide margin, just one step shy of Archmage status. Mo Han was merely a Sword Saint. If trapped within a magic barrier, he certainly couldn't break through it with battle aura. Even if Mo Han attempted to cast a spell, the Lich King was confident he would immediately sense the magical fluctuations in the air and would certainly be able to strike Mo Han down before the spell could be completed. At worst, he could escape Mo Han’s attack range while the human was busy casting.

Convinced by this reasoning, the Lich King finally agreed to Mo Han’s terms. He began chanting rapidly, and soon, countless black halos enveloped Mo Han layer after layer. These black halos almost completely obscured Mo Han’s figure before the Lich King ceased his magic.

He leaped towards...