Bobby Bai said, "Because you're the most amazing man I've ever met! I've always wanted to apprentice myself to the strongest person!"
Noctis lowered his head, letting him see the demonic mark on his forehead, and asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"
"Not at all!" Bobby Bai shook his head. "Even though you fought fiercely, there wasn't any killing intent. I think you're super gentle, so why should I be scared?"
"Gentle..." Noctis chuckled. "You won't regret it?"
Bobby Bai shook his head firmly.
"Good! Then I'll take you as my disciple!" Noctis suddenly swept Bobby up into his arms.
"Hey!" Lily Bai was both scared and anxious. "B-Bobby!"
"What is it?" Noctis turned to look at her.
"My little brother is still young, he doesn't know any better... Um, could you..."
"He knows exactly what he's doing." Noctis held Bobby and turned to leave.
"Bobby!" Lily Bai chased after him.
A gust of sand-laden wind swept toward her, fierce and domineering.
Fortunately, Tanya Quinn blocked it for her—and stopped Noctis in his tracks.
Noctis looked at her silently.
"Noctis! I'm done fighting you. Just tell me, what will it take for you to come back with me?" Tanya Quinn asked.
Noctis: "What I want—you really don't know?"
"You've never said it, so how could I know?" Tanya Quinn asked, puzzled.
Noctis was silent for a moment, then said, "Fine, I'll spell it out."
"Go ahead."
Noctis stepped up to her and said, word by word, "I want you to take me as your imperial consort—and have only me for your whole life. If you agree, I'll go back with you. Otherwise, Divine Lord Tanya Quinn, you'd better stay far away from me."
Tanya Quinn had more or less guessed what he wanted.
But hearing him say it out loud felt completely different.
Lily Bai noticed that Divine Lord Tanya Quinn's ears were turning a little red...
"A mere rat spirit! Where did you get the nerve to say something like that?" Suddenly, a voice rang out, drawing closer.
A figure condensed from the void—a handsome man in blue Divine Robes, his bearing as noble as Noctis, his looks no less striking, radiating the overwhelming aura of a god.
"Liam Leshan?" Tanya Quinn exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard the Divine Lord had descended to catch this rat, so I came to help," Liam Leshan replied gently. "Divine Lord, are you alright?"
Tanya Quinn shook her head.
"As the Phoenix Divine Lord, you shouldn't handle everything personally! I'm always willing to share your burdens." Liam Leshan stepped protectively in front of her, raised his Rune Staff, and pointed it at Noctis: "Demon God Noctis! You have slaughtered innocents and framed others—your crimes are known throughout the Three Realms! Surrender at once!"
Noctis sneered, "Are you here to make people laugh? Idiot!"
Liam Leshan's gaze chilled; suddenly, he unleashed his array.
A wild wind roared, sand swirling into a dragon that attacked Noctis.
He had already set up an array here.
A deadly killing array.
He must have tracked Noctis here and set it up in advance.
There are quite a few Divine clans in this world.
Besides the three most prominent—Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin—there are many scattered among mortals.
The Lieshan Clan is one such Divine clan.
And it's one of the strongest.
Liam Leshan is the chief of the Lieshan Clan.
Lily Bai had heard a lot about him before.
Because he's also a Rune Master.
Of the world's only three Supreme Rune Masters, two are Lily Bai and Lord Faustin, and the third is Liam Leshan.
He's a god, so his cultivation is naturally far beyond Lord Faustin and Lily Bai.
So, in the realm of Rune Masters, if Liam Leshan claims to be second, no one dares claim first.