Chapter 4：The Cause of the Rodent Tide

In the midst of the yellow sand, a group of people and horses advanced steadily, with a sand camel carriage trailing behind.

In truth, after drinking the blood, Li Xie's body had already recovered. The reason he requested to ride in the carriage was to leave himself an escape route. This cunning fellow might not be familiar with this world yet, but he had some understanding of his own abilities. At least he was no match for the ordinary people of this world! So what should he do if he encountered danger?

Of course, he would flee!

Sitting in the carriage, the speed was definitely not as fast as the strange mounts ridden by Karno and the other soldiers. In case of danger, they would surely charge ahead. That was when Li Xie would have the chance to escape. That was his true intention.

"Karno, this humble self has been in seclusion for quite some time and is not familiar with the outside world. Can you enlighten me? Please, provide me with detailed explanations. As one grows older, memory tends to fade."

While seeking the cause of the rat tide, Li Xie intended to utilize this time to understand more about this world. Currently, he had no idea how to return to Earth. Perhaps he would have to survive in this world for a long time, even indefinitely. It was necessary to gain some understanding.

Although Li Xie was a scavenger, as long as his survival was assured, he would immerse himself in the world of novels. He had read many transmigration novels, and weren't the protagonists in those stories often striving for dominance?

In Li Xie's view, being a vampire was already strange enough. A vampire transmigrating to another world and not conquering it would be absurd. Although he was currently weaker than an ordinary person, things were always changing. Fate had thrust him into another world; perhaps it would also elevate him to its peak!

Understanding this world was akin to understanding the world that belonged to Li Xie.

Karno harbored no resentment due to the earlier "foot-kissing ceremony." Towards a legend like Li Xie, Karno showed his utmost respect. Regarding Li Xie's inquiries, Karno naturally answered them without hesitation and didn't dwell on why Li Xie asked such questions.

Thus, a world formed in Li Xie's mind.

This world was called the Continent of the Gods! It was a realm ruled by divine beings, possessing magic, combat aura, and magical creatures.

At the pinnacle of divine beings was the Supreme God; below the Supreme God were the four Great God Kings: the Dark God King, the Light God King, the Nature Goddess, and the War God King. Beneath the God Kings were the twelve Major Gods, divided into Dark Major Gods, Light Major Gods, Nature Major Gods, and War Major Gods. Below the Major Gods were various Heavenly Gods, and below them were the Godchildren of each lineage, followed by the Demigods!

Below the divine beings, various races inhabited the continent: the Demon Race, the Human Race, the Elven Race, the Beast Race, the Goblin Race, and so on.

Five thousand years ago, the Supreme God was killed by extraterrestrial visitors, his divine essence shattered. In a bid to seize the divine essence of the Supreme God, under the leadership of the four Great God Kings, the War of the Gods erupted and lasted for millennia. Countless deities fell, their divine essences scattered across the land, while the God Kings slumbered, the Major Gods lost their radiance, and the lesser deities nearly perished. With the divine light of the gods gone, the inhabitants of the Continent of the Gods were left almost devoid of divine protection, and the land nearly became a godless realm. It was only a millennium ago that faith was rediscovered, stabilizing the situation.

In the northernmost reaches of the Continent of the Gods lies the "Source of Ice and Snow," controlled by the Beast Race. To the east lies an endless expanse of forest known as the "Endless Forest," where the peaceful Elven Race resides. In the west lies the "Desolate Land," a treacherous environment where ordinary people struggle to survive, belonging to the domain of the Demon Race. The Demon Race did not choose to inhabit this land willingly; they were forced there after their defeat in the "Apocalyptic War" two thousand years ago.

Today, the dominant force on the Continent of the Gods is the Human Race, controlling the central and southern fertile lands. They are militarily powerful, unmatched by the other three major races. However, this dominance is contingent on the Human Race avoiding internal conflicts.

Within the Human Race, there are four major nations and dozens of smaller states. Constant warfare between these major nations has prevented unification, leading to the current situation where the four major races are divided across the Continent of the Gods.

Kano's homeland is the "Tudor Dynasty," which, among the four major nations, is the most powerful among the smaller states. Its position in between often places the Tudor Dynasty in a precarious situation during conflicts between the major nations.

In the Continent of the Gods, beneath the divine beings, there are numerous strong individuals. Some can harness magic and cast various spells, known as mages; others can cultivate combat energy and utilize various martial techniques, known as sword saints. Apart from these two mainstream professions, there are also archers, alchemists, curse casters, priests, and various other occupations.

Above all these professions, the strongest are the summoners.

Regardless of the profession, anyone can become a summoner, and it is the prevailing theme of the Continent of the Gods. Summoners summon creatures or even divine beings to aid in combat. In battles against sword saints or mages of the same level, summoners undoubtedly prevail!

Therefore, the Continent of the Gods is more accustomed to categorizing all professions as summoners! Because whether it's a mage or a sword saint, without the ability of a summoner, it's difficult to become a true powerhouse!

The strength of summoners is divided into twelve ranks. The first to tenth ranks have no title, the eleventh rank summoner is called a legend, and the twelfth rank summoner, almost god-like in existence, is called a demigod.

The creatures summoned by summoners are called "summoned beasts," also divided into twelve ranks, with the eleventh rank being holy beasts and the twelfth rank being divine beasts.

This is the reason why the villagers and Kano hold such great respect for Li Xie.

Because they mistakenly believe that Li Xie is a legendary summoner! In a world where most gods have almost perished, and demigods exist only in legends on the Continent of the Gods, legendary summoners are the pinnacle of existence. A legendary summoner can even influence the fate of a country!

As for how powerful these so-called summoners are, Li Xie listened to Kano's legends but couldn't grasp the concept. He can only hope for the opportunity to experience it firsthand — to see with his own eyes and even feel it personally.

However, in Li Xie's view, the abundance of powerful individuals in this world means that blood containing super energy is everywhere. Wouldn't it be quick to advance to a Golden Eye Vampire? Golden Eye Vampires possess incredibly strong power, and even further advancement into a Red Eye or even a Purple Eye Vampire by practicing the techniques in the "Vampire Manual" is within reach. Isn't that a wonderful life just waiting to unfold?

"Kano, how much longer?" Li Xie was getting impatient. They had been trekking through the desert for a day and a night, from dawn till dusk, and now it was dawn again.

"It should be soon, Your Highness. I have experts in my team who are tracking the cause of the rat tide. We should find out very soon," Kano replied.

"Well, this humble self hasn't fully recovered yet. If it gets too dangerous later, we'll leave first and come back when I'm healed. Understand?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

After gaining some understanding of the Continent of the Gods, Li Xie regarded this cart driver Kano as the first big fish he had caught since arriving in the continent!

How big was this fish? First of all, Kano was a sixth-order summoner! Among the strong individuals in the mainland, he could be considered a master. If there was danger, he could at least use him as a shield! Secondly, Kano was the leader of the Lion Legion of the Tudor Dynasty! As the strongest legion of the Tudor Dynasty, the minimum standard for entry into the Lion Legion was the strength of a first-order swordsman. And under Kano's command, there were tens of thousands of soldiers with the strength of a first-order swordsman or higher!

In Li Xie's view, that was a sea of blood containing immense energy! If he could get a few drops from each person, it would at least allow Li Xie to advance several levels, making him immensely stronger overnight.

With such a big fish, Li Xie had to protect it well. Anyway, if they encountered danger later, he would find an excuse not to fight and then retreat with Kano first!

This was Li Xie's plan.

"Your Highness, it's just ahead! Let's dismount and approach on foot to avoid making too much noise."

The group dismounted, and Li Xie also stepped out of the carriage. Kano's twelve subordinates took the lead, with two of them already advancing about a hundred meters ahead of Li Xie, crawling forward under the cover of the sand dunes.

Li Xie walked at the back, ready to run first if anything went wrong.

Suddenly, the two scouts in front stood up and shouted back, "My lord, it's Marquis Rhein!"

"Legion Commander?" Kano paused for a moment, then hurried forward, and indeed saw the Lion Legion Commander of the Tudor Dynasty—Marquis Rhein!

Li Xie followed suit and saw a man and a beast standing in front, presumably the Marquis Rhein mentioned by the soldiers.

Marquis Rhein was a tall man wearing luxurious silk robes, with golden hair, deep brown eyes, a hooked nose, and a sharp, imposing face. His towering height of two and a half meters made him seem like a towering mountain, exuding an intimidating presence just by standing there.

After Kano paid his respects, he promptly introduced Li Xie to Marquis Rhein, "My lord, this is His Highness Xie, the legendary summoner."

Before coming here, Li Xie had already introduced himself by his name, which was originally "Li Xie." However, following their custom of naming, Kano had inverted Li Xie's name, making it "Xie Li."

"Legendary?" Marquis Rhein looked at Li Xie, his eyes shimmering with interest. He smiled and nodded at Li Xie, then spoke in a deep voice, "Didn't I tell you to wait at the inn? Why have you come here?"

Li Xie didn't look directly at Marquis Rhein. Otherwise, with his keen ability to observe people, honed through his long years of scavenging and wandering, he would have surely noticed that Marquis Rhein had already discerned his true nature.

Li Xie's attention was drawn to the magnificent beast beside Marquis Rhein!

Described as a fierce beast, it was actually a lion—a miniature lion that stood only half a meter tall but resembled a full-grown male lion in appearance!

Beneath its majestic exterior, its two watery eyes and mismatched physique made it look incredibly adorable!

Li Xie had been wandering with his grandmother since he was young. When she passed away when he was five, Li Xie began a life of begging and scavenging on his own. During this time, he had encountered many stray cats and dogs. The lonely and dependent life had led Li Xie to regard these animals as family. He even used to huddle with stray dogs and cats for warmth during cold nights. Over time, Li Xie developed a soft spot for small animals.

Confronted with such a cute lion, Li Xie found himself unable to resist its charm, his attention completely focused on it as he unconsciously moved closer to the lion.

Kano found Marquis Rhein's nodding gesture rather puzzling. Despite Marquis Rhein being an eighth-rank summoner, one of the top experts in the Tudor Dynasty, such a greeting seemed somewhat impolite in the presence of a legendary figure. However, as a subordinate of Marquis Rhein, Kano dared not comment further. He responded, "Reporting to Your Excellency, we have found the rat tide and tracked it here. Could it be... Your Excellency, another failure?"

"Sigh..." Marquis Rhein's sharp gaze softened with a hint of helplessness and fondness as he looked at the lion beside him. "By the grace of the Earth God, am I not devout enough? Even here in the vast desert, I still cannot beseech the Earth God to bestow blessings upon Landoth for advancement!"

"Your Excellency, Landoth has already reached the eighth rank as a magical beast. To advance to the ninth rank, he would need the assistance of a ninth-rank priest or even a saintly priest. Relying solely on prayers for divine intervention is too uncertain. Your Excellency, there's no need to worry too much. Landoth will advance sooner or later," Kano could only offer such consolation.

Meanwhile, Li Xie had already approached Landoth, squatting down and reaching out to pet his head, facing Marquis Rhein as he asked, "What breed is this adorable lion? Can I have one too?"

"Don't touch him!"

Marquis Rhein and Kano were both startled to see Li Xie reaching out to pet Landoth's head!