After completely obliterating Mohg and Morgott, Bai Shi finally swept away the gloom that had been weighing on his heart. Although he had only destroyed two avatars, leaving their distant true bodies unharmed, the emotional satisfaction was still quite high. Bai Shi cut off the supply of magic to the sun. The power consumption was simply too great; a miniature sun was sufficient for everyday use. Deprived of its magical source, the brilliant sun slowly faded from the sky, and Stormveil Castle returned to the night. Bai Shi turned to face Leda and the others. “It has been quite some time since we last met at the Radahn Festival.” “I never expected you would come to Stormveil Castle, let alone get caught up in this incident. Truly unexpected.” Leda bowed her head slightly and said: “It turned out to be an avatar of Mohg, Lord of Blood.” “You seem to be familiar with him, so I will not elaborate on his identity... That said, we actually don’t know much about him either.” Leda’s voice was laced with anger. “You may not be aware of this.” “But Mohg became an enemy of our Haligtree as early as the Shattering.” “It is a blood feud. As a knight, I am sworn to make Mohg pay the price.” After speaking, Leda raised her head and looked at Bai Shi. Her helmet concealed her expression, preventing Bai Shi from discerning anything. “Lord Bai Shi, from your conversation with Mohg just now, it seems you have a history of grievances as well...” Bai Shi listened quietly to Leda’s words and nodded. “I crossed paths with Mohg a long time ago.” “I wasn’t strong enough then. Though I ultimately survived, I paid a heavy price.” —This referred to using his Fengling Yueying once, and enduring phantom pains so agonizing that he could barely sleep for days. “While I always suspected someone of his character would be scheming in the shadows, I never thought he would dare cause such widespread destruction within Stormveil Castle.” “I wasn’t planning to deal with him so hastily, but it seems I now have no choice but to teach him a lesson.” Unseen beneath her helmet, a smile touched Leda’s lips. She quickly suppressed the faint flicker of joy, however, and her composure returned. “Since you also have a score to settle with Mohg, perhaps you would allow us to lend you our strength.” “If we work together, I am certain defeating him will be much easier.” Bai Shi looked at Leda and shook his head. Leda and her companions seemed intent on killing Mohg. If Mohg had indeed abducted Miquella, then Bai Shi could trust them. Unfortunately, he had known for a long time that Miquella was not in the Mohgwyn Dynasty. On the contrary, Miquella had been active in the Lands Between. And those traces of his movements appeared *after* the blood-soaked conspiracy. For some reason, Mohg had not been able to restrain Miquella, a fact Leda and her group could not possibly be unaware of. After all, Miquella had personally rescued Freyja. Were they merely seeking revenge for Miquella? Bai Shi didn’t believe it for a second. Their current actions were likely orchestrated by Miquella himself. It was better not to let them get involved. However, Bai Shi didn’t voice these thoughts, offering a different reason instead: “Even if you say that, it is not a battle you can participate in.” “I don’t wish to be too blunt, but you are not qualified to accompany me.” “Mohg is not like General Radahn.” “Even having lost his mind, General Radahn was still a warrior and would not resort to trickery.” “As for Mohg... you’ve all experienced his methods firsthand.” “Against the weak, his power is nothing short of a massacre.” Though Bai Shi’s words were direct, Leda and the others showed no particular reaction. They knew he was speaking the truth. Bai Shi’s meaning was clear: he had no intention of bringing them along. But Leda was not discouraged. Their objective was to kill Mohg. The method, and whether they participated personally, was not so important. Leda didn’t give up. She prepared to try again, to persuade Bai Shi to take them with him. She held a piece of information that Bai Shi certainly didn’t know, one that would most likely make him agree. Bai Shi’s attacks were far too terrifying. Even with the home-field advantage, Mohg would almost certainly be defeated. Under such an assault, whether Mohg’s body would remain intact was a serious question. This was part of the plan, a very important part. As Bai Shi prepared to leave, Leda spoke again: “We are aware of this. That place is certain to be fraught with peril.” “Therefore, we will not insist that you take us there.” “However, there is a piece of information you absolutely need to know.” “Otherwise, even someone of your strength will not be able to defeat Mohg. In fact, you might even perish there.” Upon hearing this, everyone except Bai Shi was startled. Lanslet frowned, seeing that Leda was still stubbornly trying to convince Bai Shi to take them along. He instinctively assumed Leda was just being mysterious. After all, he was no stranger to such tactics of playing hard to get. Lord Bai Shi was immensely powerful. Judging by that avatar’s performance, even if the real one was twice as strong, he could not possibly possess the power to kill him on the spot. The others also found Leda’s claim hard to believe. But in the face of their confusion, Leda offered no explanation, merely gazing quietly at Bai Shi. Bai Shi was currently contemplating Leda’s words. Her previous statement had successfully piqued his interest. He was very strong now, but Bai Shi knew he had not yet reached a state of invincibility. If there was some power beyond the level of demigods, something that could absolutely wound him grievously... It seemed the Mohgwyn Dynasty did indeed possess such a thing. The mother Mohg had adopted in the sewers beneath the capital—the Formless Mother. As an Outer God, its true body was far away amongst the stars, yet it could exert its power upon the Lands Between through the Mohgwyn Sacred Spear. Could she be referring to information about the Formless Mother? Bai Shi thought for a moment and decided to hear them out. “Interesting. Let’s hear it.” Seeing that Bai Shi was interested, Leda felt relieved. Leda organized her thoughts, explaining as clearly as she could: “In fact, there is a special barrier surrounding the outer edge of the Mohgwyn Dynasty.” “This barrier cannot be seen. It has no form, but it is incredibly terrifying.” “It is said that only those with exceptional senses can perceive it.” “Through our attempts, we discovered that it is absolutely impossible to pass through by physical means.” “Every creature that tried has vanished without exception.” “According to our special tracking methods, they have all completely disappeared from the Lands Between.” “This is surely the power of an Outer God.” Bai Shi recalled the barrier that had blocked him and Selinsax on their previous journey to the Mohgwyn Dynasty. What Leda was talking about had to be that very thing. Vanished... could they have been directly eliminated by the Formless Mother? If so, he really did need to be careful. However, Bai Shi had another method: the waygate in the Consecrated Snowfield that teleported directly to the Mohgwyn Dynasty. But the waygate was in a remote location, and finding it within the Consecrated Snowfield would be extremely difficult. Speaking of the Consecrated Snowfield... Bai Shi suddenly understood Leda’s intention. He looked up at Leda, signaling for her to continue. “You have a way to bypass that barrier?” Seeing Bai Shi take the bait, Leda continued: “As expected, nothing escapes your notice.” “That’s right. We have found a waygate to the Mohgwyn Dynasty located in the Consecrated Snowfield.” “If you wish to go, we can accompany you there.” Bai Shi nodded. So that was it. Alright, after all that, they were back to where they started. Finding the waygate himself wasn’t impossible, but it would undoubtedly take a great deal of time. Bai Shi considered it for a moment, then agreed to go to the Mohgwyn Dynasty with them. With their level of strength, they couldn’t stir up any real trouble anyway. If they truly made any sudden moves, Bai Shi could easily suppress them. Even if Miquella himself appeared, planning to swoop in and reap the rewards, Bai Shi could just activate his Fengling Yueying and show him what true power was. “I don’t mind if you want to follow, but once we reach the Mohgwyn Dynasty, I won’t be looking out for you.” Leda let out a breath of relief. His agreement was all that mattered. “Thank you for your generosity.” “I must witness Mohg’s death with my own eyes.” Bai Shi waved his hand, ordering someone to arrange accommodations for Leda and her companions. The lodgings were far more luxurious than standard rooms, specially prepared for esteemed guests. After their conversation ended, Leda and the others were led by attendants to the guest quarters in the castle. Beads of cold sweat dotted Leda’s brow, but her heart was filled with an irrepressible joy. Bai Shi seemed even stronger than he was at the Radahn Festival. For someone already at his level of power to show such clear improvement was truly astonishing. And most importantly, there was that power of the sun, which seemed to come from nowhere. If they had a choice, it would be better not to involve him in the plan... But at this point, they had no path of retreat. Even with the immense threat he posed, they had to have Bai Shi make his move and kill Mohg. Otherwise, Lord Miquella’s plan would never be able to advance. Meanwhile, Bai Shi had returned to his own chambers. Melina was sitting on the edge of the bed. Seeing him return, she came over and asked: “What was happening outside just now?” Bai Shi thought for a moment before replying: “There were two rather powerful enemies in the castle, along with a group of troublemakers.” “The strongest two were opponents that even Ashmi and Selinsax couldn’t easily handle. They were on the same level.” “One of them was the same ‘Lord of Blood,’ Mohg, that we’ve encountered before.” “As for the identity of the other one... I couldn’t tell.” Of course, Bai Shi actually knew, but it was just too difficult to explain to Melina. Hearing that Mohg had made a move, Melina was also surprised. She vividly remembered the battle at Castle Morne; it had been the catalyst for her and Bai Shi to completely open their hearts to one another. “So, are you planning to eliminate Mohg soon?” Things had already reached this point. He had to make Mohg pay for his past actions. Melina was a little worried, but then she remembered Bai Shi’s current strength and set her mind at ease. “Then I’ll go with you.” Bai Shi quickly shook his head. “That would be terrible if you accidentally got hurt.” “Besides, I’m more than enough to handle it alone. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks.” Seeing Bai Shi’s reaction, Melina seemed a bit crestfallen. “I just want to be with you...” “When I didn’t have a body, I could always stay by your side. Is it different now?” “Isn’t the whole point of everything we’ve done so that we can finally embark on a real journey together?” “And you don’t need to worry about me. This body is very strong now.” Bai Shi knew full well that Melina’s current body possessed formidable power, but he certainly couldn’t let her face life-and-death situations. Speaking of a physical body, Bai Shi was suddenly reminded of the dusk-colored eye Melina had opened earlier. That shouldn’t have appeared at this stage. “By the way, what was that about your eye that you opened?” Now that Bai Shi was asking, Melina momentarily forgot about the trip to the Mohgwyn Dynasty. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze shifting away. Bai Shi moved closer to Melina, gently brushed her hair aside, and peered at the eye that had once been sealed. “Let me take a closer look.” Melina’s eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened the eye she had always kept closed. The dusk-colored eye once again appeared before Bai Shi. Looking at that dusk-colored eye, Bai Shi couldn’t help but swallow. The seal really was broken. But Destined Death was still in Maliketh’s hands right now, so there shouldn’t be a problem, right? Melina closed her eye again. “The seal is broken, yet you keep it closed. Isn’t that uncomfortable?” Melina shook her head. “I’m more used to it this way.” Melina remembered the original purpose of this visit. She had intended to have a good talk with Bai Shi, to confess everything. But now was as good a time as any. The most update n0vels are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩 So, Melina told Bai Shi everything she had experienced during her rebirth. After listening to Melina’s account, Bai Shi finally understood her origins. Honestly, although he had his suspicions, hearing it confirmed was still somewhat shocking. Melina was truly a child of Queen Marika, a hidden demigod. If that was the case, didn’t that mean Bai Shi’s own status had become considerably more legitimate as a result? But speaking of which, Melina actually had a brother. Looks like he had one more brother-in-law. Bai Shi suddenly recalled Messmer, the one the old king had mentioned, who led an army to slaughter the Hornsent. The naming connections between siblings in Elden Ring were very strong; you could tell their relationships at a glance. Could it be that the brother Melina spoke of was Messmer?