675-687

Chapter 675 - Redirecting Animosity Back To Its Source

"We need to stop them," Aria stated.

"Un." Leon nodded.

Shortly after, Leon observed the intense brawl and understood that a simple shout would not be enough to get both sides to stop fighting.

Perhaps the Darkmoon Tribe's side would comply, but the foreign Battle Masters would not—which would only need to the Darkmoon Tribe's side sustaining unnecessary injuries.

"Only absolute strength can stop this brawl, huh?" Leon muttered.

Shortly after, his gaze turned sharp before Leon raised his hand and tapped into the boundless power of earth with his Divine Will.

Rumble…!

The ground began to shake fiercely, disrupting everyone's balance and interrupted their battle abruptly.

But as if that was not enough, Leon clenched his fist and made a sudden uppercut at the empty air before countless earthen fists shot out from the ground and catapulted all the foreign Battle Masters outside the tribe like the land itself rejected their illegal entry.

At that moment, the One-Eyed Venerable and the other Extremity-rank Battle Master were locked in an intense fistfight before they were interrupted by the shaking ground.

"Resorting to your shaman powers because you can beat me in a fair fight, huh? No matter. Your shaman powers won't be able to do anything to—"

The Extremity-rank Battle Master's words ended abruptly as he, too, was ejected from the Darkmoon Tribe by a strong earthen fist strike to the chest.

"Have a nice day, I suppose," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman spoke.

Shortly after all the foreign Battle Masters all drew big arcs in the air before landing on the hard ground outside the Darkmoon Tribe's walls, Leon casually arrived beside the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman.

"Are you alright, senior?" Leon inquired.

"I'm great, thanks to your timely assistance, Young Master Leonhardt," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman replied before saying, "However, I can't say for the same for the others."

They slowly shifted their gazes to the Great Warriors of the Darkmoon Tribe with battered looks, full of bleeding noses, split lips, swollen black eyes, and bruises in various areas of their bodies among several broken bones.

"Just a few fleshly wounds, nothing to worry about," one of them said and patted their chest with a tough look.

"Right…" Leon uttered speechlessly.

Nevertheless, the foreign Battle Masters' lawless behavior greatly displeased him, causing Leon to frown shortly.

"Let us talk later, senior. I will deal with these Battle Masters first."

"Sure, no worries. Make sure to teach those thugs a good lesson, Young Master Leonhardt."

"I will." Leon nodded.

Shortly after, Leon left Aria at the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's side and flew on top of the wall before gazing down at the ragged group of Battle Masters getting back on their feet.

"The Darkmoon Tribe is not a place for you to behave atrociously! If you cannot behave yourself, I don't mind sending you all down into the depths of the earth to fight without creatures you have never seen before!" Leon stated firmly.

With a single thought, the ground beneath the Battle Masters sunk as their surroundings rose in the shape of a dome, wanting to swallow them all whole.

The Battle Masters were quickly shocked by the sheer magnitude of Leon's power before they could even think straight and recover from the last blow.

"The earth is moving! What is this power?!" a Low-rank Battle Master exclaimed.

"It must be the power of the Shaman King's Successor! But who knew that shaman powers were actually capable of such feats? This sort of power… who can resist it?"

"No wonder the Shaman King was even more respected than the Battle Kings! Perhaps, only the Battle God can resist this sort of power…"

The Battle Masters chattered with shock and disbelief as another Extremity-rank Battle Master picked himself off the sinking ground and gazed at Leon directly.

"You must be the Shaman King's Successor! Name your price! What does it take for you to join my tribe?" the Extremity-rank Battle Master inquired clearly.

At the same time, the previous Extremity-rank Battle Master also shot to his feet and said, "No, don't join his tribe! We heard you are still unaffiliated! My tribe is definitely better than his! So you should join mine instead!"

"And what makes you think that the information you have on me is true? Who said I am still unaffiliated? Am I not a part of the Darkmoon Tribe right now?" Leon said with a stern tone.

Once the question was raised, the Battle Masters were all stunned as if they had just gotten a kick in the head.

"Not only have you offended the Darkmoon Tribe, but you have also offended me, the so-called Shaman King's Successor. Let's not forget to mention that I am also the Divine Doctor in this tribe," Leon continued to speak.

"If you have anyone to blame, blame the person who gave you false information. It is clear that they had insidious intentions and wanted to cause trouble for my Darkmoon Tribe by using your hands. In other words, you have all been used by them!"

Once Leon finished speaking, the Battle Masters stood rooted on the spot with a dumb look as if their brains had short-circuited.

It was too much to take in.

They wanted to bolster their own tribe's status in the eyes of the Shaman King's Successor and the Divine Doctor by belittling other tribes.

In the end, the plan backfired and caused them to offend the people they wanted to curry favor with—all because the information they had was false?!

"Dammit! Who said the Divine Doctor was unaffiliated?!"

"If the chief hears of my blunder, he is going to murder me! F*ck! I'm going to dare murder that person who gave me false information!"

"Who was it? Who spread this bullshit?! I'm going to kill him!" another Battle Master spat with gritted teeth.

Having finished saying his piece, Leon waved his hand returned the land to its original shape as the group of Battle Masters spouted grudgingly among themselves.

It did not take long after some backtracking before they figured out that all their information came from the Black Warbear Tribe, one of the ruler tribes!

They were used like pawns!

"Damn that insidious Black Warbear Tribe! I will never forgive them!"

"Hmph! What a good Black Warbear Tribe! Don't expect my tribe to ever follow them!"

The Battle Masters all began cursing the Black Warbear Tribe as they redirected their anger at them for what had transpired.

Chapter 676 - Arrival Of Two Ruling Tribes

As the Battle Masters gradually calmed their anger down on the surface, rage still burned in their hearts.

The Black Warbear Tribe's deeds will not be forgotten.

More importantly, they had to appease the Divine Doctor they offended as a result of their misguided information.

"We were truly ignorant to have offended you, Divine Doctor. Please look past our mistakes and be magnanimous in giving us another chance to amend our errors," the Battle Masters apologized.

If they annoy the Shaman King's Successor, they could lose the chance to enter the secret realm. On the other hand, they might not get treated once they contract Demonic Possession.

Both were equally bad. And when the two are one and the same person, it was double the bad.

Nevertheless, Leon glanced back at them indifferently and said, "It is not I, who you should all be apologizing to but the Darkmoon Tribe you disrespected and the tribesmen you have hurt in the process."

"Right, right. What the Divine Doctor said makes sense. We should apologize to them," the Battle Masters quickly agreed with Leon's words.

Leon did not doubt that whatever he said, they would still agree with it regardless, nonetheless, as if he only speaks the truth.

"Once you do that, you may enter—but only if they will allow it."

After leaving those words, Leon promptly returned to Aria and the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's side.

"I was expecting Young Master Leonhardt to teach them an unforgettable mistake, but Young Master Leonhardt's plan is even more brilliant than a simple beating. It was a good idea to divert the blame back to its source," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman praised.

"Not only would the Black Warbear Tribe receive all of these Battle Masters' hatred, but our side would be completely freed from their pesterings and future troubles."

"Although the nature of these people isn't good, they weren't the source of the problem and were only being used by the Black Warbear Tribe. Beating them up would only aggravate the problem between our sides, which is exactly what the Black Warbear Tribe wants," Leon stated.

"But now, the Black Warbear Tribe will have a headache over this issue they caused themselves," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman chuckled softly.

"Right," Leon nodded before he suddenly mentioned, "By the way, senior. I can't help but noticed that only Battle Masters have arrived. There is not a Great Warrior among the group that visited the Darkmoon Tribe. Why is that?"

"Because only Battle Masters are qualified to enter the secret realm, Young Master Leonhardt," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman answered before explaining further, "Great Warriors are too weak to participate."

"While the secret realm is filled with endless riches and lucky chances, there are certain levels of dangers accompanying them, not to mention that the fierce competition with the demons. Young Master Leonhardt wasn't thinking that the treasures would just be lying around unguarded, right?"

"Of course not. That's preposterous," Leon smiled wryly.

"Nevertheless, we seem to have a problem," Leon shortly mentioned with a solemn look before he said, "If the real Shaman King's Successor doesn't appear, these people would have come for nothing."

"Let's not even mention the location of the secret realm opening. We don't even know if the time for its opening is even coming up again. When was the last opening, senior?"

"The last secret realm opening was 98 years ago. Not precisely a hundred years, but the secret realm opening has always differed by a few years, whether it is earlier or later," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman said.

"One hundred years is just an approximate estimate. The key is the one who opens the secret realm, the Shaman King's Successor."

"I see."

Leon rubbed his chin thoughtfully in silent contemplation for a moment before his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden outburst outside the tribe.

"The Scarlet Salamander Tribe has come to visit!"

"The Silverfang Leopard Tribe has come to visit!"

"The Holy Sunfire Tribe has come to visit!"

"The Divine Tortoise Tribe has come to visit!"

Suddenly, several more tribes made their announcements, loud and clear, upon their arrival, causing many tribesmen to be startled at once.

"The Holy Sunfire Tribe and Divine Tortoise Tribe? Damn, two of Central Region's four ruling tribes actually came at our Darkmoon Tribe!" a battered Great Warrior exclaimed.

Leon, Aria, and the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman gave each other a glance before they made their way onto the wall and gazed into the distance.

At least several hundred Battle Masters have arrived and mixed in with the crowd outside the walls. Even so, the big crowd could be clearly divided by their tribe's unique clothing styles.

Leon and Aria quickly fixed their gazes on the two most prominent groups in the crowd, which amounted to nearly a hundred Battle Masters each.

One group was mostly garbed in white outfits and armor, while the other carried a black turtle shell on their backs.

"These two must be Holy Sunfire Tribe and the Divine Tortoise," Aria assumed.

Leon had the same thought, but he did not give a definite response. Instead, he turned to the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman for an answer.

"That's right," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman nodded before he explained, "White is the most defining trait of the Holy Sunfire Tribe as they believe the sun is the holiest and whitest celestial body in existence."

"However, that is absurd as no one had ever seen the sun in this dark world, not to mention that historical records state that the sun is either yellow or red, not white. As for the Divine Tortoise Tribe, this Venerable probably doesn't need to explain."

"Seems like they worship turtles," Chief Valencia stated with amusement as she suddenly appears at their side on the wall, following another five tribal chiefs arriving shortly after.

Evidently, it was also the first time for Chief Valencia to meet the ruling tribes of the Central Region.

"Seems like the matters here have disturbed Chief Valencia's cultivation session," Leon greeted with a comment.

"For some time now, actually," Chief Valencia gave the five chiefs a glance before she said, "I received news of a fight breaking out here while I was accommodating the five chiefs, but it seems to have been resolved."

"Un, it was all thanks to Young Master Leonhardt," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman nodded.

Chapter 677 - Even The Battle God Palace Has Come

"Nevertheless, I must say that this is a powerful lineup. For each ruling tribe to deploy a hundred of their Battle Masters over here, it is clear that we have not seen the full strength of the Black Warbear Tribe," Leon mentioned.

"That's for sure," Chief Valencia nodded before she knitted brows and added, "They only brought fifty Battle Masters last time—but that's that. Enough with the chitchat for now."

Shortly after Chief Valencia ended their small chat, Leon and the others returned their attention to the crowd of visitors.

"Guests from afar, I welcome you all to stay in the Darkmoon Tribe as long as you follow one simple rule, and that is you show everyone adequate respect," Chief Valencia began to speak to the Battle Masters.

"Otherwise, I will have to ask you all to leave, whether it's by word or by force. You all need to understand that while we would like to avoid trouble where possible, we are not afraid of it. Still, I hope we can all be amicable."

After hearing this, many Battle Masters from other tribes immediately thought that the two ruling tribes would become displeased and clash with the Darkmoon Tribe.

However, the leader of the Holy Sunfire Tribe's group smiled amicably and said, "That goes without saying. People who behave unruly in the territory of another without consideration for the party's face is no different to uncivilized savages."

The faces of many Battle Masters quickly flushed with shame as if the Holy Sunfire Tribe's group leader's words were a personal attack on them.

Nevertheless, they did not refute for it was the truth.

"That's right," the Divine Tortoise Tribe's group leader agreed with a nod and said, "As noble Battle Masters, we must conduct ourselves in a proper and just manner when visiting the home of another."

"Not to mention, we will all be fighting demons together once the secret realm opens. Therefore, conflict amongst ourselves will only harm our unity, affecting our ability to work together in defeating the demons."

"Well said!" Chief Valencia exclaimed and said with a nod, "It's good that we have some people who understand the bigger picture. Before we are divided by our affiliations to our tribes, we are all humans before the demons."

"May I ask for the names of you, gentlemen?" Chief Valencia inquired shortly after.

"I am called Whiteash, the right-hand man of Chief Whiteflame," the Holy Sunfire Tribe's group leader introduced.

Shortly after, the Divine Tortoise Tribe's group leader followed suit and introduced himself, "And I am Blackshell. Unfortunately, I don't have a noble status like our brother Whiteash here. I am just one of many subordinates under Chief Einar."

It did not take long for the two group leaders to introduce themselves before everyone in the area learned of their names and identities.

Without a doubt, both of them were Extremity-rank Battle Masters, but they were not the only Extremity-rank Battle Masters in their groups.

One could immediately get a glimpse of how powerful the ruling tribes were.

Nevertheless, Blackshell and Whiteash did not enjoy the spotlight for long before it was stolen by another arriving group.

"The Battle God Palace has come to visit!" one of the Battle God Palace's disciples announced.

It was a small group of twenty Battle Masters, incomparable to the number of Battle Masters brought by the two ruling tribes.

However, each and every one of them was at the Extremity-rank Battle Master Realm! In addition to that, four of them were also blessed with strong shamanic powers!

Once the people from the Battle God Palace made their appearance, everyone was stunned with great surprise.

"What? Even the Battle God Palace was attracted by the secret realm's opening this time?"

"Why is that a surprise? The Eternal Night Secret Realm has a chance of giving birth to a new Battle God. Why would the Battle God Palace be an exception if everyone else is interested?"

"Still, the Battle God Palace rarely appears on the plain, let alone interfering in any of its events. So why would they choose to come out this time around?"

The Battle Masters quickly broke into a deep discussion, filled with questions regarding the Battle God Palace's purpose before they suddenly noticed that the Extremity-rank Battle Masters was carrying a young boy in the center of their group.

The young boy appeared to be in deep slumber with a pale complexion and dark veins protruding on the surface of his skin.

Evidently, it was a person who contracted Demonic Possession early.

Everyone immediately understood the purpose of the Battle God Palace's visit after a quick observation and analysis.

The Battle God Palace did not come for the secret realm opening. No, they came to receive treatment from the rumored Divine Doctor.

"I wonder what's the status of that young boy, for him to receive the escort of twenty Extremity-rank Battle Masters…"

"Whatever it is, it is definitely not low."

The Battle Masters softly muttered with curiosity as they cleared a path for the Battle God Palace to pass through.

"We have received news that the Darkmoon Tribe has a Divine Doctor, capable of treating the Demonic Possession. We would be eternally grateful if the Divine Doctor could lend a helping hand and treat our unfortunately young master who has received both of heaven's blessings and envy," the leading Extremity-rank Battle Master spoke.

Sure enough, the Battle God Palace came for the Divine Doctor.

More importantly, their words quickly caused many Battle Masters in the crowd to exhibit startled looks as they focused their gazes on the unconscious young boy with greater scrutiny.

"Young Master? The Young Master of the Battle God Palace?" a High-rank Battle Master muttered with surprise.

At the same time, Chief Valencia quietly whispered to Leon, "If the countless tribe chiefs on the plains are akin to feudal lords, then the Battle God is the king who rules over everyone from above."

"This young boy is most likely royalty, a descendant of the Battle God.. If Young Master Leonhardt can get the Battle God Palace to owe you this favor, it will benefit your future greatly."

Chapter 678 - The Young Boy's Condition

After listening to Chief Valencia's suggestion, Leon agreed with a nod.

Unless the Battle God Palace were the kinds of people who repay gratitude with malice, they would be sure to repay handsomely, given their status.

"I will handle the people from the Battle God Palace. Chief Valencia can take care of the rest," Leon shortly stated before adding, "Feel free to call me if there are any more troublemakers."

"Naturally, Young Master Leonhardt. We will be relying on you," Chief Valencia nodded.

Shortly after, Leon lept off the wall and landed in front of the Battle God Palace's group before he calmly said, "Come with me. I'll take a look at your young master inside the tribe."

"You are the Divine Doctor? You are much younger than I had imagined," the group leader commented with surprise.

Nevertheless, the group leader raised his hand and gestured his people to follow him after the young man.

"Abilities are not determined by one's age," Leon simply stated before taking the lead to guide the group into the tribe.

"That's true." The group leader nodded.

If their young master had not have been envied by the heavens, he would have been the most remarkable talent the Battle God Palace had seen within a hundred years—if not greater.

At the same time, Chief Valencia spoke to the rest of the crowd, "Everyone, follow me. My tribesmen will get you sorted into your accommodations. But, of course, please be mindful of your behaviors."

Chief Valencia had a hint of warning at the end.

Nevertheless, while looking at the big crowd outside the walls, Chief Valencia could not help but think that the Darkmoon Tribe has become a transit point for the secret realm opening.

If the Darkmoon Tribe had not suffered significant losses in the Bone Calamity previously, it would have been difficult to settle so many visitors at once, not to mention more were still on the way.

"I wonder how many Battle Masters will be gathered for the Eternal Night Secret Realm this time around..." the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman muttered thoughtfully while watching the steady flow of people pouring into the tribe.

"How many Battle Masters participated in the last opening of the secret realm, Senior?" Aria asked.

"Hm?"

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman suddenly paused his gaze on Aria before he responded with an apology, "I'm sorry, you are...?"

"I am Aria Rivera, Senior," Aria introduced before saying, "But Senior can just call me Aria. I am Leon's w–wife."

"Young Master Leonhardt's?" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman muttered before he thoughtfully commented, "The wife of Young Master Leonhardt would surely not be ordinary either."

"Senior has overpraised me," Aria replied humbly.

The One-Eye Venerable Shaman simply smiled without any intention to pry further.

"The last two openings were missed due to its location being held in the heart of the demon's territory," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman began to answer Aria's previous question.

"However, in the last opening before that, there were over 2000 Battle Masters that joined, and only 1300 of them made it back from the secret realm alive."

"Given it had been nearly 300 years since then, the number of Battle Masters joining this time around will most likely be much greater," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman stated.

"I see... Thank you for explaining, Senior," Aria said before muttering softly, "Much greater than 2000 Battle Masters, huh?"

'According to the power system of the Infertile Plains, Early-rank Battle Masters possesses 500-thousand jin of strength while Extremity-rank Battle Masters has up to 1.5-million jin of strength...'

In other words, that was equivalent to 2000 Transcendents between the Mid-rank 1 to Early-rank 2!

'This is quite the force to be reckoned with. If the Crawford Kingdom had this kind of military power back then, there would never have been any rebellion,' Aria silently thought.

Suddenly, she understood her husband's purpose in the Infertile Plains.

'If it is hubby's wish to subjugate these people and bolster the strength of the empire back in the Human Domain, it's my duty to help him realize of!'

Shortly after, Aria began to silently ponder how she could buy their loyalty or win their hearts to improve their impression of the Crawford Empire.

...

...

...

Meanwhile, Leon brought the Battle God Palace's group back to Barrenrock Courtyard, where it was free from the crowd and their prying gazes.

After pausing his steps in the center of the open courtyard, Leon turned back and calmly said, "I'll take a look at your young master here."

"Understood."

The group leader made a gesture before the Extremity-rank Battle Masters of the Battle God Palace placed the royal palanquin down on the ground.

Although it was called a palanquin, it was not much different from a stretcher with a hat for cover on top.

Inside the palanquin, the roughly 13-year-old boy laid in slumber peacefully, ignoring his pale complexion and black veins.

After a quick diagnosis with his divine sense, Leon turned back to the group leader and asked, "You said that your young master contracted Demonic Possession?"

"That's right!" The group leader nodded before asking expectantly, "You can treat it, right?"

"Naturally, but what your young master has isn't Demonic Possession," Leon casually stated with a shake of his head before he commented, "It seems like it's not harmonious within the Battle God Palace."

"What?"

The group leader was immediately taken aback by surprise, along with the other Extremity-rank Battle Masters.

"What does the Divine Doctor mean?" the group leader asked with a frown.

"What I mean is that your young master has been harmed by someone with ill intentions," Leon stated calmly.

Shortly after, he pointed to the unconscious boy and said, "This isn't Demonic Possession. This is poison disguised to look like Demonic Possession."

"And a pretty bad imitation at that. I might not have treated many Demonic Possessions, but I still have sufficient understanding to know that a person getting demonized will have their appearance altered."

"However, your young master looks perfectly normal as any other pureblooded humans. There's isn't a single alteration on his body at all."

"This is because our young master is still in the initial stages of Demonic Possession, thanks to our shamanic powers delaying the demonizing process," the group leader stated with a frown.

The Battle God Palace's group was not pleased to hear Leon's claims of treachery within their Battle God Palace, which would only prove to divide their unity.

Nevertheless, the group leader did not lash out at Leon and remained cordial on the surface as he required the person's medical expertise for their young master's sake.

However, it was clear from the group leader's tone that he was evidently displeased.

Leon shook his head and said, "That is only what you see on the surface. A true case of Demonic Possession will begin altering the body from within once the seed is germinated."

"However, that is not what is happening inside of your young master. He has clearly been poisoned by a specifically concocted poison that made use of herbs with the darkness attribute."

After saying that much, the group leader and the rest of the Battle God Palace group began to doubt themselves.

"Is that truly the case? Our young master has really been poisoned?" the group leader asked with knitted brows.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself before you can accept the truth before you?" Leon gazed at the group leader with a little bit of frustration.

If it was just a matter of Demonic Possession, it would not have been a big deal.

But now that he knows the young boy was poisoned, curing the person could get him involved in the Battle God Palace's internal strife and land him in deep waters instead.

The loss seems to outweigh the gains.

Nevertheless, the group leader continued to frown for a moment before he asked, "Can the poison be treated?"

"Since I am hailed as the Divine Doctor, I naturally have a way," Leon stated calmly before saying, "But a better question is why should I help him?"

"What is your young master's status? Why did people want to poison him? How can the Battle God Palace promise I won't get involved in your conflict by treating him?"

"Unless you can also answer all these questions of mine, I see no reason why I should help this boy recover from his current state," Leon stated his ultimatum without leaving room for negotiation.

Bam!

His words were not easily digested by some Extremity-rank Battle Masters as they stomped the ground aggressively with intimidation.

"What did you just say?" an Extremity-rank Battle Master snarled before barking, "It should be your honor to even receive the opportunity to treat our young master! Yet here you are trying to bargain with—!?"

The Extremity-rank Battle Master did not finish his words before Leon waved his hand and expelled the person with a mighty earthen fist, sending the person flying straight out of both the courtyard and tribe—into some unknown field outside.

"Anyone else wants to follow in his footsteps?" Leon casually asked.

The Extremity-rank Battle Masters immediately thought twice before they dropped the idea of throwing around the weight of the Battle God Palace.

They could faintly feel that the strong aura from the Divine Doctor's body placed him somewhere around the High-rank Battle Master Realm.

However, the Divine Doctor wields a strange force that seemed unstoppable and inviolable—at least to people at their level.

"This is the shamanic power of the Shaman King's Successor?" the group leader muttered softly before furrowing his brows in thought, "It seems somewhat different from the records…"

Chapter 679 - Leon's Discovery

In the Battle God Palace's historical records, the Shaman King's power was said to be formless without attributes—not like the earthen manipulation the group leader witnessed.

Even so, it was not surprising if the Shaman King's Successor was this powerful. After all, not many can contest the Shaman King's inherited power.

However, if the Divine Doctor was not the Shaman King's Successor, that would make the Divine Doctor even more terrifying.

After all, Shaman King's Successors were destined to die upon the Eternal Night Secret Realm opening, but the Divine Doctor would not if it was his own ability.

In that case, the Divine Doctor would be someone they must never stray onto the bad side of.

As the group leader thought to this point, he calmly raised his hand and prevented the rest of the Battle God Palace group from making any further move—not that they would.

Leon's intimidation was effective to some degree.

"If we talk, will the Divine Doctor treat our young master?" the group leader asked.

"Well, that would depend on what I learn about your young master's situation in the Battle God Palace," Leon casually responded.

The group leader frowned and said, "Divine Doctor is not being fair."

"Being fair?" Leon repeated with a look of ridiculous before he said, "When you are asking for someone's help, it's basic courtesy to show some sincerity."

The group leader fell silent for some time.

After a while, the group leader sighed before he said, "There isn't any internal conflict within the Battle God Palace—at least to my knowledge. We were just as surprised to learn that the young master is poisoned."

"Who is your young master? Start from there," Leon directed.

"Fine," the group leader nodded and introduced, "Our young master is the youngest son of Third Lord Rholthos, a descendant of the Battle God, which also makes our young master a descendant of the Battle God."

"However, our young master's bloodline is the purest the Battle God Palace has seen in the past few hundred years, making him naturally gifted in cultivation with high hopes of becoming the next Battle God."

"Our young master has always been easy-going and very approachable, allowing him to get along with everyone in the Battle God Palace. As such, it does not make sense for anyone to want to hurt our young master."

"A jealous heart, perhaps? Jealousy can make a person go to extreme lengths," Leon made an assumption before offering an alternative idea, "Or the work of a demon. But with the security of the Battle God Palace, I doubt any demon can infiltrate your territory unnoticed."

Leon gave a nonchalant shrug at the end before he further added, "Or it could be the work of a jealous heart that sought the assistance of a demon."

"However, the demon would not need to resort to poison. I'm sure the demons have multiple methods to make a person demonized—but of course, the person chose poison to his traces of ever seeking the demon's help."

"The Divine Doctor has a rich imagination, but disciples of the Battle God Palace will never betray the Battle God and turn to demons for help. It hasn't been in the past, it hasn't been now, and it certainly won't be in the future," the group leader stated firmly.

Shortly after, the group leader said, "Now that the Divine Doctor has learned of our young master's identity, can you help him? Divine Doctor only stands to gain for helping our young master. After all, he is someone destined for greatness."

"Destined for greatness, huh? That is only under the condition he doesn't fall early," Leon stated before saying, "Nevertheless, I like such odds, so you can rest easy for I will treat your young master. I planned to save him anyway."

"Huh?"

The group leader and Extremity-rank Battle Master all furrowed their brows with a doubtful look before the group leader asked, "Then why go through all the trouble of talking? I don't understand you, Divine Doctor."

"If I didn't say what I said, how else was I going to learn about the Battle God Palace's situation, a force that is supposedly almighty and free from mundane matters?" Leon shrugged.

He had discovered something on the young boy's body that made him have some doubts. However, he can only confirm it after he clears the dark poison from the boy's bloodstream.

"I will begin now. Step back and don't disturb me," Leon instructed as he stood at the side of the unconscious young boy and reached out his hand.

"Understood, Divine Doctor." The group leader nodded and stepped back.

However, he had a puzzled look and could not help but ask, "Are you performing an in-depth diagnosis now to come up with a treatment plan for the poison?"

"I'm already done with my diagnosis. I am going to carry out the treatment right now."

"Huh?"

The Extremity-rank Battle Masters was immediately stunned.

The doubts in their hearts grew as they already found it strange that the Divine Doctor could learn about the poisoning without any contact.

But now, he was going to perform the treatment right away?

"Don't you mean to make preparations for the treatment, Divine Doctor? You know, like prepare the medicine or something?" the group leader queried doubtfully, beginning to suspect that the whole Divine Doctor thing was just a hoax.

"If it can be treated with my divine ability, why should I rely on medicine?" Leon questioned with a shake of his head before he calmly stated, "Medicine is limited, but my power is limitless."

The group leader opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Shortly after Leon was no longer bothered by the Extremity-rank Battle Masters of the Battle God Palace, he began to remove the dark poison from the young boy's bloodstream directly with Nihility Law.

Within minutes, the dark poison was quickly cleared, reduced to nothingness, before the young boy's bloodline was free for Leon to observe.

'This…'

Ignoring the fact that the Battle God's bloodline carried traces of other beast bloodlines, there was a trace of familial intimacy in the young boy's blood that resonates with his own.

'As I suspected, this person is related to me in some way…' Leon narrowed his eyes in silent contemplation, 'Who is he, really? A distant cousin?'

Chapter 680 - Night Rescue Operation

'What does this all mean?' Leon shortly frowned in thought.

Looking back on his family's ancestry, he basically knew nothing about his ancestors after the time of Aldrich the Hero King and before his grandpa, the previous king that went missing.

Considering the long-standing one heir tradition, it was impossible for each generation of the Crawford royal family's firstborn to be male every time.

Some princesses must have been born in those 512 years.

'Don't tell me that one of my great grandmas teleported to the Dark Continent and started a family with the Battle God's descendants, or maybe even the Battle God himself?'

Leon was startled by the thought.

It seemed like an insane and ridiculous idea, but not impossible. Otherwise, it could not explain how there was a familial connection between their blood.

After pondering hard for a moment, Leon found no definite answer.

It was an endless stream of discoveries with no seeming end; one mystery unraveled, and another unfolds.

'It seems like I can only inquire into this matter further from the party in question themselves. For now, I need to focus on treating this kid.'

After Leon decided, he continued his treatment.

…

…

…

Wildlands, Desolate Netherbird Tribe's border

Nethergrass city.

At that moment, various fires burned with pillars of smoke rising like tendrils in the dark of the night city skies, causing chaos and alarm among the local residents as they rushed to smother out the flames.

"You!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince singled out a servant with hasty footsteps from within his palace before he queried with a strong tone, "What is going on outside?"

"Someone or group started several fires in the city, Your Highness!" the male servant answered hurriedly to the best of his knowledge.

Pah!

The male servant was quickly slammed to the ground before the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince stomped on the male servant irritatedly in anger, "Don't you think I can't see that? I'm asking who! Who is causing trouble in my city?!"

"I don't know, Your Highness! Please spare me—Ahhh! Have mercy, Your Highness!" the male servant cried as several of his bones were crushed.

Bam!

The male servant's body slid along the ground after being kicked in the gut before the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince shot his gaze at the other servants in the area.

"Who can tell me who is causing trouble in my city?!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's frustrated voice resounded throughout the palace.

However, the servants kept their heads lowered in silence, not daring to look the second prince in the eye directly, afraid that the second prince will vent his anger on them next, verbally and physically.

Alas, their silence fueled the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's anger even more as he thundered, "Who?!"

"We don't know, Your Highness!" the servants answered simultaneously with a startled jump before their bodies continued to tremble with fear.

The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince glared at them before he howled, "Then what are you all standing around for?! Go and find out who!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The servants immediately scurried with haste as if their lives depended on it.

Although they were in the middle doing exactly just that until they were stopped by the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince, not a single soul among them dared to refute him.

Given the second prince's nature, they might just forfeit their lives doing so.

Suddenly, a bulky black-winged male subordinate half a body taller than the second prince appeared beside him with heavy footsteps before kneeling on one knee.

Thud.

The ground shook ever slightly from his sheer weight before the bulky black-winged subordinate suggested, "If you want, I can go find the troublemakers and bring their heads back for you, Your Highness."

"No!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince rejected firmly before he stated, "You are the strongest subordinate under me! If those troublemakers outside are willing to cause trouble in my city, they are either utter fools or extremely confident in going against me!"

"Perhaps, the fire is only a distraction for them to sneak into my palace and assassinate me after I send you out! As such, your duty is to stick close and protect my safety from these potential assassins!"

"Understood, Your Highness!" the bulky black-winged subordinated complied, but he silently sighed in his heart at the second prince's intense reaction.

Evidently, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince was extremely scared of death, a trauma developed from past attempts.

…

…

…

Meanwhile, Lord Jorn and his fellow elite warriors snuck into the prison and silently killed all the guards—even the warden was not spared.

It did not take long for them to locate the right prison cell holding their clan leader and elders hostage.

They had spent half a day studying the city and only waited until they had the cover of the night before making their move.

Given the severity of the mission, they had to be swift and silent.

After seeing the terrible states of the clan leader, the clan leader's wife, and the rest of the elders, Lord Jorn and the elite warriors' expression turned grim.

"The Little Princess had made the right call. If we had waited until we were confident in tackling the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's forces head-on, we would have picked up clan leader and elders' corpses instead," Lord Jorn stated with a heavy heart in low whispers.

Shortly after the door to the prison cells was unlocked, Lord Jorn immediately ordered, "Take out the Fasting Pills we've brought and feed them to the elders. Give them something to replenish their energy, then dress their wounds."

"Yes, Lord Jorn!"

At the same time, Lord Jorn quickly took out his own Fasting Pills and carefully fed them to Clan Leader Lidoran and the clan leader's wife, Lilianna.

Feeling the movements and touches, Clan Leader Lidoran and Lady Lilianna opened their eyes weakly before opening their mouths, but no words came out.

"Don't speak and conserve your energy, Clan Leader Lidoran, Lady Lilianna," Lord Jorn uttered softly before saying, "We will escort you both back to the clan safely in a short moment, I promise. Sorry, we couldn't come sooner."

"Unfortunately, I couldn't allow the Little Princess to embark on such a dangerous mission. Otherwise, she would also be here with Clan Leader Lidoran and Lady Lilianna right now."

Shortly after Lidoran and Lilianna heard his words, their eyes became swollen red.

It seems their daughter has returned.

Chapter 681 - An Incompetent Enemy Makes One's Job Easier

Shortly after the clan leader and elders were fed and had their wounds dressed, they were further given fresh black cloaks to wear and blend in the night.

Evidently, Lord Jorn and the elite warriors had come well prepared.

"Alright, carry the elders and let us leave quickly," Lord Jorn urged while carefully placing Clan Leader Lidoran on his back while another warrior carried Lady Lilianna.

"The flames started by the second group will not last long. Once they are snuffed out, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince or one of his people will soon realize something wrong and send people to check out this place."

"Yes, Lord Jorn! We are all set!" the elite warriors complied.

"Good!" Lord Jorn nodded and said, "Let us quickly this place and rendezvous with the second group outside the city at the designated spot. The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince still has a Mid-rank 2 Transcendent by his side—or so I heard."

"It's true. I can confirm that." Clan Leader Lidoran nodded weakly on Lord Jorn's back.

Having recovered some energy, his pale complexion became less noticeable. Although he could not move, it was not a problem to talk

"His name is Havoc, and his strength is infinitely close to the Late-stage," Clan Leader Lidoran explained and said, "My strength was only slightly inferior. Hence why I lost to him."

"Save your energy, Clan Leader. We can talk later when we are out of the city," Lord Jorn spoke out of concern.

Nevertheless, the Clan Leader's information helped him understand how powerful the subordinate under the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince was.

The Clan Leader was also Mid-rank 2 Transcendent but stood no chance against that person.

Someone like him who has only just entered the realm of Mid-rank 2 Transcendent after his bloodline awakening was likely to stand even less of a chance against the person.

It was a good idea not to confront the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's forces directly.

Sometime later, the group shortly made their way out of the prison subtly, passing the corpses of the prison guards they took out earlier.

However, once they reached the exit, they quickly heard a series of hurried footsteps before Lord Jorn paused his steps and hushed quietly, "Shh!"

The rest of the group followed suit and stopped without making a sound.

After a moment, the hurried footsteps became distant until it was ultimately no longer heard before Lord Jorn softly muttered, "Seems like we weren't found out yet. Let us continue to leave."

"Yes, Lord Jorn," the elite warriors answered softly.

Surprisingly, the road ahead was met without obstacles. The group quickly reached the city gates without bumping into trouble.

However, it was also at that point that the city finally rang with alarm.

"Lord Jorn, it seems the enemy finally caught wind of what happened at the prison ground. We better speed up our escape before we are surrounded!" an elite warrior suggested.

"Then that's exactly what we will do," Lord Jorn agreed with a nod before urging ahead, "Charge out with me. We will break past the city gate's defense with brute force. Don't waste time and entangle yourselves with the guards."

"Evade them if they are strong, and just knock them out directly if they are weak," Lord Jorn instructed.

"Understood!"

The sentries quickly detected their quickened movements before the previous sentry shot his gaze over and locked on Lord Jorn's figure.

"It's you guys again. What are you doing over here? Don't you know the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince has ordered a lockdown? Anyone approaching the city gates will be highly suspected of…"

As the sentry spoke, he quickly realized something wrong.

However, Lord Jorn did not give the sentry time to react before striking him in the back of the neck with a heavy blow.

"Sorry, but don't think bad of us," Lord Jorn left his words, moments before the sentry passed out from the attack.

At the same time, the other elite warriors also rushed ahead with the elders on the back before knocking out the rest of the sentries blocking the exit.

Unexpectedly, the city gate's defense was very weak. Even so, they did not become complacent due to this victory.

They immediately departed the vicinity of Nethergrass city without delay, treading far until the city could no longer be seen in the distance before they finally stopped for a break.

"The operation progressed much smoother than I expected. I didn't expect it to be this easy… Have we grown that much stronger, or we simply gave the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince too much credit?" an elite warrior muttered with surprise.

"We have definitely grown stronger due to the bloodline awakening," Lord Jorn stated before shaking his head, "However, the operation didn't go smoothly because they were weak."

"The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's people are strong. There's no doubt about that. It was simply because the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince himself is incompetent that we did not bump into any of his stronger subordinates."

"Did you say you all experienced bloodline awakening, Jorn?" Clan Leader Lidoran asked with wide eyes.

At the same time, Lady Lilianna and the elders were all shocked.

"I didn't think it was possible for our generation of clansmen to awaken the ancestral bloodline anymore," Lady Lilianna commented before asking with intense curiosity, "How on earth did you guys manage to pull it off?"

"This is all thanks to the helper, Prince Leon, whom the Little Princess brought back to our clan," Lord Jorn stated.

"Not only did Prince Leon cure the plague in our clan, but he also freed us from Lord Balzacs's tyranny, brought us food supplies, and performed the minor bloodline awakening on us," Lord Jorn stated with a look of respect and gratefulness.

"Nevertheless, we can talk about the details back in the clan," Lord Jorn shortly said before stating, "Although we left Nethergrass city, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's people can still pursue us and catch up."

"Then what are we still waiting for?" Clan Leader Lidoran asked softly, feeling a bit short of breath despite being carried.

However, his answer was shortly found as the second group arrived and rejoined Lord Jorn's group at their rendezvous point.

"We greet Clan Leader Lidoran, Lady Lilianna, and the elders!" the second group greeted.

Their vigorous aura immediately stunned the elders before one of them muttered with shock, "Just how many clansmen experienced a bloodline awakening exactly?"

"You'll see once we get back to the clan," Lord Jorn grinned.

Chapter 682 - Rebellious Hearts

Nethergrass city

Sometime after the Desolate Crow Clan's group left the city, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's bellows could be heard resounding outside the Nethergrass Palace.

"What did you just say?! Say that again!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince thundered furiously at the group of servants.

The servants trembled with trepidation as the leading servant repeated fearfully, "T-The troublemakers are nowhere to be seen, but the prison guards were all killed, and the sentries at the eastern gate were all knocked out, Y-Your Highness!"

"What about the hostages?!"

The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince glared at the leading servant intensely as if the servant would be immediately beheaded if he gave the wrong answer, causing the servant to tremble even more fearfully.

"T-T-The hostages are all gone, Your Highness! The troublemakers have most likely already e-escaped…! And if this servant was to make a bold assumption, they were also most likely to be people from the Desolate Crow Clan!" the servant answered truthfully.

Bam!

The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince immediately stomped the ground furiously, causing it to shatter under his strength.

"How dare that! What the hell is Balzacs doing over there?! And what the hell were the sentries doing over here?! How can they let some rats into my city without reporting the news to me?!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince barked.

Just when the servant thought he was safe, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince snorted, "Hmph! Men, take him out and behead him!"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness!"

Transcendent-level guards on the side immediately came over and grabbed the servant before the servant pleaded with a startling cry, "Have mercy, Your Highness! What has this servant done wrong?!"

"Hmph, I didn't like what I hear," the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince stated irresponsibly and overbearingly.

"That's outrageous, Your Highness! This servant was only reporting the truth of the report! Your Highness, mercy! Have mercy, Your Highness—!"

The servant was eventually dragged out until his cries were no longer heard.

Every time the servants and subordinates of the second prince witnessed such scenes, their loyal hearts would receive a blow each time.

Even if they wanted to stay devoted to the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince, was such a person deserving of their loyalty?

Definitely not.

Sooner or later, they would also get beheaded for a ridiculous reason, simply because the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince did not like what he heard.

Havoc was silent for a moment before he said, "The Desolate Crow Clan must not have gotten far if they are escorting the hostages. This subordinate should be able to catch up if this subordinate departs now, Your Highness."

"Then go, bring back their heads to me! I want to see the faces of the courageous fools who dare to light my city on fire and take people from right under my nose!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince commanded.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Lord Havoc complied.

Nevertheless, he silently lamented in his heart.

The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince was far from ready to rule. As he is now, he would only bring ruination to the tribe and suffering to the people.

The Desolate Crow Clan would not have succeeded in their rescue so smoothly if the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince did not keep all his experts close.

Shortly after Lord Havoc departed the palace, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince ordered his Transcendent-level guards, "Go behead all those sentries in charge of today's shift. I do not need such incompetent people."

"A-All of them, Your Highness?" one of the guards uttered failed to contain his shock and questioned the second prince, "But those are all Transcendents! If you keep executing your men like this, how many would you have left to fight your brother, Your Highness?"

The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince stared at the guard in silence for a moment before turning to the second guard next to him, "You. Go and behead him. To question my orders is a sign of a rebellious heart."

"Yes, Your Highness!" the second Transcendent-level guard complied with an ugly expression.

At the same time, the first guard was stunned by the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's orders. Even a person of his level, a Low-rank 2 Transcendent, was so readily tossed aside.

"Such a person… is simply not worth serving! Die!"

The Low-rank 2 Transcendent-level guard immediately made a sudden lunge for the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's throats, causing the person to retreat with alarm.

However, the other nearby Low-rank 2 Transcendent-level guards were not slow to react and immediately pressed the rebellious guard into the cracked ground, each person holding down one limb.

"How dare you make an attempt on this prince!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince said with a nasty expression before he barked, "Kill him now!"

"Let go of me! I must kill this profligate and ruthless prince!" the first guard roared furiously at the same time.

Nevertheless, the other guards did not immediately execute him due to their close relationship.

"Impossible! The second prince carries the bloodline of a past Paragon! For the prosperity of the tribe, we cannot allow you to do that!"

"Admit your wrongs and plead for forgiveness, brother. The second prince might show mercy if you do!"

After the guards tried to persuade him, the first guard snorted coldly, "Do you really believe the second prince will show mercy?! Him? You all know full well that he won't!"

"So what if he carries the bloodline of a Paragon? Does he deserve it?! With his nature, he will only bring disaster and ruination to the tribe! Not the other way around! It's better if we kill him and take his blood for ourselves!"

"What are you all waiting for? Kill him already!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince thundered furiously at the guards for taking their time.

However, the guards did not listen.

Instead, their eyes flickered, seemingly interested in the first guard's idea before the second guard asked, "And how do you expect to survive after killing the second prince?"

"The Desolate Crow Clan had shown their rebellious fangs when they broke into the city to rescue their clan leader and elders. So we can just pin the death of the second prince on them instead!" the first guard suggested.

Shortly after that was said, the four Low-rank 2 Transcendent-level guards contemplated before they all short at a glance at the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince.

"What do you all want? I am your master, the second prince of the Desolate Netherbird Tribe! Cease your traitorous thoughts at once! I command you!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince barked nervously as he retreated.

Chapter 683 - The Young Boy Awakens

Soon, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's scream could be heard echoing out of Nethergrass Palace before it quickly died down into silence.

The end of his scream also marked the end of Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's life.

Inside Nethergrass Palace, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's corpse laid motionlessly on his throne, impaled by a spear with blood dripping.

The blood flowed along a line that was carved out of the ground before pouring into a bowl-shaped hole.

The servants all turned a blind eye to the guards' rebellion as the group of rebels shortly scooped the blood with the hands and drank them.

Even if the servants wanted to stop the guards, they did not have the strength to—not that they were willing to do so either way.

They had lost their faith in the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince.

"We can pin the death of the second prince on the Desolate Crow Clan if the chief asks, but how should we explain to Lord Havoc when he returns?" the second guard asked.

"It'll be too risky to let Lord Havoc learn of the truth," the fist guard stated before saying, "We will just continue with the lie and say that the Desolate Crow Clan had assassins that waited after Lord Havoc before they made their move on the second prince."

"Fair enough. I don't have any better idea," the second guard agreed with a nod.

At that moment, Lord Jorn's group resumed their journey back to the clan at a moderately quick pace.

Given the distance between the border region and the clan, it was only a matter of time before they reach home.

Unfortunately, Lord Havoc still manage to catch before they could.

As the sound of Lord Havoc flapping his wings through the air at high speeds, Lord Jorn suddenly paused his steps and shouted sternly, "Take the clan leader with you and leave first! Go back to the clan without!"

"The enemy has caught up! Go! I will hold them back!" Lord Jorn urged while his gaze was fixed on the direction of the sky behind them.

Sensing the urgency in Lord Jorn's tone, the Desolate Crow Clan's elite warriors did not argue with Lord Jorn and immediately left with haste.

"Yes, Lord Jorn!"

"Be careful, Jorn. If you can't win, just flee after buying some time. Don't entangle the enemy to the death," Clan Leader Lidoran instructed.

"I was planning to do just that, Clan Leader," Lord Jorn said with a nod before he grinned, "I'm not ready to die yet—not before I see the clan topple the sovereignty of the Desolate Netherbird Tribe."

…

…

…

Dark continent, Darkmoon Tribe

Back in Barrenrock Courtyard, the treatment process was shortly completed before Leon retracted his hand from the Battle God Palace's young master.

The subtle green glow of wood energy on the young boy's body briefly lingered before fading into the background.

"It's done," Leon calmly stated.

After the dark poison was completely removed with the Nihility Law, Leon helped the young boy recover his vitality with wood energy, returning a rosy color to the young boy's pale cheeks.

At the same time, the young boy's steady breathing could be heard.

The Battle God Palace's group leader immediately cautioned the shamans in the group to give the young master a quick diagnosis.

"It's true, group leader. The young master has been completely cured. The young master has a healthy complexion with no signs of abnormalities nor difficulties," one of the shamans reported.

"Understood," the group leader nodded before cupping his hands together in a fist-hand salute to Leon, "Thank you for treating our young master, Divine Doctor. This debt and favor will not be forgotten."

The Divine Doctor said he did not require the use of medicine and did just that.

Without any medicine, the young master was cured with the Divine Doctor's miraculous abilities alone.

"Your divine ability is incredible, Divine Doctor," the group leader shortly praised.

Leon smiled lightly before he casually inquired, "Now that your young master has been cured, what are your plans? Will you take your young master back to the Battle God Palace? Or will you stay and partake in the Eternal Night Secret Realm's opening?"

"If someone is jealous of the young master's talent or for whatever reason they poisoned him, the Battle God Palace will not be a safe place for the young master to stay," the group leader said.

"So you're going to bring your young master into the Eternal Night Secret Realm?" Leon casually asked before saying, "I heard it is quite dangerous, not to mention the demons that will be there."

"We intended to join the secret realm, regardless if there's a hidden enemy who seeks to harm our young master back at the palace or not anyway," the group leader stated.

"The secret realm opening is a once-in-a-century event that could give birth to a Battle God. If the young master misses it, it would be unknown when he could get another chance to raise his strength quickly to protect himself from theirs."

"I see," Leon uttered.

Suddenly, a cheerful uproar broke out among the Extremity-rank Battle Masters before Leon and the group leader shifted their gazes over.

They noticed that the young boy had regained consciousness.

"This subordinate greets you, Young Master!"

"This subordinate greets you, Young Master!"

The group leader and the rest of the Extremity-rank Battle Masters all quickly greeted the young boy subserviently on one knee.

"Congratulations on your recovery!" they added shortly after.

The young boy took some time to freshen up his mind before he muttered with questions. "Where are we? Why are we here? And why does it feel like I've slept for a long time?"

"To be exact, Young Master has been asleep for the past 3 months, and we are currently inside the Darkmoon Tribe, preparing for the secret realm opening," the group leader answered before adding, "Your recovery was all thanks to the Divine Doctor, Young Master."

The young boy was stunned with a dumb look.

He did not hear everything and only paid attention to one single matter; he had been asleep for 3 months!

"What! What about the annual junior competition?" the young boy quickly asked.

Chapter 684 - Opening Phenomenon

"Unfortunately, the annual junior competition was forfeited due to your condition, Young Master," the group leader answered regrettably.

The Battle God Palace's annual junior competition was a big event for younger generations to assess their achievements while competing for honor and rewards.

The young boy was immediately depressed after learning his participation in the annual junior competition was forfeited.

"Damn, I had such a high chance of winning too," the young boy said despondently before he asked with a frown, "But what kind of condition did I have? Why don't I remember anything?"

"Initially, Young Master displayed symptoms similar to Demonic Possession. However, it was only after Young Master was diagnosed by the Divine Doctor that we realized you were poisoned instead," the group leader said.

"But don't be too sad, Young Master. Even if you missed out on winning the rewards from the annual junior competition, you still have the Eternal Night Secret Realm to explore for lucky chances. Such an opportunity is many times better than the rewards of the annual junior competition."

After listening, the young boy shortly shifted his gaze to Leon's figure curiously without the arrogant flair of a person with noble status in the Battle God Palace.

"Thank you for saving Zion, big brother. Uncle Jizo calls you a Divine Doctor, but you are much younger than what Zino would expect of a person with such titles. You're very talented, big brother!" the young boy, Zion, said curiously while expressing his gratitude.

Leon gazed at the young boy with a slight smile before he said, "You are also a little monster yourself. You're only, what? 13? But already a Low-rank Battle Master. The Battle God's descendants are indeed monstrous talents."

Now that Leon could adequately gauge the young boy's strength after the impurities in the boy's body were cleared out, he was secretly shocked by the boy's strength.

If every offspring were born with even half the young boy's talent, the number of experts in the Battle God Palace must have reached a terrifying count—not just in terms of Battle Masters, but even Battle Kings.

Nevertheless, the young boy gave an embarrassed laugh after receiving Leon's praise.

Although Zion had received many of such praises since he was born, he felt inferior to his savior for some reason.

"Can we talk in private?" Leon requested.

"If it is what my savior wishes, Zion will gladly agree," Young Zion nodded straightforwardly before saying, "There are some doubts that Zion also wants big brother to clear."

However, Group Leader Jizo immediately frowned and said, "Young Master, I think it is best if you keep at least one of us by your side—even if it is just for precaution."

"Precaution against what? My savior? Uncle Jizo, didn't you tell me that this big brother treated my poisoning?" Young Zion questioned before stating, "If big brother wanted to harm me, then he would not have to go through the trouble of curing me."

"No, that's not exactly it…" Group Leader Jizo spoke weakly.

It did not seem like trouble when the Divine Doctor was performing the treatment. In fact, it seemed effortless on the Divine Doctor's part.

Nevertheless, Group Leader Jizo ultimately did not mention it as he dropped the matter, "Ah, don't worry about it."

"…Sure."

Crackle…!

Suddenly, the dark clouds in the skies flashed with streaks of red lightning before the crackles of thunders of thunder followed shortly after.

Rumble…!!

More streaks of lightning flashed across the dark sky with increasing frequency along with its accompanying rumbling thunders as the weather rapidly changes.

The dark clouds quickly gathered towards the southern skies, leaving openings in the northern skies as intense sunlight pierced through tiny gaps and illuminated the lands below, bringing with it; the

"What's going on? This weather change is unnatural," Leon asked with surprise.

The phenomenon was so alarming that even Duna and the six maids paused their cultivations to take a look outside their rooms.

At the same time, Leon could hear hasty footsteps outside the courtyard as numerous people, whether they were local tribesmen or foreign visitors, every one of them exited the buildings to peer at the changing skies outside.

Back in the Barrenrock Courtyard, Young Zion gazed at the sky's transformation for a moment before he shifted his gaze to the Divine Doctor.

"It seems that we will have to talk later, big brother. If Zion is not wrong, this is the phenomenon created when the Shaman King's Successor is attempting to open the secret realm," Young Zion stated.

…

…

…

Great Hall

At that moment, Chief Valencia resumed her role as the host and accommodated the several chiefs visiting the Darkmoon Tribe in person.

Their discussion was quickly interrupted by the skies change before Chief Valencia knitted her brows before she said, "Let us head out for a look."

"Of course."

"Sure."

"Alright."

The chiefs answered.

Shortly after they arrived outside, a warrior quickly appeared beside Chief Valencia and reported, "Chief Valencia! The secret realm is being opened by someone who is not the Shaman King's Successor!"

"What are you smoking? The secret realm can only be opened by the Shaman King's Successor. Young Master Leonhardt's shamanic powers are indeed very strong, but he is not the Shaman King's Successor if that is what you were thinking," Chief Valencia stated.

"Uh…" the warrior was speechless.

That was indeed what he was thinking, and it was most likely the same thought for everyone else as well.

Chief Valencia shortly ignored the warrior and spoke to the chiefs, "We don't have a lot of time to waste if we want to enter the Eternal Night Secret Realm. We need to quickly organize the Battle Masters and set out for the opening location immediately."

"Right!" the tribal chiefs nodded solemnly.

Meanwhile, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman observed the movements of the dark clouds before he softly said, "So it seems that the secret realm will truly be opened in the demon's territory again."

"Two times can still be considered a coincidence. But if it happens three times consecutively, it was no longer a coincidence. There's no further doubt about it at this point. The demons have found a way to control the opening location of the secret realm," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman commented with narrowed eyes.

At the side, Aria eyed the flashing lightning before she muttered, "So this is what the secret realm opening looks like…"

Chapter 685 - Crop Cultivation Problem

Moments after the appearance of the opening phenomenon, the Battle Masters quickly gathered at the southern gate of Darkmoon Tribe.

"Hurry up! We're going to be late! There's no way I'm going to allow myself to miss out on the secret realm opening!" a Battle Master urged his fellow tribesmen.

"Ha, we are already late. The opening is happening in the demon's territory, which is quite some distance from here," another Battle Master spoke.

"Right," a High-rank Battle Master nodded and said, "It will take us time to reach the demon's territory, not to mention we are likely to be obstructed by countless demons before we can reach the opening's location."

"Dammit, the secret realm opening is a one-in-a-century opportunity. How on earth did the demons manage to take control of it?" a Mid-rank Battle Master questioned frustratingly.

Nevertheless, the count of Battle Masters quickly surpassed 700 before the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman informed, Seems like this is everyone here."

"Yes, Venerable Shaman," Chief Valencia nodded with a serious expression before saying, "Although this is far less of a number than we were hoping, the rest will have to join us later."

"I have already made the arrangements. My tribesmen will direct the other Battle Masters to the Crimsonfog Tribe once they arrive. We should set out immediately."

Once the words were spoken, it quickly reached an agreement with Chief Silvermoon and the other chiefs that came to participate.

"Un. Chief Valencia is right. Let us depart now. The longer we take, the slimmer the chance we have of entering the secret realm," a tribal chief of Central Region stated.

Shortly after Chief Valencia left some words for the Darkmoon Tribe, she soon departed with the large crowd of Battle Masters.

On the road, Chief Valencia shortly said to the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman, "We will make a quick stop at the Crimsonfog Tribe before we take the Death Passage through Darkness Mountain and enter the demon's territory directly."

"Are the other chiefs in the alliance aware of what's happening on our end?" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman asked.

"They should have seen the opening phenomenon from their locations. Nevertheless, I have already informed their tribes about our situation via long-range voice transmission," Chief Valencia answered.

Meanwhile, Leon left the six maids back in Barrenrock Courtyard and brought Aria, Duna, and Darlene with him.

Although Darlene's cultivation was a little lacking, the secret realm might be the opportunity she needed to breakthrough to the Transcendent Realm.

"Are these all your women, big brother?" Young Zion asked curiously with a hint of envy before he said, "Big brother is so lucky. They are so beautiful, even among beautiful women."

"The cream at the top, I would say. If they had not been taken by big brother, Zion might have been interested in taking them in as my partners."

"If you have funny ideas on them, you might regret it," Leon stated coolly.

The young boy immediately broke into wry smiles before he said, "I was just admiring their beauty, big brother. I wouldn't dare touch your women."

How could he do that to his benefactor?

Ignoring whether he dared to do it or not, there was no benefit in offending the Divine Doctor over women.

There was no lack of beautiful women in the world.

Even so, the young master of the Battle God Palace was not simply attracted to their fleshly beauty but their unique temperament.

Each lady was different from the other.

The young master of the Battle God Palace could tell from their dispositions with a glance that they were also extraordinary.

'Extraordinary people will gather with other extraordinary people, right? Or does extraordinary make other people extraordinary like them?' Young Zion mused while throwing a subtle glance at Leon.

While Leon and his women traveled with the Battle God Palace's group, no one dared to approach him for a topic of discussion and only threw subtle glances over from time to time.

Even if Leon was no longer the Shaman King's Successor they thought he was, he was still the Divine Doctor.

In fact, being the Divine Doctor made Leon more valuable and respected than simply being the Shaman King's Successor.

...

...

...

Grassland Region, World Tree

At that moment, a framework for the new capital was already taking form on the large open field as steel beams and wooden pillars marked the positioning and size of buildings under construction.

The sheer number of workers at the site was staggering.

And this number was only going to rise after Elizabeth arrived with the two elven princesses and the large population of people that followed shortly behind them.

"Your Majesty, we have been expecting your arrival!" a soldier quickly greeted.

After Elizabeth acknowledged the soldier with a nod, she quickly passed the reins to the elven princesses and elders to settle the people into the camping location beside the new capital construction site.

Only after that was done did Elizabeth return her attention to the soldier and calmly asked, "What's the current situation?"

"Everything is in order as per the arrangements, Your Majesty. Our workers are working diligently and tirelessly, day and night, to raise our new capital. As you can see, it has already begun to take shape despite the limited resources we have on hand. "

"Nevertheless, the next shipment of resources are expected to arrive later this afternoon, coupled with the railway nearing completion and new batches of workers, our construction speed will most likely rise by a few folds." The soldier reported faithfully.

But as the soldier reached this point in his report, his expression took a solemn turn as he mentioned, "However, there are two problems that require your attention, Your Majesty."

"Oh? What are the problems?" Elizabeth asked with a slight frown.

Seeing the look on the soldier's face, she immediately assumed the two problems mentioned were not minor issues that can be quickly resolved.

"It's better for Elder Evergreen to explain this matter, Your Majesty. Shall I bring you to him now?"

"Naturally," Elizabeth nodded and said, "Take me to see Elder Evergreen immediately."

"Understood, Your Majesty!"

Shortly after, the soldier led Elizabeth to a location on the edge of the World Tree, where its shadow and the sunlight meets before Elder Evergreen was spotted.

"Senior Evergreen," Elizabeth greeted with a casual fist-palm salute before she mentioned, "I was told there are two concerning issues here?"

"You're too polite, Your Majesty. This old man is now a subject under your ruling. So there's no need to be formal with this old man," Elder Evergreen chuckled slightly before his expression took a solemn turn.

"That's right, Your Majesty. Take a look over here," Elder Evergreen shortly directed Elizabeth's gaze to two plots of land, one exposed to the sunlight and the other protected by the World Tree's shade.

"As you can see, the vegetation we planted is growing nicely in the shade with the help of our wood energy. But the same vegetation planted in the sunlight dies instead—even with our supply of wood energy."

"It is clear that the sunlight from the sun has something to do with harming the plants and preventing them from growing, but despite knowing this, this old man is a bit stumped for ideas on how to resolve this issue," Elder Evergreen stated puzzledly.

The primary source of Elder Evergreen's confusion comes from the fact that fully grown plants and crops were surviving well under the sunlight.

Only the new crops they try to cultivate quickly wither and die after germinating and sprouting out of the soil.

"Although we can use all the shady land under the World Tree to plant our crops, it will force all the people living in this region to be exposed to the sunlight for prolonged periods, which may cause various health issues to appear."

"I see…" Elizabeth uttered without much thought.

Unfortunately, she was no expert in this field related to the wood element. As such, she could not offer any insight on this topic.

Even so, while she was not an expert herself, she had brought many said experts in this field to the Grassland Region.

"Perhaps, the elves might be able to resolve your dilemma, senior. After all, the elves are known for their mastery of cultivating crops, and we just happened to have an entire elven tribe arriving. I will call a few others over to share their insights with you."

"That would be of great help, Your Majesty," Elder Evergreen bowed slightly with pleasant surprise before he said, "If we cannot resolve this issue, it will be difficult to feed everyone in the future."

"Right!" Elizabeth nodded solemnly.

After a moment, she suddenly paused and brought up, "What about the second issue?"

"The second issue is actually related to Miss Lynne, Your Majesty. Have you noticed that it is much cooler around the World Tree than anywhere else in the Grassland Region?"

"I have," Elizabeth answered with knitted brows before she asked confusedly, "But isn't it normal for this to be the case due to the shade?"

"That would indeed be the case in normal circumstances. However, the air should still be warm to room temperature instead of being cold," Elder Evergreen stated before saying, "Let this old man show you the reason why this is the case."

"Alright."

Shortly after Elizabeth agreed, Elder Evergreen led her to the foot of the World Tree, where the icy staircase leading down into the subterranean space below could be seen.

The coldness exuded from the entrance alone was already tenfolds greater than what Elizabeth had felt at the edge.

When Elizabeth saw the entire space below the World Tree frozen in ice, she was taken aback before drawing in a sharp breath.

"This was all caused by Lynne? Where is she now?" Elizabeth asked.

Chapter 686 - Lynne's Trail Of Ice

Once Elizabeth raised the question, Elder Evergreen immediately sighed.

"That's the problem, Your Majesty. Miss Lynne disappeared inside some time ago and never came back. I've sent some people to look for her, but she could not find her. However, we did find a long trail of ice leading towards the north."

"In fact, this trail extends all the way to the Extreme Misty Forest. Therefore, I suspect that Miss Lynne has already entered the subterranean region of the Extreme Misty Forest," Elder Evergreen stated.

"The Extreme Misty Forest?" Elizabeth repeated with a frown before shortly asking puzzledly, "What is she doing over there? There's nothing good about that place."

The Extreme Misty Forest was a well-known Perilous Land for being dense in cold mist and yin energy, making it the perfect breeding ground for ghouls and evil spirits to reside.

The level of danger in that place was so high that even Transcendents do not dare to venture too deeply.

Elizabeth could not understand what reasons Lynne had for going to that godforsaken place.

"That's what I don't understand either, Your Majesty. No one does," Elder Evergreen replied with a similar puzzled look as he knitted his brows together and said, "Miss Lynne did not even leave us a notice before she left."

"There might have been something wrong with Miss Lynne. This old man is not sure if it has something to do with the red mist that appeared—the Wrathful Demonic Energy that His Highness calls it, I believe."

"Something to do with Wrathful Demonic Energy, you say? Did a lot of it surge out from beneath the World Tree, senior?" Elizabeth immediately asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It did. If you look properly, you can see the red hue of the Wrathful Demonic Energy trapped inside these layers of ice that Miss Lynne conjured. We tried looking for the source of the red mist, but evidence points that it comes from but deeper in the subterranean world," Elder Evergreen answered.

Shortly after, he added, "To be honest, the scale of this frozen hell is much big for any normal 9-star Ranked Awakener to pull off. Heck, even Preliminary Accession-level Transcendents might not be able to do it either. So I'm not sure where Miss Lynne draw her power from."

"You're right. Lynne was only a 9-star Ranked Awakener. For her to be traveling to the Extreme Misty Forest—it's subterranean alone, no less… It is far too dangerous," Elizabeth stated with a frown before she said, "Nevertheless, senior can leave this matter to me. I will arrange for some teams to go and look for Lynne."

"On the other hand, Senior Evergreen should focus on meeting the elves for advice. It's imperative that we resolve the crop cultivation problem quickly. Otherwise, we will be facing a severe food crisis in the near future."

"Alright, Your Majesty," Elder Evergreen nodded solemnly.

They both understood the severity of the issue.

More than half a million elves and humans have been brought to the Grassland Region, and even more, will gather in the future.

"If they cannot grow crops, then they will not have food. And if they do not have food, then people will naturally starve to death.

"Well then, I will go ask the elders to come and discuss the issue with you before setting up the search party for Lynne, senior. Once I'm freed from the work here, I might head to the Extreme Misty Forest to look for her myself—if she is not found by then," Elizabeth stated.

Lynne was her daughter-in-law, or at least she was going to be. Thus, nothing must happen to her.

After all, she was still waiting for the opportunity to hold her own grandchildren.

"Understood, Your Majesty."

…

…

…

Meanwhile, Leon's group and the other 700-odd Battle Masters gradually reached the vicinity of the Crimsonfog Tribe.

Chief Valencia shortly turned to the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman before she asked, "There won't be any problem with this many Battle Masters collecting supplies from the Crimsonfog Tribe before we continue on our way, will there?"

"I'm afraid the tribesmen might be unwilling to sell too many resources to outsiders—especially food, which will be absolutely necessary for the trip to the Eternal Night Secret Realm," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman said with a frown.

Food was precious.

If so many foreigners suddenly buy out their food, it will naturally affect the Crimsonfog Tribe's livelihood as they face a sudden food crisis.

As such, it would not be strange for the tribesmen to sell all their food.

"Although we did bring some food supplies along from the Darkmoon Tribe, it won't last long and may lead to various unfavorable situations once we run out. It's unknown how long this trip to the secret realm will take," Chief Valencia mentioned.

"Exactly," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman agreed with a nod before he said, "I hate to say this, but this old man will have to discuss this matter with Chief Blacktooth and have him pass the order down. After all, he is the current chief of the tribe…"

"I might have asked this before, but what happened to Chief Baskara? How bad is his injury?" Chief Valencia inquired before she suggested, "If it is not too great, perhaps Young Master Leonhardt will be able to treat him."

"That's right, we have Young Master Leonhardt with us now, don't we?" the One-Eye Venerable Shaman's eyes subtly flickered before he nodded reassuringly.

"I have no doubt that with Young Master Leonhardt's ability, Chief Baskara will recover swiftly from his coma."

At the mention of Chief Baskara's injury being brought up, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman shortly mentioned the appearance of Liches and Battle King-level undead.

"Liches and Battle King-level undead, huh? That's rather concerning, considering we will soon enter the demon's territory," Chief Valencia said with furrowed brows.

With their amount of Battle Masters, it would not be a problem to deal with a few Battle Kings. After all, they had strength in numbers to make up for the lack of strength in an individual.

However, suppose the demon's territory had many Battle King-level demons roaming about.

In that case, their trip will be filled with unprecedented dangers—even before they get the chance to reach the opening of the secret realm.

Chapter 687 - One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's Request

Gradually, the large crowd eventually reached the northern gates of the Crimsonfog Tribe.

"Welcome back, Venerable Shaman!" the sentries greeted on the wall after spotting the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman among the leading figures in the crowd.

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman raised his head to gaze at the sentries directly before he hollered clearly, "Where is Chief Blacktooth? Tell him to come out and see me!"

"Chief Blacktooth?"

The sentries repeated softly with an odd look without complying with the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's demand immediately.

Rather, they gazed back at the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman oddly and asked, "What does the Venerable Shaman want Chief Blacktooth for?"

"To make a high-level announcement and pass down an order that may conflict with the tribe's sole interest but of benefit to the rest of the humans living on the Infertile Plains."

Disgruntled as he may be, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman answered the sentries' simply inquiry, nonetheless.

However, after they received the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's answer, they slowly shook their heads.

"I'm afraid that Chief Blacktooth does not have enough authority to make any tribe-related decisions, Venerable Shaman," one of the sentry answered.

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman immediately frowned before he asked, "Why?"

"Because…" the sentries glanced at the crowd of Battle Masters carefully before he continued explaining, "Chief Blacktooth is no longer the chief of our tribe."

"He already lost his position shortly after returning the other day, Venerable Shaman. The number of Great Warriors and Battle Masters that were just waiting to challenge him was quite frightening."

"I see…"

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman was taken aback but did not find it to be a surprising result, given the person's underhanded trick in assuming the position.

"Well, that's to be expected. So Blacktooth must have been beaten up badly, right?"

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman chuckled slightly with amusement, unconcerned with the silent and judgemental gazes of the Battle Masters behind his back.

However, the sentry shook his head again and said, "No, Venerable Shaman. Blacktooth forfeited the challenge before the battle could even be hosted in the battle arena. He did not try to defend his position at all."

"I see…" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's lips twitched.

Blacktooth could be considered wise and self-aware to know that he did not have any chance in keeping his chief position for long. Still, it was shameful to admit defeat before even fighting to defend it.

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman shook his head ruefully before he shortly ordered with a soft sigh, "Haiz, never mind. Open the gates."

"But these people.." the sentry hesitated as he glanced at the 700-odd Battle Masters outside their tribe's walls.

"They're all Battle Masters from the Central Region, coming to participate in the secret realm. So you do not need to worry about them. We will not be staying for long, an hour at most before we are on our way."

"Understood, Venerable Shaman."

The sentries eventually complied after receiving the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's assurance.

Sometime later, everyone entered the Crimsonfog Tribe and tended to their own businesses, browsing the marketplace, haggling with the shop vendors, buying supplies, and making other preparations for the dangerous trip to the secret realm.

'I should concoct some Fasting Pills during this time…' Leon mused.

He did not know how long this trip to the secret realm will take, but if there is no way of procuring food inside the secret realm, his Fasting Pills will play a pivotal role in survival.

However, before Leon could separate from the crowd and find a quiet courtyard with Duna, Aria, and Darlene, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman sought him out.

"Please wait a moment, Young Master Leonhardt. If Young Master Leonhardt is not too busy, there is something this old man would like to request of you."

"Sure. What do you need, senior?" Leon paused for a moment before he quickly agreed to help.

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman had provided him with substantial information about the Eternal Night Secret Realm, the Shaman King and its Successor, the Starfall event, and even other related histories of the Infertile Plains.

It would be ungrateful of him to refuse without hearing what the senior had to request of him at the very least.

After a brief talk, Leon quickly learned that the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman wanted him to treat Chief Baskara, the previous and legitimate chief of the Crimsonfog Tribe.

The mind was a delicate and complicated field that Leon was not completely confident in. As such, he did not make any promises.

"I don't mind having a look first, senior."

"Thank you, Young Master Leonhardt."

Shortly after the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman brought Leon towards Venerable Shaman Daal's abode, where Baskara was being cared for, the topic of Liches and Battle King-level undeads' attack on the tribe was repeatedly brought up on the way.

Duna, Aria, and Darlene all listened in on the story before Duna's interest quickly turned into disdain.

"What a useless Blackwind Tribe. They couldn't even defend against the Bone Calamity on their end and even left hidden disasters for other tribes. What's the point of keeping their Battle Kings' corpses? They should have just destroyed them all," Duna commented cynically.

"These Battle Kings were considered the ancestors of the Blackwind Tribe. Therefore, such an act of destroying their ancestors' bodies is regarded sacrilegious to the Blackwind Tribesmen—even if it is the most rational choice to make."

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman smiled wryly at Duna's blatant disregard for the Blackwind Tribe's moral values.

"Humans have always been emotional creatures," Leon interjected before adding, "More often than not, we act, not on rational choices, but emotional ones even if we fully knew they aren't the best choices to make."

"And this is why humans always lose. They are impulsive, greedy, and selfish. It's a wonder that the human race has not died out yet, given the brutal living conditions this world has to offer!" Duna said spitefully.

"You can only speak for the majority. There is also a minority group that differs from these traits. How else do exceptional people stand out from the mass?" Leon scratched his cheek wryly before he added, "Not to mention we breed like rabbits..."