742-753

Chapter 742 - Absolute Suppression

Nevertheless, Leon grew curious about the Demon God that the Dark Fae Saresha mentioned, but he could only leave it for another time.

"You may rise."

"Thank you, my Lord."

After Leon permitted Saresha to stand with a hand gesture, she staggered as she struggled to get up due to the numbness in her legs.

However, Leon didn't help her, nor did he intend to.

It wasn't something he needed to lend a hand for, not to mention their relationship was that of a lord and his servant.

After Saresha regained control of her legs, she stood up straight before turning to Leon with a question.

"My lord, may Saresha be so impertinent as to ask what you intend to do with the Dark Fae Clan after gaining control of it?"

"I intend to raise the Dark Fae Clan to a level that can stand toe-to-toe with the other nine great demon clans and have it destroy the demon clans that get in my way. But, of course, the reason for doing that is because I stand on the side of humans."

Shortly after saying that, Leon gave Saresha a careful look and asked, "Why? Do you regret your choice of following me now?"

"Not at all, my Lord!"

Saresha quickly shook her head with astonishment before voicing her opinion, "I couldn't care less whether the other demon clans live or die. Our relationship wasn't exactly harmonious."

Of course, Saresha's choice to follow Leon was a choice between life and death.

Even so, she genuinely didn't care about the other demon clans.

"The various clans have always been waging small skirmishes against one another over land and resources, causing clans to rise and fall every day. Our Dark Fae Clan declined until we have nothing left due to the repeated robberies."

"I see."

"If my lord can raise our Dark Fae Clan to the same position as one of the Nine Great Clans, the Dark Fae Clan will be eternally loyal to you, my Lord. Saresha only hopes that you won't throw us away after your goals are achieved."

"I don't count my chickens before they hatch, so it's too early to be worrying about that when the Dark Fae Clan have yet to submit to me," Leon calmly stated.

"Furthermore, I doubt everyone in Dark Fae Clan will just submit to a human without resistance, especially the clan leader of yours. A person in a position of authority wouldn't readily hand it over to someone else."

"My lord, Saresha doesn't know for what reason you are posing as a human and siding with them, but I said it before, and I will say it again; I can guarantee that no one in the Dark Fae Clan will oppose your authority if you just reveal your power to them."

"Hm?" Leon furrowed his brows and said, "Elaborate."

"Yes, my lord." Saresha nodded in compliance and said, "Then, please pardon Saresha for speaking freely. My lord doesn't seem to understand much about my lord's own power."

"Although it was only for a brief moment, Saresha could tell that my lord's power of darkness was very special as if my lord was born to rule over the demon. In front of my lord's power of darkness, Saresha felt suppressed."

"You're talking about this power?"

Leon casually summoned an orb of darkness and showed it to Saresha before she quickly nodded with a difficult expression.

"Y-yes, my lord—! Please show mercy, m-my lord! Saresha's power of darkness is about to run out of control—!"

Saresha pleaded.

Leon casually retracted the orb of darkness back into the black energy core he formed during the Revolving Core Realm.

After reaching Early-stage Heaven Ascension Realm, it had grown much denser and bigger.

Nevertheless, he did not expect that his power of darkness would have such a great effect on other creatures of darkness before even catching a glimpse of the Eternal Darkness Law in the Truth Manifestation Realm.

'Is this might of the Devil Emperor's Tome of Eternal Darkness?' Leon mused.

Given Saresha's strong reaction, his power of darkness could suppress every demon below the level of Greater Demon.

'Thy who controls the Law of Eternal Darkness shall lord over the world of darkness and all its creations, huh? So, this was what it meant…'

Leon recalled one of the opening verses in the Devil Emperor's Tome of Eternal Darkness before coming to an understanding.

Although he had yet to comprehend the Law of Eternal Darkness, his power of darkness was still on a higher level than normal darkness due to the belief imprinted in the opening verses.

'Does this mean that so long as I gain complete mastery of the Devil Emperor's Tome of Eternal Darkness, I can become the absolute ruler of demons? Not exactly what I signed up for, but this is even better.'

The Peak-stage Divine Kings were rulers of their kingdoms and divine regions with many cultivators under their command.

Having an army of demons might prove to be useful in the future.

Sometime later, Leon instructed Saresha to be on standby as he resumed cultivation and drew in the surrounding Darkness Energy in his new location.

Divine Will!

The gathering of Darkness Energy immediately sped up several times under the power of Leon's divine will.

'What a monstrous absorption ability!'

Saresha quickly showed her shock before she understood that her new lord was the source of the change that Lord Suron sent her group to investigate.

With such an incredible ability, her new lord was bound to become a mighty existence, with or without the support of cultivation resources.

Two hours quickly passed, but Leon did not show the slightest sign of advancing to Mid-stage Heaven Ascension Realm.

The Heaven Ascension Realm requires enormous energy, and the requirement will only continue increasing exponentially with each stage until the black energy core reaches saturation for the Truth Manifestation Realm.

Even the Void Realm did not require so much energy.

A short moment later, Leon's eyes snapped open and swept out with his divine sense upon sensing the presence of others in the area.

"A group of 24 Lesser Demons, and there are five dark faes among them, huh?"

"My lord, are you going to…"

Saresha showed a slightly concerned look before Leon waved his hand nonchalantly and said with assurance, "Relax, your clansmen will all be given a chance to submit to me."

"Thank you, my lord."

Chapter 743 - Dark Fae God Canon

In the two hours Leon spent cultivating, he did not completely shut off his perception.

In fact, he was fully aware of everything around him due to his heightened perception of gathering the Darkness Energy.

Nevertheless, Saresha did not make a single move nor reveal hostile intention against him during his 'defenseless' state.

Saresha simply stood on the side to guard and look out for dangers.

Thus, even if Leon had yet to trust the dark fae fully, he silently gave her some recognition.

"Follow me."

"Yes, my lord."

Swoosh—!

Saresha leaped down from the treetop, following after Leon as they went to confront the demon group at the forest edge.

"It's a human! Kill him!"

"No, wait—!"

The majority of the alarmed Lesser Demons immediately jumped into action while the five dark faes noticed Saresha following behind Leon and sensed something off.

However, their words failed to reach the other Lesser Demons.

Puchi!

Leon casually shot out a thread of concentrated darkness like a whip and decapitated all 19 hostile Lesser Demons in a single instance.

The five remaining dark faes froze on the spot.

When Leon manifested his power of darkness, they immediately felt suppressed, especially for the 19 fallen Lesser Demons who were closer.

'A noble demon!'

The dark faes thought.

Shortly after, the five dark faes dropped to the knees and prostrated themselves to Leon in fear.

"Your Excellency, please spare us! We did not know you were a noble demon!" they pleaded.

The dark faes were unaware that a noble demon of human origins was among the demon forces that entered the secret realm.

In fact, none of the demons knew because Leon wasn't one of them.

"I give you two choices; submit or die."

Leon stated.

The five dark faes trembled before they quickly made their choices and simultaneously planted their foreheads on the ground in submission.

"We submit to you, Your Excellency."

"Good. Swear on it."

After Leon made the demand, the dark faes compliantly swore their allegiance to him and joined the ranks with Saresha.

…

Saresha already knew that her clansman would choose to submit in the face of death, but she still felt relieved to witness their submission.

Shortly after, Leon collected the fallen demons' blood, weapons, and armor before allowing the dark faes to salvage the rest.

"You may make use of their body to improve your cultivations; this includes their demon cores," Leon permitted.

He was not interested in the demon cores of Lesser Demons.

"Thank you, my Lord!"

Saresha and the five other female dark faes expressed their gratitude before making quick work on the demon corpses.

Once it was done, Leon led the six dark faes to another location with denser Darkness Energy before resuming his cultivation.

Not long after, his monstrous absorption left the dark faes in shock.

"You're called Saresha in the clan, right?" one of the dark faes whispered to Saresha before inquiring, "What's going on here? Who is our lord?"

"You ask me, but I don't really know either… But this might be our lucky chance to change our clan's fate," Saresha could only say.

Leon's origin was an enigma to her as much as it was to them.

"T-this… you might be right…"

…

Over half a day, Leon continued to cultivate in dense-energy spots and slew over four hundred demons that got attracted over.

At the same time, the number of dark faes under his rule increased to 50.

However, Leon eventually furrowed his brows with dissatisfaction and muttered, "I can't go on like this. I need to cause bigger waves."

Over four hundred demons have been slain, but the number of Greater Demons he attracted from the Bone Sea did not even exceed the number of his fingers.

He needed a better luring method.

At the same time, the luring method couldn't be too good that it attracts far more demons than he could handle.

'The Devil Emperor's Tome of Eternal Darkness can suppress Lesser Demons, but it doesn't have much effect on Greater Demons. If I want to suppress Greater Demons with the power of darkness, then I need a higher cultivation base…'

Leon mused.

However, he estimated that he wouldn't be able to reach the Truth Manifestation Realm within a short time.

'I'm getting close to Mid-stage Heaven Ascension Realm, but it'll take even longer in the following stages.'

After a moment, Leon turned his attention to Saresha.

"Is there something you need, my lord?" Saresha carefully queried after stepping forward in response to Leon's summoning glance.

"How many members does your Dark Fae Clan have?"

"Our Dark Fae Clan has 20-thousand members, but only 300 reached the satisfactory level of strength to participate in the secret realm. And given the secret realm's dangers, the number should be less than now."

Saresha reported.

Of course, she did not directly mention the dark faes killed during her first encounter with her lord, lest she put him in an awkward position, not to mention it was an uncomfortable topic to bring up.

"I see… The Dark Fae Clan only had 300 Lesser Demons, huh?" Leon muttered before rubbing his chin with a thoughtful look.

The Dark Fae Clan was one of the weakest demon clans, but it still had 300 Transcendent-level demons.

That force could easily steamroll the Crawford Empire if it didn't have Elder Evergreen and the Blue Luan Tribe safeguarding it.

The Crawford Empire was truly weak without them.

'I wonder how my parents and the others are doing back in the Human Domain… They should have reached the Grassland Region and started building the new capital…'

Leon wondered.

He silently decided to return and check on his home after making it out of the Eternal Night Secret Realm with the others.

Nevertheless, he still needed to find Duna, stop the demons, and resolve the issues of the Infertile Plains.

The conflict between the Desolate Netherbird Tribe and the Desolate Crow Clan was also a concern, but Leon wasn't too bothered by it for the time being.

He enabled the Desolate Crow Clan's ability to prosper before he left.

'I can only deal with one problem at a time, and right now, the demons in this secret realm pose the greatest threat to humanity. But what can I do to hinder them?'

After pondering for a short moment, Leon facepalmed himself at a sudden realization.

'It seems I am still thinking like a human.'

Leon shook his head wryly.

Since it was easy to mistake him for a noble demon due to the Devil Emperor's Tome of Eternal Darkness's power, he shouldn't have a problem entering the Bone Sea without getting hunted down by all demons.

Nevertheless, he won't be able to bring Aria, Darlene, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman with him.

It was too dangerous for them.

"Given the pile of Lesser Demon-level demon cores we've accumulated, how long will it take you and the others to reach the Greater Demon level?"

Leon questioned Saresha.

However, Saresha revealed an ashamed look and lowered her head.

"Saresha is unable to provide an accurate estimation, my lord. It could take days or even weeks to assimilate the demon cores."

"That long?" Leon frowned.

"Yes, my Lord. And even then, Saresha cannot guarantee she will be successful in becoming a Greater Demon with the other clansmen."

"Why? What seems to be the problem when you have the resources?"

Leon questioned Saresha and the other dark faes before he learned that one reason for the Dark Fae Clan's decline had much to do with their inferior cultivation method.

They lacked a suitable cultivation method to improve themselves.

"Even during our clan's golden days when we still had the resources to support our talented clansmen, the number of Greater Demons our clan produced was far inferior to the other Mid-rank Clans."

"Your Dark Fae Clan was only a Mid-rank Clan in the past, and you call it the golden days? That's rather underwhelming to hear."

Saresha and the other dark faes felt ashamed by Leon's remark.

Their Dark Fae Clan has nothing great about themselves to boast.

"Never mind." Leon shook his head before ordering with a frown, "Tell me more about your Dark Fae Clan's cultivation methods. Perhaps, I have some means to improve it. If not, I will give you a better one."

"Y-Yes, my lord!" Saresha complied with a hint of excitement.

If Leon wanted to raise the Dark Fae Clan into a reckoning force to do his bidding, he had to fix their problem at its root.

"The Dark Fae God Canon is…"

Leon listened to Saresha explain her Dark Fae Clan's cultivation method, the Dark Fae God Canon, before he understood it was a primordial technique.

It would be too arrogant of him to try improving something like that.

"Do you have a copy of this Dark Fae God Canon?"

"Yes, of course, my lord!"

Saresha pulled a sheepskin from under her black robe before passing it to Leon for his perusal and advice.

After Leon gave the recorded texts on the sheepskin a quick look, he furrowed his brows immediately before asking, "Is this the original text?"

"No, my lord. The original Dark Fae God Canon is written in a language that no one in the clan can understand. However, in the past, our ancestors managed to derive the original text and produce what we have now."

"I see…"

Leon uttered without much change in his expression, but he labeled the Dark Fae Clan's ancestors as incompetent in his heart.

All techniques originating from the primordial era are far from ordinary.

'Those crooks…'

Chapter 744 - A Small Step Forward

Leon did not doubt the power of cultivation arts from the primordial era.

However, Dark Fae Clan was practicing such an inferior mistranslated version of the Dark Fae God Canon that it was an insult to the name.

"Is there anyone in the Dark Fae Clan that came with the Dark Fae God Canon's original text, or a copy of it?" Leon calmly inquired.

"Yes, my lord." Saresha nodded before answering his question, "Our clan leader usually carries an original copy with her."

"And where is she now?"

"Apologies, my lord. Saresha cannot provide an accurate answer. However, our clan leader should be in the Bone Sea."

"I see."

Leon uttered.

Shortly after, he fell into silent contemplation regarding the Bone Sea, which was said to be as big as numerous regions like the Abyssal Wood Forest combined.

It wouldn't be easy to find a single demon in it.

"Never mind then," Leon shook his head before casually saying, "I can see that your lousy version of the Dark Fae God Canon is an energy cultivation method."

"That is already a disadvantage when all other demons seem to be cultivating body cultivation methods. And the fact that your energy cultivation method is flawed only makes it a bigger disadvantage."

After Leon said that, Saresha and the other dark faes lowed their heads in shame.

They couldn't compare to their predecessors.

"Since we don't have the original version of the Dark Fae God Canon, I will teach you a body cultivation method to make up for your disadvantages. And because it's a body cultivation method, you won't have to worry about it conflicting with your energy cultivation method."

Leon stated.

Saresha and the other dark faes immediately revealed their surprises and eagerness after hearing Leon's statement.

"Thank you for your benevolence, my lord!" the dark faes bowed with gratitude and respect.

They didn't expect their lord to be rewarding them before they could make any significant contribution in serving him.

Nevertheless, Leon casually waved his hand and said, "Don't thank me yet. You'll be in for a world of suffering."

There was no such thing as a body forging method without pain.

Sometime later, Leon retracted his mind from the [Archive] after failing to find a suitable body forging method for the Dark Fae Clan.

The [Archive] did not have any primordial techniques tailored to the Dark Fae Race.

"I will impart you knowledge of the Godfiend Body Forging Method," Leon decided.

Although a tailored technique would provide the best effect, the Godfiend Body Forging Method was all-encompassing and suitable for practice.

Bzzt!

Leon transmitted the first volume to Saresha using Spirit Energy from his Black Vortex Space before he proceeded to transmit the knowledge to the other dark faes.

Shortly after, all fifty dark faes immersed themselves in their newfound knowledge with a look of wonder and awe.

The dark faes raised Leon's position in their hearts.

The means Leon used to transmit knowledge to them with a single tap on the forehead was profound and divine-like.

They begin to suspect that he was not just of noble birth but also had a noble background.

'A prince from the southern region?' the dark faes wondered.

Nevertheless, Saresha continued to study the Godfiend Body Forging Method in earnest before she started frowning.

"If you have any doubts regarding the technique, now will be the time to raise your questions."

Saresha suddenly heard the lord speak before she quickly raised her doubt, "My lord, this technique seems to require a specific type of energy called Grandmist to practice. How can we practice without something like that?"

"You will use the enemy from the demon cores as a substitute for True Grandmist Energy," Leon calmly answered.

However, Saresha was immediately shocked by his answer.

"But if Saresha was to follow the instruction in the Godfiend Body Forging Method, wouldn't it lead to self-mutilation?" Saresha questioned with a startled look.

"That's right," Leon admitted with a nod before adding, "That's why I will prepare a medicinal bath to counter the destruction and allow your body to experience the tempering effect of destruction and recreation."

It was indeed possible to find substitutes for the lack of True Grandmist Energy.

Nevertheless, the substitutes will undoubtedly cut down the effectiveness of practicing the Godfiend Body Forging Method to a small fraction.

"Any other questions?"

"T-that's all, my lord…"

Although Saresha felt dubious about the substitute method, it was not like she had any other choice but to follow through with it.

After all, her lord can decide her life and death with a snap of his fingers.

"Good."

Leon nodded.

Shortly after, he raised the earth and hardened it with his earth ability, creating the shape of a large pool that could fit 50 dark faes.

Following that step, he filled the empty pool in ice before melting it with fire, heating the water to a comfortable, warm temperature like the hot springs.

The final step involved mixing recovery medicine with the pool water.

For that, Leon used Tier-3 Golden Ointment and All-Purpose Healing Pills, and before long, the pool water became greenish-golden with a strong scent of medicine.

"Get in and cultivate at your own pace. I won't be supervising your cultivation," Leon stated indifferently with a flair of authority.

The dark faes complied without question and hopped into the warm medicinal bath one by one with their Lesser Demon-level demon cores in hand.

At first, the temperature startled them, but not long after, they quickly found comfort and immersed their whole body into the pool.

Leon observed the Saresha and the rest of the dark faes practice the Godfiend Body Forging Method with painful expressions before he nodded with approval.

The dark faes were very obedient and easy to control.

"How much they achieve will be entirely up to their own efforts and talents, but that's that. Time for my own training," Leon muttered.

Shortly after finding a spot on the desolate land west of the Abyssal Wood Forest, Leon seated himself on the ground in a meditative posture.

Then, several dozen vials containing the demon blood he collected were quickly laid out before him.

"The blood of several hundred Lesser Demons, I should make some progress in the Everlasting Blood Mantra's second stage."

With a single thought, the few dozen vials uncorked themselves before the demon blood flew out and gathered into a big blob of dark red blood.

Leon's eyes flickered as his divine sense swept through the blob of blood.

There were 1262 types within the big blob of blood, 1098 of which overlapped with one another, leaving him with 164 different types of blood.

Leon understood the precise number with a glance.

To reach the third stage of the Everlasting Blood Mantra, he needed to refine 1000 unique origin blood.

He still has a long way to go, but every step counts.

'Let's begin.'

…

Droplets of blood began separating from the big blob before undergoing blood refinement, transforming into origin blood and entering Leon's bloodstream.

Half an hour later, Leon completely refined the entire blob of blood and absorbed the origin blood.

Leon exuded a strong, vigorous aura from excess blood energy seeping out of his body and his blood carried a hint of gold, but no satisfaction could be seen on his face.

"Of the 164 different origin blood, only 83 is unique, huh?" Leon muttered with a frown.

In other words, he had already absorbed the other 81 types of origin blood before.

"Although I wasn't expecting a higher number of unique origin blood, it was still much lower than anticipated…"

The further he progresses in the Everlasting Blood Mantra, the more difficult it will become.

"Seems like the blood of Lesser Demons won't bring me much improvement soon… I can tell that these Lesser Demons have chosen very specific types of beast blood to refine for their physique improvement…"

Leon mused.

Nevertheless, he cannot ignore any demon blood he can get his hands on, lest he overlooks some unique origin blood to absorb.

The Greater Demons and Arch Demons will also give him better luck with unique origin blood as their bodies carry more blood types.

"Given the high requirement of 1000 unique blood to reach the Everlasting Blood Mantra's third stage, I might just have to collect the blood of every race on this planet," Leon thought.

And to master the Everlasting Blood Mantra, he might have to absorb the origin blood of every existing race in Primal Chaos.

"Mastering the Everlasting Blood Mantra will be a lifelong journey and too far of a goal for me to be concerned with for now. However, the third stage is quite important. I have to push for it, even if it is difficult to achieve."

The third stage of the Everlasting Blood Mantra was called the Reparation Stage.

At this stage, he could forcefully reconnect severed limbs and reconstruct partially missing organs with his blood.

"If I can reach the fourth stage of Everlasting Blood Mantra, the Regrowth Stage, I can even regrow missing limbs and organs, making me practically half immortal, but I won't doubt that I can achieve that level of this planet alone."

Leon shook his head with a sigh.

Shortly after, he suddenly shot a hard look at the dark faes, who had been watching him with fascinated looks.

"Get back to your training!"

"Y-yes, my lord!"

Saresha and other dark faes quickly resumed practicing the Godfiend Body Forging Method under Leon's stern order.

Nevertheless, there was no doubt in Saresha's mind that Leon was a demon through and through, even if he says otherwise.

Chapter 745 - News From The East

Human Domain

At the heart of the Crawford Empire, the World Tree stood tall and majestic as ever—no, even more so than ever, having grown a few inches taller in the past few days.

Its vibrant spirit energy blessed the land and its million elves and humans, who have erected countless tents and crops across the Grassland Region and settled down in it.

Even though Wrathful Demonic Energy has spread throughout the world, it could not enter the World Tree's domain.

The abundant Spirit Energy in the area formed a natural barrier that wards out the harmful energy, protecting all that lived within the World Tree's domain.

The new capital in the making was not very noticeable from the ground level due to the erected tents in the region.

However, the framework of the new capital was clearly seen from a bird's eye view up in the World Tree's crown.

Elizabeth and Heinrich watched the new capital development from the World Tree's crown with pride.

Some distance away from them, Princess Thessalia and Princess Faelyn also observed the development below.

"To think that we could get a month's worth of construction work done in a few days. This is all thanks to the elves directed by you, Faelyn," Elizabeth said to Princess Faelyn.

"Without the elves' wood manipulation to grow trees for wood and crops for food, we would have to rely on a consistent supply from the other regions in the empire."

"You can't put it like that, Your Majesty—"

"Hm?"

"M-mother…"

After Elizabeth gave Faelyn a look, she quickly changed her form of address.

"It wouldn't have been possible for the elves to keep up the production without the World Tree's blessings. Furthermore, the human Awakeners did most of the labor work. The elves only provided support, M-mother…"

Whether it was actual construction or production of bricks and metal frames, screws, and related materials to construction, it was all done by Earth, Fire, and Metal Awakeners.

"True," Elizabeth nodded for a moment before she continued to argue, "Nevertheless, thanks to the elves' collective support, everyone can keep working without worry. Food has always been a big issue of any large city."

"Food will never be a problem again, mother."

Faelyn promised.

Food will never be an issue unless someone purposely burns all their crops; famine never existed for the elves.

"That's good to hear," Elizabeth smiled.

Over the past few days, she had grown fond of Faelyn, who was diligent, hardworking, and obedient, but more importantly, Faelyn was one of her son's lovers.

Elizabeth didn't have any other daughter-in-law to talk to besides Faelyn.

Lynne disappeared into the Extreme Misty Forest territory through the underground passages, while Rachel departed for the Ishaan Kingdom with her father, Duke Ignis, to further their training.

"It's been some time since we've seen our son, haven't we?" Heinrich suddenly spoke.

"Oh please, it's only been a few days since we last saw him. The Teleportation Array has already been deployed in a secured location, so our son will visit us when he is ready," Elizabeth stated.

"That's true," Heinrich nodded before arguing, "But after all, it's the Wildlands that we are talking about. So one cannot help but be worried."

"Of course, I also know that. But we have no other choice but to believe in him, so why did you need to bring it up? Did you think I wouldn't be worried? I'm his mother!"

"And I am also his father…"

"What did you say?"

"N-nothing…"

Princess Thessalia listened to the king and queen bicker over the same topic with mild amusement for the past few days.

She could tell that Prince Leon's parents loved him dearly.

Even so, a trace of sadness in her heart as she recalls the death of her parents and siblings, leaving just her and her younger sister.

Faelyn was also affected by Thessalia's slight change in mood and felt down.

However, Elizabeth noticed their sorrow before she suddenly pulled both of them into her bosom and gave them a warm hug.

"I understand that the dead cannot come back to life, and we cannot replace what you've both lost, but you can also think of us as your family from now on."

"Mm."

The two elf princesses quietly nodded in the queen's bosom, feeling strange senses of security and warmth like their mother was embracing them.

Nevertheless, they didn't get to enjoy the moment for long before a shadow guard suddenly appeared before them with an urgent report.

"Your Majesty, I bring news from the east; please review it!" the shadow guard offered an information scroll to the king.

Shortly after Heinrich accepted the information scroll and perused its content, his curious expression quickly changed into a frown.

"Is there a problem in the east?" Elizabeth queried after noticing her husband's expression.

Heinrich nodded.

"According to the scout's intel, roughly 100 people entered the Durham Region shortly after a fight broke out on the Geyser Kingdom's Border Wall. Their strength is estimated to be at least 9th step Ranked Awakener."

"100 people with at least 9th step Ranked Awakener Realm cultivation entered our borders from the Geyser Kingdom's side?" Elizabeth frowned and said, "There must be quite a few Transcendents among them…"

"If they came with a specific destination in mind, they shouldn't lag far behind the messenger. But for so many people to come from the Geyser Kingdom, it doesn't seem like they have good intentions…"

After a short moment, Elizabeth's eyes strongly flickered with realization, "Don't tell me that they are…"

"They are most likely people from the Cortez family, coming to avenge the foreign Transcendents from a week ago."

Heinrich also came to the same conclusion as his wife.

With a stern look, Heinrich immediately suggests, "We need to gather the elven elders and Elder Evergreen for a meeting and make our preparations."

"Un," Elizabeth nodded and said seriously, "If they are our enemies, which they most likely are, there will be a big battle ahead of us."

"Mother, we would also like to join the meeting," Faelyn expressed her intention to join the battle meeting and participate in the battle with them.

However, Elizabeth shook her head.

Chapter 746 - The Situation At Border Wall

"You and Thessalia just stepped into the Transcendent Realm yesterday. You can come to the meeting, but it'll be too dangerous for you two to join the battle."

"But…"

"No, buts."

Elizabeth refused Faelyn's request with a firm stance, leaving no room for negotiation.

Faelyn could only concede to Leon's mother.

"Yes, mother…"

"Good girl," Elizabeth nodded with a satisfied smile before saying, "Let us head to the great hall first. Dear, you'll call all the elders, right?"

"Who exactly is the king here…" Heinrich uttered with a wry smile.

"You are, of course!" Elizabeth answered before she knitted her brows and asked, "What are you trying to say, dear?"

"Ah, no… It's nothing important…" Heinrich replied meekly.

He was afraid of his wife.

Shortly after sighing, Heinrich left to summon all the Transcendent-level characters in the Grassland Region to the meeting.

…

…

…

Geyser Kingdom

A few dozen miles from the high-rise border wall of earth, a mini airship zipped through the sky at great speed, leaving a trail of flames as it headed towards the west.

Although it was called an airship, it was only the size of a small boat for two people and relied on the power of Fire Transcendents to fly it.

"It's been quite a while since I've returned to the mainland; about five years to be exact. Nevertheless, I must say that the scenery is quite nostalgic, don't you think, junior sister?"

Neron made small talks with Lina as he steered the mini airship with his flames.

"I suppose so, senior brother. It has only been a few months since I left, but it feels like forever," Lina politely replied while enjoying the brushing wind and the surface view.

But as the tall earthen wall that signified the Geyser Kingdom's borders came into view, Lina quickly knitted her brows.

"Senior brother, take a look ahead! There's smoke coming from the Border Wall!" Lina alerted Neron while pointing ahead.

Neron immediately frowned at the discovery.

"There shouldn't be any fire festival going on around this time. So why would there be black smoke rising from the Border Wall? Unless…"

Their noses suddenly pick up the faint scent of blood before Lina quickly concludes, "It was an enemy attack!"

"Senior brother, let us quickly descend and investigate. If we find any survivors in need of saving, we can also learn what happened from them."

"Un." Neron nodded solemnly before saying, "An attack on the Border Wall is a grave matter. It could be a war between kingdoms."

Shortly after, he lowered the power output of flames, causing the airship to lose speed and descend towards the Border Wall not far away.

When Lina and Neron reached close enough to the Border Wall, they hopped off the airship and landed on the wall.

The airship was stored in Neron's interspatial ring shortly after.

"This is terrible."

Lina frowned while staring at the dozens of sentries lying motionless along the wall with blood and traces of blackwater scattered everywhere.

The smell was even more pungent on the scene.

Nevertheless, Lina checked for pulses in hopes of finding a lucky survivor, but unfortunately, she was left disappointed.

"There's no survivor in this area. But these wounds… the assailants were from the Geyser Kingdom. Could the Demon Worshippers have done this?" Lina speculated.

"Perhaps."

Neron vaguely replied without jumping to conclusions while glancing left and right at the sentries' corpses.

"Seems like we won't be having anyone to check and record our passage to the Crawford Kingdom," Neron stated before adding, "But I wonder where the gatekeeper is."

"I heard the gatekeeper was a pretty strong Earth Transcendent who had been guarding the Border Wall for many years."

"Someone like that shouldn't have been killed like the rest of the sentries, right? Senior brother?" Lina presumed.

Unfortunately, they eventually found the gatekeeper's body among the sentry corpses after a few minutes of searching.

The valiant Earth Transcendent died with his eyes open and all his limbs severed.

Neron swiped the gatekeeper's eyes shut to give him peace in the afterlife before studying the traces of battle in detail.

"The battle was very recent, so the killers shouldn't have gone far. And seeing how they killed the gatekeeper and sentries, their destination seems to be one of the four kingdoms outside the Geyser Kingdom."

Neron determined.

"What? We have to stop them, senior brother!" Lina stated with a look of urgency.

Having lived in the Crawford Kingdom for most of her life, she was very familiar with its strength; there shouldn't be anyone capable enough to stop the group who killed the gatekeeper and the border sentries.

"We don't know the group's purpose for leaving the Geyser Kingdom without permission, nor their strengths, but they are renegades now. The kingdom will hunt them down, no matter who they are. We just need to report this incident to the capital, junior sister."

"No, senior brother. There's a border town nearby. The civilians living there should have noticed what happened on the Border Wall and reported the incident to authorities, senior brother. If we return to the capital, we will lose the killers' trails," Lina stressed.

Considering how brutally the gatekeeper and sentries were killed, there was no telling what the group of killers would do if she let them roam the four kingdoms unchecked.

She could not return to the capital worry-free, knowing that her parents were endangered.

Neron stared at Lina's stubborn look before conceding with a helpless shrug, "Fine. You win, junior sister. We follow the killers' trail and track them down."

If he cannot satisfy her wishes, he will never win her heart.

"Thank you, senior brother, for agreeing with my selfish wish."

Lina gave Neron a sincere bow of gratitude, unaware of his thoughts and feelings, simply treating him accordingly to their statuses as martial siblings under the same master.

Nevertheless, Neron waved his hand and said, "However, I have a condition; we will drop the border town for a quick inquiry. Perhaps we can learn the identity of the renegade group."

"That makes sense… Perhaps, we can also learn the renegade group's strength too," Lina paused briefly before agreeing with a nod.

Chapter 747 - Priest Jarumath

After descending the wall, Neron and Lina arrive at Border Town a short moment later.

Despite being a small town with no more than 2000 inhabitants, Border Town had developed well with brick-laden roads and neatly arranged wooden-frame homes with brick exteriors of varying yet simple designs.

It gave the town an overall fresh look.

However, the moderately-invested town appears rather deserted at first glance when Neron and Lina enter and fail to spot a single person out on the streets.

"I don't see anyone, but there's also no sign of battles in this town either."

"That means the people are currently hiding in their homes, or they had simply fled the town."

Lina and Neron investigated the Border Town before stopping in front of a randomly-selected brick home.

"Is anyone home? We have some questions to ask," Lina knocked on the door but received no response from within the brick home.

"Pardon for the intrusion," Neron calmly said while preparing to bust down the door with a kick.

However, at that moment, the door slowly creaks open before a woman carefully sticks her head out to greet them with a wary look.

"How can I help you, sir?"

"Seeing how wary you are, you must be aware of the Border Wall's situation. However, you don't need to worry about us. We are just here to inquire what happened."

Neron stated his intention with a reassuring smile.

The woman studies Neron and Lina's facial expressions before understanding they mean her no harm.

She fully opens the door and invites them into her home with a look of relief.

"Please come in and take a seat. It's dangerous outside these days."

"Thank you."

Although Neron and Lina didn't understand the specification of danger the woman implied, they accepted the offer to talk inside.

…

Ten minutes later, they understood the general situation.

"I see… Baron Cortez led all his retainers to the Border Wall and slaughtered the gatekeeper and sentries to leave the kingdom without a pass forcefully," Neron repeated what he learned.

However, Neron and Lina frowned at the situation.

Even if they understood the purpose, they couldn't comprehend the reason.

"This doesn't make any sense. No matter how big of a reason Baron Cortez had for leaving the kingdom, it still wouldn't be big enough for Baron Cortez to become an outlaw, right, senior brother?"

"That's what people would normally assume, but the fact that it happened implies otherwise. I'm not acquainted with Baron Cortez, but no noble would foolishly choose to become the kingdom's enemy unless their life is threatened."

"How puzzling…"

While Neron and Lina expressed their doubts, the woman seemingly had something to say but hesitated.

Lina notices the woman's hesitation and asks, "If there's anything else you know, please don't hesitate to tell us."

"Well… This is just my opinion, but Baron Cortez didn't seem to be in his right mind when he was passing through the town. Lord Fo-Dhar must have noticed the same thing and went to confront the person, but he never came back," the woman mentioned.

Lord Fo-Dhar was the lord of Border Town.

"And before Lord Fo-Dhar left to confront Baron Cortez, I assume he ordered everyone to hide in their homes?" Neron speculated.

The woman nodded but then shook her head.

"Lord Fo-Dhar did give such an order, but even before Baron Cortez passed by, everyone in town has been limiting their spending time outside since the start of the Cataclysm. Prolonged exposure to the sun seems to make people go crazy."

"That makes sense," Neron nodded before saying, "A foul energy encompassed the world since the start of the Cataclysm, but given Baron Cortez's cultivation base, he shouldn't be affected by it."

Compared to ordinary people, Transcendents had higher resistance against the Wrathful Demonic Energy's negative influence.

…

After learning what they came for, Lina cut the discussion short, "Senior brother, isn't it time we take our leave? If we take any longer, we will lose Baron Cortez's trail."

"Alright, fine. We will leave," Neron agreed with a nod before reminding Lina, "But remember to follow my instructions, junior sister. I might be stronger than Baron Cortez, but he is not alone. We have to tread carefully."

"I understand, senior brother."

Lina nodded.

"Thank you for answering our questions, Lady Artemise. We apologize for taking your time," Neron politely said to the homeowner after standing up from his seat.

They had learned of each other's names during their exchange.

"You're too polite, Sir Neron. It was my honor to answer your inquiries," Artemise responded with equal courtesy.

Shortly after sending Neron and Lina off at the door, Artemise watched them leave on a mini airship without looking back at Border Town.

A few moments later, Artemise continued to stare into the distant sky from the door in silence, even after Lina and Neron disappeared from her sight.

"Have they left?" a man's voice suddenly asked.

Artemise was not surprised to hear the person's voice coming from her home.

"Un, they're gone now," Artemise replied with a nod before shutting the door and heading back to the living room, where she had received her guests.

However, a black-robed man with a conspicuous symbol of a red sun eyeball on his back now sits in Neron's original spot while casually sipping on cold tea.

"Was it alright to let them go, Priest Jarumath?" Artemise asked.

"I thought it was the law-punishing force, but it was just a pair of curious brats who happened to be passing by and saw the situation on the wall. There's no need to pay them any attention."

"But the plan…"

"The plan remains unchanged," Priest Jarumath coolly stated.

"Baron Cortez's bedevilment was unexpected, but he did make it easier for us to execute our plan. Killing those two brats will only draw unwanted attention to this town. The bishop will not be pleased if it affects the plan."

After his reminder, Priest Jarumath ordered, "The first group had met unexpected difficulties, so continue with the preparations. You'll be part of the second group to spread our faith to the four kingdoms."

"Yes, Priest Jarumath!" Artemise complied with a respectful bow.

Chapter 748 - The Law-Punishing Force

Three hours in their travel since leaving Border Town, Lina and Neron passed several towns and small cities before they slowed down to investigate the increasing deaths in each human settlement.

There weren't any deaths in the first few towns they passed, but the number of deaths found increased at an alarming rate as they continued their journey.

They eventually stopped at a small village where the scent of blood was exceptionally thick and pungent.

"This is horrible. They slaughtered the entire village, senior brother!" Lina clenched her fist with anger.

All 400 hundred villagers died with despaired looks; their limbs dismembered and their bodies scattered within and outside the village.

It was a village of ordinary people, yet the scene showed clear signs of their struggle before death.

"Baron Cortez and his retainers didn't just slaughter the entire village; they made a sport out of it," Neron stated with a big frown.

"Take a look at these trails of blood."

Neron pointed at one of the corpses with a blood trail before saying, "These villagers were clearly ordinary folks, yet they survived long enough to drag their dismembered bodies out of the village before ultimately dying of blood loss."

"This is outrageous, senior brother! Humanity faces the threat of beasts in the west and sea monsters in the east, yet these people are enjoying reaping the lives of others! This is no longer the work of humans; they are demons!"

Lina was no longer just worried for her parents; she grew to hate Baron Cortez and his people for their vile and inhuman deeds.

"Right," Neron nodded in agreement with a grave look before saying, "I didn't believe it at first, but the evidence leaves me no choice but to believe it; the foul energy has bedeviled Baron Cortez."

"But that shouldn't have been possible," Lina frowned before saying, "To earn the baron rank, one had to be at the Early-stage of Seeking Insight Transcendent in addition to their meritorious deeds."

"Master said that under normal conditions, the foul energy cannot bedevil Seeking Insight Transcendents no matter how long they are exposed to it," Lina mentioned shortly after.

"Exactly," Neron nodded before saying, "However, that is under normal conditions. If Baron Cortez suffered significant emotional impacts like grief or extreme anger, the foul energy could negatively influence his mind."

"It's just that we don't know what caused Baron Cortez's emotional impact. What we do know for certain, though, is that Baron Cortez has become especially dangerous. I can stop him, but I can't protect you from all the other Transcendents with him, junior sister."

"That's why we tread carefully. Once we catch up to them, we can only observe them from a safe distance until reinforcements arrive before making our move."

Considering the matter had already been reported to the kingdom, it was only a matter of time before the law-punishing force, which is sent to exterminate the outlaws, caught up with them.

"You mean we can only watch as they continue to slaughter innocents?" Lina clenched her fist, feeling angry at her own powerlessness.

She thought she had grown a lot, but she was still far too weak to make a change. There was always someone stronger.

"It can't be helped. Although I don't want to be harsh, I need you to be aware that we will fail if we try to stop Baron Cortez without sufficient strength. Not only will you die, but Baron Cortez and his people will continue to slaughter innocent lives after your death."

"I understand, senior brother," Lina replied with her head lowered.

Shortly after, Lina hopped on the mini airship with her senior brother Neron and continued chasing after Baron Cortez without speaking another word.

The journey continued through half the Durham Kingdom before the silent Lina frowned upon noticing another pattern in Baron Cortez's trail.

Baron Cortez's trail had been very linear as if the person had been traveling on a straightforward path with a very specific destination in mind.

There would be a slaughter if towns and cities were in the way. And if not, it would straight trip until the next trace of Baron Cortez's trail is found.

Zoom, zoom, zoom…

Suddenly, Lina and Neron heard the humming vibrations of rustling wind before turning around to see a giant airship drawing closer to them at a noticeable rate.

It was much faster than Neron's mini airship.

"That must be the kingdom's law-punishing airship, but I wonder who is leading the law-punishing force this time?" Neron wondered.

The kingdom's law-punishing airships were said to be equipped with state-of-the-art technology that grants them speed unmatched by any other airships in the kingdom.

Neron could see that the rumors were true.

When the giant airship grew closer, Neron suddenly shot a wave of fire into the sky to flag the airship over.

But even if he didn't do such a thing, the giant airship slowed down after noticing them anyway.

Shortly after Neron and Lina boarded the giant airship, a group of Peak-stage Preliminary Accession Transcendents quickly surrounded them with weapons drawn and pointed.

They treated Neron and Lina like suspected criminals.

A short moment later, the Peak-stage Preliminary Accession Transcendents made way for a middle-aged-looking man with the aura of a Mid-stage Seeking Insight Transcendent.

"Under the kingdom's regulation, the people of the Geyser Kingdom cannot travel outside of the kingdom's borders without a pass," the middle-aged-looking man stated.

Seeing Neron and Lina's clothes, the middle-aged-looking man didn't doubt they were from the Geyser Kingdom.

"Please show me your passes. Otherwise, we will have to apprehend you. And if you resist upon failing to comply, you will be put to death on the spot," The middle-aged-looking man spoke authoritatively.

Neron smiled without feeling the slightest intimidation or pressure.

"So it was Lord Quinten Saville in charge of the law-punishing force this time… That makes sense… The Saville County is next to the Cortez Barony, after all."

Neron made a casual comment before taking out a medallion with a pill symbol.

"Will this suffice?" Neron asks.

"This is…"

Lord Quinten's stern gaze became respectful upon recognizing the pill symbol on the medallion.

Chapter 749 - Making A Mountain Out Of A Molehill

Unless one had lived under a rock their whole life, there was not a single person in the Geyser Kingdom who did not recognize the pill symbol of the Venerable Pill Master.

Whether through word of mouth or printed on newspaper, the people of Geyser Kingdom would have heard or seen the Venerable Pill Master at least once in their life.

As a Half-step Paragon, the Venerable Pill Master may not be the strongest in the kingdom, but his status was not inferior to the Sea Emperor and High Priest, who were genuine Paragons, and may even surpass them.

That is how important the Venerable Pill Master is.

"So it was Young Master Neron. Apologies for the offense, the Venerable Pill Master's medallion with suffice."

Lord Quinten Saville began receiving Neron with a warm and accomodating attitude before shifting his gaze to Lina.

"Ah, and I assume you are Young Master Neron's life companion?"

Lord Quinten Saville attempted to earn Neron's good impression with his bold assumption.

Without surprise, Neron beamed with a wide smile.

However, his expression quickly froze upon noticing Lina's displeasing frown.

"Ahem, you are mistaken, Lord Quinten." Neron coughed awkwardly before correcting the person's misunderstanding, "She's my junior sister."

"Junior sister…?"

Lord Quinten Saville muttered with a pondering look before he was given a sudden fright in realization.

"My apologies, Miss Lina. It was very rude of me to have made such a bold assumption," Lord Quinten Saville quickly apologized.

Between the only two disciples under the Venerable Pill Master, many people knew who the Venerable Pill Master Favored more.

Nevertheless, Lina did not care about Lord Quinten Saville's apology.

"Never mind that. We don't have time for idle chats. We still need to stop Baron Cortez's rampage!" Lina objectively stated with a frown.

"Right, junior sister is right. Lord Quinten won't mind us tagging along to assist you, right?"

Neron interjected with a smile while trying to dispel the awkward mood between them.

"Naturally, I have no reason to refuse the help of an Early-stage Seeking Insight Transcendent," Lord Quinten Saville nodded with a smile.

"Full speed ahead!"

"Yes, Lord Quinten!"

The airship crew quickly powered the airship after Lord Quinten Saville ordered.

Rumble…!

Swoosh!

Before long, the law-punishing airship blasted into the distance with a sudden burst of a speed that continued to increase without losing momentum.

Everyone stood firmly on the deck as if wind resistance was non-existent.

…

…

…

Grassland Region, World Tree's crown

In the palace hall, Elizabeth sat in one of the two main seats while Faelyn and Thessalia sat in the side seats on her side.

Sometime later, Heinrich entered the hall with Elder Evergreen, Supreme Elder Haldir, and half of the Elf Tribe's 12 Elders.

"Since everyone here, we will address the imminent crisis we face," Heinrich spoke after taking his seat beside his wife.

"You've gathered us all on such short notice; this crisis must be very difficult to resolve. What is it exactly, Your Majesty?" Supreme Elder Haldir inquired.

Elder Evergreen and the others waited patiently for Heinrich to continue filling them in on the details.

"Yes, I was just about to talk about it, even if you didn't ask, Senior Eldergreen," Heinrich addressed Elder Evergreen politely before he continued to speak.

"Everyone should have heard how I was attacked by two foreign Transcendents some time ago in the old capital. They were only Preliminary Accession Transcendents, but their combat power was far higher than other Transcendents of the same level."

"Although my son hunted them down, a large group of experts has suddenly crossed our borders. We believe they are affiliated with the previous two foreign Transcendents and have come for revenge."

"Do we have intel on their strength and numbers?" One of the Elf Tribe's Elders asked.

Heinrich shifts his gaze to the elder before replying with a severe look, "There's around a hundred of them with half of them in the Transcendent Realm."

"Their exact strength is undetermined, but given the strength and age of the previous foreign Transcendents and the number of Transcendents they're bringing this time, we can expect them to have at least one Seeking Insight Transcendent or more."

"Not only that, it should be a Seeking Insight Transcendent with above-level combat power," Elizabeth inserted with a deep frown before studying the elders' expressions subtly.

"So not only does the enemy have more Transcendents than our side, but their strongest Transcendent is also likely to be stronger than the Supreme Elder and Elder Evergreen."

After an elf elder made the statement, everyone was hit with a heavy feeling.

"This does seem like it will be a difficult battle," Supreme Elder Haldir uttered before adding, "But not impossible to win. We have to make prep—"

Supreme Elder Haldir did not finish speaking when a shadow guard suddenly appeared next to Heinrich and whispered into his ears.

"I see…" Heinrich nodded after hearing the shadow guard's report. "You can leave."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The shadow guard disappeared shortly after Heinrich signaled him to leave with a wave of his hand.

All eyes were shortly directed at Heinrich as they awaited his news.

"Haiz…" Heinrich sighed before saying, "It would seem that we have no time to prepare. The enemy is already at the door."

Heinrich knew they were short on time, but the enemy still reached them much faster than he anticipated.

Nevertheless, his words quickly took everyone by surprise.

"What?"

Boom!

The World Tree was suddenly attacked, causing the palace hall to shake.

"We're under attack! Follow me!"

Elizabeth shot to her feet and swiftly summoned the swords hanging on the wall before leading the charge outside to confront the enemy.

Everyone immediately stood up and followed, including Faelyn and Thessalia—only to be shortly stopped by Elizabeth.

"You two will stay back!"

"But…"

"No buts! That is final," Elizabeth stated with an unquestionable tone, leaving no room for negotiation.

Faelyn and Thessalia immediately felt dispirited.

As Heinrich walked past them, he patted them on the shoulders in consolation.

"Don't worry. It's the thoughts that count. Leave this matter to the adults," Heinrich said.

However, Elizabeth suddenly shot him down, "You're staying back too, dear. You're not even a Transcendent yet. So what are you trying to achieve by joining the battle? To get yourself killed?"

Heinrich was frozen still with a stunned looked, feeling betrayed as Elizabeth left the palace hall with the other elders.

His wife did not leave him any face after what he just said.

Nevertheless, she made a point.

Faelyn and Thessalia pretended not to have noticed anything to avoid putting Heinrich in an awkward spot, but it only made him more embarrassed.

…

…

…

After Baron Cortez and his people arrived at the Grassland Region, they didn't just attack the World Tree.

In fact, the attack that Elizabeth and the others felt was just one among many of Baron Cortez's wild attacks upon reaching the vast camp.

Seeing so many humans and elves in the new capital construction area, Baron Cortez and his people began attacking indiscriminately with vicious and ruthless means.

Screams and terror rang throughout the region as humans and elves fled for their lives while the brave ones died while confronting the wicked fiends.

…

"We've finally caught up to Baron Cortez and his people, but they've already begun attacking such a large camp!" Lord Quinten Saville stated.

Law-punishing airship arrived on time and floated in the sky as everyone onboard oversaw the situation below.

At the same time, the towering World Tree surprised everyone from the Geyser Kingdom, but it was not the right moment for anyone to admire it.

"So much has changed since I've left…" Lina muttered before quickly shaking her head.

Now was not the time for that.

Baron Cortez and his people were slaughtering innocent lives as she spoke.

Her parents could even be among the masses below.

"Senior brother!" Lina urged.

Neron nodded before turning to urge Lord Quinten Saville in turn.

"Shall we, Lord Quinten?"

"Un. Law-punishing troops, stop—!"

ROAR!

The World Tree exploded with great fury after receiving repeated harassment from the intruders causing chaos in its land.

Its whip-like tree roots moved in a blur and accurately swatted all the troublemakers out of its domain.

Puchi! Puchi!

Jets of blood were sprayed from Baron Cortez and his retainers' mouths, and they flew like broken kites with their strings cut.

Thud, thud, thud…

Their bodies landed a few miles away, creating small pits in the ground, and remained motionless.

Whether it was Elizabeth's or Lord Quinten Saville's sides, both sides were stunned, and brief silence swept across the entire Grassland Region.

Shortly after, Lord Quinten Saville recovered from his shock before leading his people to check on Baron Cortez's condition.

At the same time, Elizabeth also issued similar commands before leading the elders to check.

When they all arrived at the sight, they discovered that all of Baron Cortez's bones were shattered, and his organs were crushed.

The other retainers were in similar conditions.

After being swatted to death by the World Tree, they have all become lifeless ragdolls.

Alas, it was the price for angering the World Tree.

Chapter 750 - Zion's Suspicion

Eternal Night Secret Realm

A few miles outside the Bone Sea's north outer rim, the Battle God Palace's people gathered on a rocky mountain.

Young Master Zion stood near the mountain cliff's edge and stared at the Bone Sea in the distance, observing its situation.

However, 12 out of the 20 Extremity-rank Battle Masters that accompanied Young Master Zion were present.

Swoosh~!

Another Extremity-rank Battle Master suddenly flew up and landed on the mountain cliff, bringing an updraft of wind with him before he knelt in front of Young Master Zion.

"As per your instructions, I have conquered an Arch Demon-level Tomb before returning, Young Master Zion. Please use these items to aid your cultivation, Young Master."

The Extremity-rank Battle Master presented the Arch Demon-level inheritance, containing one Arch Demon-level demon core and multiple Tier-6 pieces of equipment.

However, Young Master Zion didn't even glance at the offering.

"Uncle Jizo, I sent you and the others out to look for opportunities, not so you can gift them back to me, but to let you improve yourself," Zion spoke.

"I won't take what my servants earned for themselves."

"I understand that, but I am willingly offering the Arch Demon-level inheritance to you, Young Master. I want to be of help to you," Jizo stated.

Nevertheless, Zion shook his head and argued, "You'll be of more help to me when you become a Battle King, Uncle Jizo. So please don't force me to take your hard-earned rewards."

After Zion said that, Jizo had no choice but to agree to his young master's wish.

"I understand, Young Master. I won't speak any further on this matter," Jizo conceded.

Although Jizo was disappointed that Young Master Zion didn't accept his gift, it won the other Extremity-rank Battle Masters' hearts.

As a result, it strengthened their loyalty to Young Master Zion.

However, the young boy didn't plan, nor was he aware of his servants' thoughts. He simply spoke and acted according to his own principles.

"Take this chance to absorb the Arch Demon-level demon core now, Uncle Jizo. We won't be going anywhere for the time being, and the others will guard for you."

"Thank you, Young Master."

Shortly after Jizo began absorbing the Arch Demon-level demon core's energy to temper his body, another Extremity-rank Battle Master from the Battle God Palace returned.

A few moments after that, a few more servants returned.

"We have returned with news, Young Master."

"Let's hear it then."

"As we suspected, most of the demons have entered the Bone Sea. Only small groups of Lesser Demons were spotted in the outer rim. Therefore, it's safe to assume that the secret realm's best inheritances are all found in the Bone Sea."

"I see… Then if we want to get our hands on the best inheritances, we have no choice but to enter the Bone Sea and compete with the demons…" Zion muttered with a frown.

After a moment, Zion sought his servants' opinions, "What does everyone think about our chances in the Bone Sea?"

"Even for us, it will be difficult to fight against so many demons at once, especially the Greater Demons; There are too many of them. So our chances aren't high on our own, but if we work with the other tribes…"

"Our chances will definitely be higher if we work with other tribes. But unfortunately, there aren't many tribes interested in challenging the Bone Sea."

"I agree with Bonz," another servant agreed before adding, "When scouting the area, I noticed many tribes were avoiding the Bone Sea and searching for tombs in the outer edges of the secret realm."

"We seemed so united when we entered the secret realm together, but the truth is very far from that. We cannot be any more divided. In the face of self-interest, it's every tribe for themselves—if not every man for themselves."

The Extremity-rank Battle Master by the name Bonz sighed at the lamentable situation of humans.

"The tribes are divided because they don't have anyone qualified to unite and lead them. However, we have Young Master Zion, the son of the Third Lord Rolthos, here with us. The blood of the Battle God runs in his veins."

"Right, if it's Young Master Zion, he can definitely rally the tribes and unite them," another Extremity-rank Battle Master expressed his opinion.

However, Zion thought otherwise.

"You're wrong, Uncle Puxi," Zion shook his head and said, "I might have a noble status as a royal member of the Battle God Palace, but I am still a 13-year-old kid. My noble status alone isn't enough to convince the proud warriors of the Infertile Plains to follow me."

"This…"

Their young master's words nearly swayed Puxi and the other servants, causing them to hesitate for a moment.

However, Puxi shortly argues, "But Young Master isn't just any normal 13-year-old kid. You are a 13-year-old Battle Master! Even other Battle Masters to give recognition to your peerless talent and endless potential."

"No matter how great my talents are, my strength is only at the Early-stage of Battle Master Realm. So long as I am weaker than the tribal chiefs, it will be difficult to rally them under my leadership."

Despite being a 13-year-old boy, Zion wasn't ignorant of the pride ingrained in every warrior.

"Nevertheless, it's not like I was the best candidate anyway. There is someone even more qualified than me in rallying and leading everyone to challenge the Bone Sea," Zion added.

Bonz, Puxi, and the other servants were stunned before one of them asked, "You mean Young Master Leonhardt, Young Master?"

"Precisely. Out of everyone who participated in this secret realm, I don't think anyone is more qualified than Big Brother Leonhardt," Zion answered truthfully.

When Young Master Leonhardt's name was brought, several servants seemed convinced by their young master's view.

However, there was something they didn't understand.

"I understand that Young Master Leonhardt is a great person and that he had even saved Young Master's life. So it wouldn't be strange for Young Master to respect Young Master Leonhardt…"

"…But don't you think you are being a bit too respectful when you address Young Master Leonhardt, Young Master? After all, Young Master is still someone with noble status."

"Well, I'm not so sure; I have this feeling that Big Brother Leon could be related to me," Zion replied, stunning the servants.

"What?"

Chapter 751 - Spatial Phenomenon

While the Battle God Palace's Extremity-rank Battle Masters were still stunned by their young master's guess, they did not notice the decreasing number of Lesser Demons in the Bone Sea.

Leon continued to alternate between cultivation and hunting demons while the dark faes practiced the Godfiend Body Forging Method in the medicinal bath.

By the time Leon hunted another 200 Lesser Demons, Saresha and the rest of the dark faes had depleted the effect of the medicinal bath.

During that time, Saresha and the other dark faes made a fair bit of progress.

Despite that, they weren't exactly sure how much stronger they had grown physically without testing their strength.

"Ah, the medicinal bath's effectiveness has been depleted! We can finally stop!" one of the dark faes rejoiced after making the discovery.

Saresha and the other dark faes also stopped absorbing the Lesser Demon-level demon core's energy after sensing the loss of recovery.

"I wonder how powerful we've become after practicing this Godfiend Body Forging Method…" Saresha muttered while clenching and relaxing her hands to feel the strength coursing through them."

"How about a light spar to find out?" another dark fae suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea since we can't continue to practice after the medicinal bath depleted its effectiveness."

"Yeah! I'm kind of glad it did! I never thought that I would say that but, this sort of cultivation is just torturous and unbearable!"

The dark faes chimed.

"Why have you all stopped cultivating?"

Suddenly, Leon's voice startled them; they quickly turned towards the source before they saw Leon returning from the Bone Sea's direction with a leather bag in hand.

"M-my lord!" they greeted.

While covered in demon blood, Leon hurled the leather bag to the side of the medicinal bath before numerous Lesser Demon-level demon cores, and some Greater Demon-level demon cores spilled out.

The dark faes were even more startled by the sight before Saresha quickly answered Leon's question, "The medicinal bath's effectiveness has been depleted, my lord!"

"I see," Leon calmly nodded before saying, "Let's review your progress then. We'll start with you, Saresha. Throw your best punch without the power of your energy cultivation."

"Y-you want Saresha to throw a punch at you, my lord?" Saresha asked for confirmation with a startled look.

"Don't make me repeat myself," Leon calmly stated.

"Y-yes, my lord!" Saresha replied before giving out a warning as she threw her punch, "Please pardon my offense!"

Bam!

Her small white fist landed squarely in the palm of Leon's hand without him budging the slightest inch; he stood his ground firmly like a mountain.

"About 38-thousand jin, huh? Not far from Rank 4 Body Tempering according to the primordial body cultivation standard," Leon analyzed with a casual expression.

Shortly after, Leon nodded before saying, "Now throw me another punch, powered by your energy cultivation."

"Y-yes, my lord!"

Saresha took a deep breath before she gathered power into her fist and exploded forth with a quick punch covered in darkness.

Bam!

The fist landed squarely into Leon's palm once again, and the dark aura dispersed like the ripples created from a rock dropped into still water.

Leon's hair fluttered from the rush of air, but he remained unbudged from the attack.

"About 500-thousand jin when the strength of body and energy are combined, huh?" Leon calmly analyzed Saresha's punch strength.

It was still far from the level of strength needed to move him.

"Alright, you can step back," Leon said to Saresha before calling for the next dark fae, "Who wants to test their strength next? Decide quickly."

"I will, my lord!" said a dark fae with short black hair.

Sometime later, Leon finished measuring the strength of every dark fae under him; all were roughly between Rank 3 to Rank 4 Body Tempering.

As for their energy cultivation, it ranged from Low to Mid-rank Lesser Demon level.

Although Saresha was the first to submit to Leon, her strength wasn't the strongest among the 50 dark faes.

Nevertheless, her strength still placed her in the group's upper circle.

"You didn't run into any of our clansmen during your hunt, my lord?" Saresha inquired after glancing down at the Lesser Demon-level demon cores Leon brought.

Leon shook his head.

"Did you think I killed them or something? No, it seems like the rest of your clansmen can only be found in the other sides of the Bone Sea's outer rim."

"Alright, that's that. We will meet them when we meet them," Leon stated before urging the dark faes, "Get back in the pool and continue to cultivate. I will restore its effectiveness."

Leon took out more Golden Ointment and All-purpose Healing Pills and mixed them with the bathwater, and before long, the medicinal bath exuded a strong medicinal scent once more.

The dark faes hopped back into the medicinal bath; some did it eagerly, while others did it reluctantly.

Nevertheless, the dark faes settled inside the medicinal bath and resumed their body cultivation while Leon estimated it was time to head back into the Abyssal Wood Forest.

'I've been gone nearly a day. I should head back and check on the others. Aria and Darlene might start to worry if I'm away for any longer,' Leon mused.

After making sure that the dark faes would be fine on their own for a short while, Leon departed the area with a burst of speed.

However, as Leon rushed back to Aria's location, he suddenly sensed a change in the sky.

Black clouds gathered around the Abyssal Wood Forest, forming an enormous black storm before deforming as if space was distorting.

Unlike any other phenomenon that forms a spiral tempest of clouds, the deforming black clouds above the Abyssal Wood Forest transformed into an enormous sphere of black clouds.

'A spatial storm? No, a spatial phenomenon! This must be Darlene's Transcendent Phenomenon!'

Leon's eyes lit up.

In the next instance, Leon kicked the ground and burst forward with greater speed as he rushed back at his quickest speed.

Without a doubt, the spatial phenomenon would attract a lot of attention to the Abyssal Wood Forest.

He had to be there to prevent others from interfering with Darlene's Transcendence.

Chapter 752 - Leon's Cussing

Abyssal Wood Forest

The chaotic winds blew, the forest leaves rustled, the tree branches clashed, and the billowing dark clouds in the sky above collided.

Rumble…!

The spatial phenomenon stirred the heavenly weather chaotically with its unpredictable and uncontrollable wind currents, yet oddly enough, retained the spherical body of dark clouds.

"This is… What is this?"

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman stared at the spatial storm's slow descent from the first heaven with an abject look of alarm and horror after his cultivation was interrupted.

For a person who had never seen a spatial phenomenon, the formation of chaotic space in the sky was no different from the coming of doomsday.

"It's Darlene's Transcendent Phenomenon. She's about to become a Spatial Transcendent," Aria explained, for her cultivation, too, was interrupted.

Nevertheless, she had never seen such a phenomenon either.

'Are all spatial phenomenons like this? Or is this the difference between primary laws and grand laws?' Aria wondered.

Swoosh!

A sudden pillar of chaotic space shot down from the spherical body of spatial storm as if forming a link with Darlene, lifting her body off the big tree branch and leaving her suspended in midair.

At the same time, Aria and the One-Eyed Venerable were pushed away onto a different tree branch by the powerful current of chaotic space.

The brief contact made them think the chaotic space nearly ripped them to shreds; that made the One-Eyed Venerable assume Darlene was in danger.

"Watch out, young lady!"

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman prepared to pull Darlene out of the chaotic space forcefully, but Aria immediately stopped him.

"Don't! This is Darlene's baptism, something she needs to experience before successfully transcending! So don't interrupt her!" Aria shouted.

"Eh?"

The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's extended hand froze before the One-Eyed Venerable wryly smiled while awkwardly retracting his hand.

"I see. I almost made an irredeemable mistake and ruined Miss Darlene's good fortune. Thank you for stopping this old man."

"Don't mention it, senior." Aria sighed with relief before saying, "We better retreat to a safer distance."

"Agreed," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman nodded.

The pillar of chaotic space was so powerful that it reduced the entire ashen tree into sharp splinters before further reducing them into fine sawdust.

The sight shocked the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman.

"Are all transcendent phenomena always powerful like this?" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman inquired.

"Hard to say, senior." Aria shook her head and replied, "Even for me, it's my first time seeing such a powerful phenomenon."

When she transcended, her phenomenon stretched for hundreds of miles, but even then, it did not feel as powerful as what she was witnessing.

"By the way, I can't seem to find Young Master Leonhardt anywhere. Have you seen or know where he went, Miss Aria?"

Aria was about to look around, but Leon suddenly appeared right beside them in a ghostly manner and patted the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman on the shoulder.

"I heard someone was looking for me?"

Leon smiled, and his devilish and sudden whisper made the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman slightly jump with a startled look.

"Haiz, speak of the devil."

"Haha, how's the situation?"

"It's as you can see, she is undergoing the baptism—or so Miss Aria calls it, but I don't really know much about these phenomena stuff. Why did you go, Young Master Leonhardt?"

"Oh, you know; just some stuff like cultivation, demon hunting, and demon raising," Leon casually replied.

But the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman and Aria blinked twice, thinking they may have misheard his words.

"Did you say demon raising? Did I hear—"

Nevertheless, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's question was cut short by the interruption of a sudden change.

At that moment, Darlene's suspended body suddenly began ascending and shot into the eye of the chaotic space storm, disappearing from everyone's vision.

"Is she going to be okay?" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman frowned in wonder.

However, Leon didn't have a definite answer.

"Let's all believe in her. Although the Spatial Phenomenon seems quite dangerous, I haven't come across a phenomenon that harms the transcender. More importantly, it seems we have company."

Leon's gaze suddenly flickered with a sharp look as he alerted the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman and Aria.

A short distance away, several shadowy figures hopped from treetop to treetop and made their way over.

However, Leon's ghostly figure suddenly appeared in front of them and blocked their path, forcing them to come to an abrupt stop on the ashen trees.

It was a group of humans from a tribe Leon wasn't acquainted with.

Furthermore, their strength wasn't half-bad.

The group had clearly experienced a few lucky chances in the secret realm and raised a few Extremity-rank Battle Masters.

"Friends, please do not come any closer. My woman is undergoing Transcendence, and I would appreciate it if you would stay back and not disturb the process."

"Transcendence? What kind of sh*t is that? I think you are just spouting nonsense to keep us away from the emerging tomb of inheritance! Something this must be a Demon King-level Tomb at least!"

"Right, Young Master Leonhardt. As a Divine Doctor, you will naturally have our respect. However, everything in the secret realm is fair play. You can't monopolize the inheritance for yourself."

"Please don't be selfish and move aside, Young Master Leonhardt—while we are still giving you face, that is."

The impatient Extremity-rank Battle Masters in the group fired their accusations at Leon, bolstered by inflated confidence that their acquired strengths brought them.

Leon's expression darkened before dropping his polite attitude at once.

"What the actual f*ck? How dare you clowns accuse me like a bandit when I spoke the truth nicely? F*ck you and your pretentious respect! Do you think you're strong after a bit of improvement? Do you think you can step all over me just because you're 'strong?' F*ck all of you!"

Leon cussed and pointed his middle finger at them.

They seemed to have forgotten the insurmountable difference between them when he demonstrated his Authority of Earth in front of the various tribes.

Of course, there was a chance that they were part of the tribes that arrived later, but either way; Ignorant fools ought to be taught their places!

Chapter 753 - Rain Of Sword Intent

Leon could sense that Darlene's Spatial Phenomenon had drawn the attention of more than one group and that Aria and the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman had gone to confront.

Given the uncertainty of the other parties' strengths, Leon couldn't be bothered wasting further time on the people in front of him.

At the same time, they didn't take kindly to his curses either.

"F*cking hell! When have I, the Redstone Tribe's chief, ever had someone talk to me with just disrespect? Don't you dare say that we didn't give you a chance! I want this bastard crippled—!"

Boom!

Just as the Redstone Tribe's chief finished giving his order, Leon immediately pressured them with the power of gravity and caught them off-guard.

Even if they had powerful physical strengths that could withstand fivefold gravity, the sudden change in gravity made them miscalculate their step and tripped.

Several Redstone Tribe's Extremity-rank Battle Masters fell.

However, they quickly adjusted to the change in gravity and twisted their bodies, latching onto nearby tree branches before climbing back onto the treetops.

"What kind of power is this? Shamanic powers over gravity? There was such a thing?" the Redstone Tribe's chief frowned without budging an inch.

He didn't trip like the others because he didn't make the slightest movement after giving his order, and the increased gravity didn't give him much trouble either.

"No matter. Such an insignificant power doesn't have much effect on a Half-step Battle King like—"

"Down!"

Leon was not interested in listening and simply increased the pressure of gravity.

Tenfold… Fifteenfold… Twentyfold!

Leon could keep increasing the gravity pressure indefinitely with the Authority of Earth so long as his mental strength could keep up with the expenditure.

However, twentyfold gravity was enough to cause a change.

Although the Redstone Tribe's warriors endured twentyfold well with their powerful strengths, their vulnerable organs couldn't handle the pressure.

Puchi!

Several Peak-rank Battle Masters sprayed blood due to their ruptured organs, causing weakness and loss of strength as they plummeted from the trees with paled expression.

The sight agitated the enduring Extremity-rank Battle Masters, causing their organs to rupture before they also plummeted with the rest.

Thud, thud, thud!

The Redstone Tribe's Battle Masters landed heavily on the ground before spraying a few more mouthfuls of blood, severely injured and unable to get up.

At the same time, a few Peak-rank Battle Masters landed on bad angles, breaking their neck and killing them on the spot.

A gloomy aura hung over the Redstone Tribe's chief as he saw what happened.

"How dare you!" the Redstone Tribe's chief exploded.

"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes; their deaths are on you for not heeding my words," Leon stated indifferently.

Although he only intended to incapacitate the Redstone Tribe's warriors, it can't be helped when accidents happen.

"Die!"

The Redstone Tribe's chief kicked forward with explosive speed, causing the ashen treetop to crack and bend behind him.

…

Several hundred yards away from Leon's location, Aria also failed to convince a group of warriors from the Dragon-Elephant Tribe in the Central Region before engaging in battle.

However, the Dragon-Elephant Tribe's people attacked Aria for a different reason; they lusted for her sword after noticing its divine aura.

"Hand over your sword, lass! You're not worthy of wielding such a divine weapon!" the Dragon-Elephant Tribe's chief shot after Aria with a crazed look in his eyes.

Even among Tier-6 weapons, the Dragon-Elephant Tribe's chief had never seen an enchanted weapon with such aura in the Infertile Plains.

It could only belong to a higher tier!

How is it acceptable that a thin girl wields such a divine weapon? It should belong to him! Only he was worthy of it!

As the Dragon-Elephant Tribe's chief chased, Aria retreated gracefully on her ice-lightning sword with a cold expression.

'Leon wants to save humans in the Infertile Plains and unify them under the Crawford Empire, but is someone like this worth saving?'

Aria's eyes flickered with a cold light.

She detests selfish people who betray and backstab their own kind without hesitation to pursue their self-interest.

'Someone like this doesn't deserve to live!'

Shing!

In a single decisive move, Aria sliced off Dragon-Elephant Tribe's chief's head with her tier-7 divine sword's sword intent.

The Dragon-Elephant Tribe's chief, who didn't expect Aria to attack with such sharpness and speed, died without knowing the reason.

But before the abyss engulfed his consciousness, the Dragon-Elephant Tribe's chief wondered why his body stopped reacting to his thoughts.

The Dragon-Elephant Tribe's Battle Masters standing on the sideline froze when they saw their tribal chief's head draw an arc in the air.

"Chief! F*ck, she killed the chief!"

"We must avenge our chief, brothers!"

The Dragon-Elephant Tribe's Battle Masters quickly jumped into action as they charged at Aria with burning fury in their eyes.

It hadn't crossed their minds that their chief could get himself killed so carelessly.

"Be careful! Her divine weapon is very sharp and produces Sword Intent! There's no way someone young like her can comprehend Sword Intent already!" a Peak-rank Battle Master warned.

"Oh? How impressive of you to have noticed that. If only you used half that brain of yours to make wiser decisions for your tribal chief!" Aria snickered coldly.

As a Seeking Insight-level Ice-Lightning Transcendent, Aria was only close to High-rank Battle Masters in strength.

But when she is equipped with the tier-7 divine weapon, even Early-rank Battle Kings have to be careful with her attacks, let alone Peak-rank Battle Masters.

"Cheeky b*tch!" the Peak-rank Battle Master spat before shouting, "Surround her! There's no way she can defend our attacks from every direction!"

"Hmph!"

Aria snorted with a cold look before swinging her tier-7 divine sword indiscriminately in all directions, sending out waves after waves of Ice-Lightning Sword Intent.

"Watch out!" the Peak-rank Battle Master cried with alarm.

Unfortunately, his warning came too late; and even though the Dragon-Elephant Tribe's Battle Masters also saw the rain of flying sword auras, they couldn't evade all of it.

Puchi! Puchi!

"Arghhhh!"

The High-rank and Peak-rank Battle Masters cried after getting their limbs and body parts sliced off the flying sword auras before plunging out of the trees.

The more unfortunate Battle Master were directly killed by the sword auras, which also felled many trees and cleared out a section of the forest simultaneously.