Chapter 402 - Dreadel King

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John quickly left the Fenix Clan grounds as he flew towards his desired destination. The Skycleave Forest rushed by below him, filling him with another wave of nostalgia. This very forest was where he first set out on his cultivation journey. It was where everything had started.

After a moment of thought, John diverted his route slightly as he veered to the right. After flying forward for several hours, he finally arrived at his first destination. He hovered high in the sky as he looked down at the desolate stretch of forest below him.

In this desolate stretch of forest was a large clearing, with a large village built in this clearing. This was the village that shunned cultivation, and fled from the Dreadel Kingdom's protection. This was the village where John had killed his first human, and where he was yelled out of the city he interfered with the bandits acting as guards.

The village, which had once been brimming with human activity was completely empty. Dried blood was splattered all over, while claw marks from powerful beasts were visible. Clearly the village was attacked by powerful beasts, and the village was no longer able to protect themselves, resulting in their destruction.

John sighed slightly as he saw all of this, as its destruction was related to his interfering actions. However, his heart remained steady.

"This village was destroyed because I interfered, but the blame cannot be put on me alone. Despite having no strength at all, they shunned the cultivation world and lived amongst beasts. Sooner or later, those bandits would have abandoned them, and their destruction would have happened regardless. They only have themselves to blame for their naïve thinking. The only assurance in this world is strength. Shunning that assurance is tantamount to suicide."

John gazed at the village below for a moment longer before his body sped forward once more, leaving the village behind for nature to eventually reclaim, its existence eventually forgotten for all time.

...

In the very center of a large city, a grand castle towered over the rest of the city. The white walls of the castle gleaned in the sunlight, while the blue-tipped spires caught the attention of all. This castle belonged to the king of the Dreadel Kingdom.

Within this castle, a meeting between all the important members of the kingdom was taking place. Seated on the throne before all the members was the king, who glanced down at his subjects who were reporting on the matter at hand.

"Reporting to your excellency. Our scouts have just returned from the Fenix Clan," one of the men said as he stepped forward.

"Oh?" the king replied as he glanced at the man. "What is the outcome of the battle? Has the Fenix Clan been wiped out as expected? If so, we will need to give our tribute to the Crimson Valley Sect with utmost haste. While we will fall a bit in power over these lands, this will ensure our survival as a kingdom."

The man who had stepped forward paused for a moment after hearing his kings words. "Actually your excellency...it was the Fenix Clan who was victorious. The Crimson Valley Sect has been fully eradicated, sect and all."

"WHAT?"

The man's report caused a commotion in the council chambers, as no one could believe what they were hearing. The king too was beyond surprised, and asked his man to clarify.

"Are you sure that's what happened. Could your scouts be wrong?" the king asked.

"They are not wrong, your excellency," the man replied. "Similar reports have come from other sources, adding to the veracity of the claim."

"Silence," the king commanded as the room became loud at the news once again. He glanced at the man once more. "How did such a thing come to pass?"

"Well…" the man was unsure of how to report the message without sounding incredulous. After a brief moment of silence, he decided to just tell the truth. 

"The Fenix Clan was on the verge of annihilation, when...they were saved by one of their Young Master's, as well as a mysterious woman."

"Saved by one of their Young Masters? How could the youth of their clan make a difference?" the king asked, not believing the story. 

"We are unsure of how such a thing happened," the man replied. 

The king remained silent for a moment before he addressed the man and the group before him once more.

"If that truly is the case, then we must find out more about this. Perhaps the youth discovered some amazing secret that elevated his power quickly. If we can obtain that secret, it could raise our kingdom as well," the king instructed.

Boom!

A sudden boom shook the castle, surprising everyone within the council chamber. A small part of the ceiling of the castle exploded, showering the council below with debris. Guards quickly flooded into the room at the sound, ready to fight against any intruder.

"Who dares interrupt my council meeting and destroy my castle!" the king yelled out furiously as he noticed a new person had arrived.

The person stood at the center of the room, instantly drawing the attention of everyone, including the guards. However, the guards didn't dare move as they noticed the power and cultivation of the person before them.

John's eyes swept over the council, looking for a particular person. He had arrived at that person's mansion earlier, and his questioning had revealed that person to be in this very council.

John immediately spotted the person, who looked at him as if he had seen a ghost.

"You…" the man called out with absolute shock in his voice.

"Duke Trommel, we meet again," John replied with a smile as he approached the Duke. 

John had no ill-will towards the Duke, despite the fact that he had hired the Stalking Mantis Assassin Guild. The Duke was only doing what he could to take back his spear, and did not know John was part of the group that had stolen it. It was the assassins themselves that dealt the finishing blow, when they were only tasked with retrieving the spear.

However, the Duke had information that John needed, and so he decided to come here directly.

John ignored everyone else in the room, including the king, as he walked over to the Duke. "Where can I find the Stalking Mantis Assassin Guild?" John asked, getting directly to the point.

"What?" the Duke replied. He had expected John to come find vengeance for his son's actions a year ago. 

"Answer me," John commanded. "Where can I find them?"

His aura pressed down on the Duke, sending a shiver of fear up his spine.

"At the Shrake Mountains. They're located in a cave at the base of Shrake Mountain," the Duke replied hastily.

John inspected the Duke for a moment to make sure he wasn't lying, before he suddenly flew up out of the hole in the castle ceiling he had created. Just as fast as he had arrived, he had left, filling the council with a sense of confusion as to what had just happened.

"What just happened? Who was that boy?" the king cried out for answers. "How dare he invade my kingdom!"

His gaze locked onto the Duke, who was still shivering from John's aura. "Duke Trommel, who was that boy!" the king commanded answers once more.

"Your excellency," the man who had addressed the council first stepped forward once more. "I believe that was the Fenix Clan youth I was talking about!"

His words sent a wave of shock through the council, while the king felt the color drain from his face. He had nearly shouted out and ordered his guards to attack John, but John had left before he could do so. 

The king slumped on his throne as he sighed out deeply, realizing he had barely dodged death today.

…

John quickly arrived before a medium sized mountain, which was relatively un-eye catching. His divine sense swept out over the mountain, and he quickly spotted what he was looking for.

"It seems as though Duke Trommel was wise enough to not lie to me. There truly is a well-hidden hideout at the base of this mountain.. Time to pay some old acquaintances a visit once again."

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