Chapter 220 - 218: Xue Duan, Bloodforge King

Chapter 220 - 218: Xue Duan, Bloodforge King

When the incoming two figures arrived, they swept their senses and observed the devastation that spanned for tens of kilometers. The entire scene was the picture of destruction, with countless unprotected lives ended prematurely. Furthermore, the core energy signature that engulfed this area, the one responsible, belonged to an incomparably familiar individual: Duke Zhao.

"How careless," one of the voices reverberated throughout the surroundings with a tinge of simmering anger. It would cause even the bravest of warriors to tremble in their boots. It belonged to Qi Lang, the Guardian of the Bloodforge Continent. Normally, this would fall on his shoulders as neglecting his responsibilities.

However, the Xue Country was slightly special. His overall objective wasn’t to prevent the loss of life but to prevent the destruction of the entire continent. The only reason he interfered with An Ge and Chen Xiaowei’s actions was because of Wei Wuyin’s existence there. If it wasn’t for that, he wouldn’t interfere with Xue Country’s affairs.

In the cultivation world, lives ended swiftly, entire clans can collapse, and thousand-year-old established forces could be annihilated overnight. Therefore, he was absolved and could coldly make remarks like this without a single trace of guilt. While this usually didn’t involve Astral Core Realm experts, and thus the resulting fallout wasn’t nearly as catastrophic as today.

"..." The man beside him was dressed in a blood-crimson robe that was quite animated. It was as if a river of blood was forged within every strand of fabric. His thick eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Those blood-red eyes carried an innately oppressive and regal might.

While his silky caramel skin helped his countenance, he wasn’t particularly attractive or displeasing to look at. If it wasn’t for his attire and crown that sat upon his head, with rubies that emitted faint shimmering light, he could easily be lost in the average crowd.

"Do you have an explanation for this, Xue Duan?" Qi Lang directed his cold words to this man, the Bloodforge King, and the leader of the Xue Country. As the Guardian of this continent, while he didn’t have a responsibility towards obtaining justice, and he likely still wouldn’t if it wasn’t for that particular man, he pushed the blame onto the owner of the rabid, chaos-bringing dog that was Duke Zhao.

Xue Duan’s frown deepened, a wisp of silent rage within. However, he didn’t dare express his displeasure or make a snarky remark. Qi Lang was an elite expert with a full cultivation stage above him, and while he possessed the authority of a Sky Noble while in the Xue Country, the Resident Guardian was not subjected to it. This placed him in a passive situation for a moment before his eyes spotted Zuhei.U//ppTodated fr/o/m nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)\/m

Zuhei was sitting quietly to the side on a fragmented piece of a mountain. His aura was faintly being released to reveal his presence deliberately. Those scarlet eyes of his weren’t looking at anything in particular, and he had a rather nonchalant expression.

Xue Duan could feel his aura and knew he was the opponent that clashed with Duke Zhao. "Let’s see if I can find you one." He flashed, arriving before Zuhei while floating within the air, his robe fluttered wildly giving off a dignified and immortal-like appearance. Despite this showing, Zuhei was entirely unaffected.

He snorted a little, lifted his head slightly back, located an empty spot, and spat out a wad of saliva and snot. Smacking his lips, he eyed this Bloodforge King. His cultivation base wasn’t greater than his own, and Zuhei felt he was much weaker than those he killed before.

’Master should just kill his way through. All this roundabout manner seems pointless.’ His master had wealth, influence, status, and power, so it would be utterly easy to crush this continent and own it through force. However, when this thought entered his mind, he felt a piercing chill crawl down his spine. He didn’t dare look towards it, merely continued playing his role.

’Master usually direct. If he wanted simply to take the continent, he could probably just buy it from the sect or have them bestow it to him. There’s more to this.’ From the start, he didn’t feel that Wei Wuyin’s goal was this measly continent, and his plans seemed to be broadening with each passing moment. He couldn’t fathom his interest, but it wasn’t his purpose to question or make orders.

In the end, he gave Zuhei one last glance before ignoring him. He flew towards Wei Wuyin, but his regal pressure and authority were like snow on a scorching morning. It disappeared without a trace. He didn’t even dare to be in a slightly higher elevation than Wei Wuyin, keeping his approach leveled.

Wei Wuyin inwardly shook his head. The rules of the sect made it very difficult for Wei Wuyin to directly interfere with the Xue Country unless a situation like earlier occurred where the country acted against him first. With the ’audience’ and ’silent confession’ of Duke Zhao, he was well within the rules and his rights to eliminate Xue Duan and uproot the entire Bloodforge Royal Clan.

And Xue Duan knew this.

However, he would still have zero influence on the selection of its next leader. That was a democratic matter dealt with by the natives themselves. He wasn’t at a level he could treat the rules of the sect as glass, shattering them as he pleased, nor did he wish to develop into such a person. Rules and principles were there for a reason. If the higher-ranked officials regarded them as a paltry joke, then they would soon become chains that restrained the weak for convenience, and that often bred discontent and unfavorable civil results.

Likely cursing Duke Zhao’s ancestors, Xue Duan had an amicable smile as he greeted Wei Wuyin. "Heavenly Ki-, I mean, Alchemic King, it’s a pleasure to meet you." He corrected himself, realizing that Wei Wuyin’s faceless mask had a meaning to his incognito status.

"..." Wei Wuyin remained silent.

This caused Xue Duan to feel an unfathomable pressure. ’Could he intend to kill me?’ The thought bred unreasonable fear as he observed the mask that was as blank as nothing. In the silence, a soft gulp resounded. He didn’t know what to do. The aura Wei Wuyin emitted was quite intense, and he was subconsciously affected.

Qi Lang sent another well-timed spiritual message towards his way. "Wei Wuyin was renowned for his ruthlessness. Chances are he’ll act against you soon. Unless..."

The first two sentences clutched his heart in a vice grip. How could he not know of the recent moves made by Wei Wuyin? He eliminated an entire Sky Noble Faction and organized his beheading! He blew a hole through a planet’s sky layer with the permission of the sect’s upper-echelon! He eliminated an entire clan, condemning hundreds of thousands to a desolate lifestyle!!

Ruthless? Influence? Status? Backing? Ability? Wealth? Did he lack any of it?! Before just the title ’Heavenly King’, he was simply an ant. One of the five million experts of the starfield? Pfft. How could that matter when you could move every force imaginable in the Myriad Monarch Astral Territory with a bounty/call?

So he tugged heavily on that unless...

That unless was his lifeline because he truly didn’t know what to do. How could he, a King, be so lost?

Perhaps it was Wei Wuyin’s casual hiring of an expert at the same realm yet far beyond his battle prowess before him. Or the threat that was caused by the idiot Duke Zhao! A single wrong move and his legacy as king was kaput!

Qi Lang continued, "I talked to him earlier. He said he was seeking a beautiful, virgin concubine during this vacation. His weakness towards beauties seemed quite potent, and it was said he condemned the entire Ji Clan of my sect because of a favor to one."

It was these words that started the cascading ignition of a sequence of events that was now unstoppable!