《My beast Emperor System》 Chapter 1: Power System Chapter 1: Power System General Cultivation realms Human Level 1-5 Warrior Level 1-5 Mortal Level 1-5 Spirit Level 1-5 Champion Level 1-5 Demigod Level 1-5 God Level 1-5 True God Level 1-5 King God Level 1-5 -Each realm or cultivation stage contains 5 levels both for Humans, magic beasts and even Ktinos( Beastmen) Magic Beast Tiers -Top tier -Mid tier -Low tier -While magic beasts will be ratedter on in numbers and the tier of a magic beast does not affect its cultivation abilities. A God level magic beast(God beast) from the warg bloodline can neverpare to a God beast from the Dragon bloodline. They may be at the same realm but their strength will differ due to bloodline. -For Fighters or meleebatants, Body refinement requires resources. Development as a mage requires both resources and talent inprehending the elements. -The factor which decides he effectiveness of body refinement training using resources is the potential of the body. Higher potential will result in higher gain in power for a smaller amount of resources. Whereas if one has very low potential, arge amount of resources are needed to progress in levels or stages. -Beastmen(Ktinos) due to their bloodline possess both a strong body and a strong affinity to the elements, ording to their god beast bloodline, this makes them superior to humans. In most cases, beastmen excel as mages and fighters, capable of supressing any foe effortlessly. Unfortunately for the, nature has its way of creating bnce. while their potential is always high, their reproductive abilities is greatly wed, greatly reducing their numbers. They have the strength but theyck the numbers. Chapter 2: Lucien Raizen Chapter 2: Lucien Raizen Legend has it that Emperor Fei was once a young and vibrant youth with the power of mes at his beck and call. His mastery over the fire element was so immense that he shed with the Dragon emperor on numerous asions and even then he never conceded defeat even once. As the direct descendants of the Phoenix God beast, the Hayato family step forward and battled the entire inhabitants of the northern part of the continent. During the long war, the Hayato family showcased the strength of their God Beast and overwhelmed their enemies. They gathered the descendants of various God beasts of different tiers throughout their journey and wars and united them under one banner. These families were the Drax family, Raizen family, and the Luno family. With all of them from mid-tier God beasts it was natural they submitted to the Hayato family who are direct descendants of the Phoenix God beast. United these families faced off against the greatest mages and fighters of the region in a long and bitter battle and even though theycked numbers, they made up for their little numbers with pure quality. In the battle, a member of the Raizen family, which is a wind God beast, specializing in the lightning and wind element held his own against a small army of twenty mages, killing more than half of the enemy forces before sumbing to his wounds and dying. Overwhelmed by the strength of the enemy, the humans had no other choice but to surrender. Their greatest fighters were inferior to powerful beast men with inhuman physical capabilities and yet they still possessed powerful magic. Even their high and mighty sorcerers were forced to fall on their knees in submission and beg for their lives. With this, the Foti empire was formed. The first settlement that harbored humans and beast-men under one banner. During that period more battles were fought at the other regions of the continent and two more empires were formed. One was led by the Dragon Emperor and the other kingdom was quite different. This time, the beast-men poption of that region was wiped out entirely and an empire for only humans was formed. This empire was created by Basten de, the young genius who was blessed with time magic. ............. Over the centuries, many have died due to age but the three great emperors remained. Like the Phoenix, Emperor Fei was reborn each time his current body had reached its limit. After every century, Emperor Fei would undergo the reborn ceremony, where his body is consumed by the Phoenix mes and when it died down, the Emperor steps out of the mes in a youthful body, full of vigor and power. The Dragon Emperor and his descendants on the other hand were blessed with an insane life span, allowing him to live for close to four centuries now, but he still looked like a man in his early thirties. And finally the human Emperor, de simply stopped his time. He has watched his great-grandchildren grow into fine men, serve the empire well and die, yet he remains. At this point, his people serve him as a God and he was nicknamed the Immortal Human Emperor. ............ "Don''t hold back on me" Lucien said with a prideful smile on his face. Just like any other teenager his age, Lucien was about 174cm tall (5''7ft). Alongside his stunning silver-colored hair which gave away his affinity to Wind and lightning just like any other members of the Raizen family. He had pointy, de shapes elf-like ears and his eyescked pupils and Iris, leaving only the white Sclera which made the youth look extremely intimidating amongst his peers. The Raizen family was one of the leading noble families of the Foti families and as a member of the main branch, Lucien''s pride as a beast-man could barely be hidden on the few asions when he conversed with humans. Even though the emperor had tried on multiple asions to breach the gap between the humans and beast-men, probably hoping to create an empire where beast men and humans can live in harmony, the beast-men have never been the humble types and the humans were never the forgiving type either. Although there have never been shes between the two parties, solely due to the presence of the emperor, the human nobles were never on the same page with the beast-men nobles. Most of thepetitive activities in the Foti academy pit the beast-men against their human counterparts. "Hahaha... You may be one of the members of the Raizen Family but we humans are not to be underestimated!" Brianughed as he picked up a short stick and waited for Lucien to attack. "Huh?" Lucien couldn''t help but feel insulted. In this forest, there were many sticks of greater size and Lucien even brought with him a dagger for Brian to make use of but he refused all and insisted on using this small stick. "Amongst the humans, youck the blessings of the elements and you dare stand against me with a little stick? We may be friends but I find this extremely insulting!" Lucien slowly walked towards his human friend with furrowed eyebrows. His fair skin, alongside his silver hair and eyes, gave him a menacing aura around him which could make Brian shiver. Brian''s family was also part of the human families lucky enough to be granted the title and privileges of a noble. While theycked the bloodline of mages, they have produced extraordinary fighters with terrifying capabilities over the years and this is the reason why the other human nobles never looked down on this family, but for someone Like Lucien, these families were no different from mere powerless humans. "If you want to make me use a dagger against you have to make me... I have to test your hands and know how skilled you are first" Brian wasn''t going to stand back and watch Lucien talk down on humans. "BRIAN LUCARDO!" Lucien growled angrily. CAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW! A loud bird cry resonated from Lucien even though he didn''t speak and a faint image of a silver mighty bird appeared behind him! "I dare you to repeat those words!" Lucien said with an indifferent look on his face. Chapter 3: The Raizen God beast Chapter 3: The Raizen God beast CAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW! The high-pitched bird cries resonated all over the forest as the silver figure appeared behind Lucien. It was a mighty man with the head of an eagle, two pairs of wings, and all talons for hands and feet. This mighty figure carried an aura of its own, entirely different from that of Lucien and upon arrival, it gazed at the human in front in disdain before shifting its gaze to Lucien after which its gaze softened. It was said that the God beasts vanished centuries ago after birthing hybrid offsprings. While the humans say they participated in a bloody war which cost them their lives, beast-men believe they just left and they are still watching over them from the heavens. "Wh." Brian was left speechless as his courage wavered greatly when faced with the image of their Raizen founding God beast. The way it gazed at the youth and the surrounding environment showcased a level of intelligence, meaning that Lucien was the one controlling it. "That''s enough!" Those words resonated from both sides of the forest and soon enough men dressed in Green armor rushed towards Brian''s side with their hands ced on the hilt of their weapon. Meanwhile, men dressed in loose silver robes shot out of another part of the forest, reaching Lucien at an incredible speed. They all gazed at the silver figure on Lucien''s back with a hint of pride in their eyes and when theypared him to the human youth who had a stick in his hand, they couldn''t help but scoff. The Lucardo family and the Raizen family are both noble families of the Kingdom. Each of them possesses territories which they rule over and the Tron forest is the only neutral zone between the two territories. Lucien and Brian have been friends since they were little. They both met on this spot by chance when they wandered away on their own and since then they have always met here asionally. As they grew their friendship slowly turned to rivalry mainly because Lucien views the Lucardo family as weak humans who couldn''t even seed as mages. He refused to ept fighters since he saw this as something anyone can do, even the weakest person can grow to be a decent fighter if they have the right resources and enough determination to carry them through the training period. "Saved by your guards again Next time we meet, I won''t on you!" Lucien scoffed as the silver figure behind him slowly vanished. "Randolf, let''s go!" Lucien said while walking away indifferently. The Raizen is a god beast ranked amongst the top of the mid-tier magic beasts. It is blessed with a strong affinity to the Lightning and wind element, granting its descendants swift movements and incredibly deadly abilities. Even though it''s not a high-tier magic beast, it is still considered a powerful magic beast amongst magic beasts in the mid-tier. After the long war, just like other God beast descendants, the Raizen family were granted a territory of their own where they ruled over other god beast descendants with weak bloodlines. In every beast-man n, main branches and then lesser branch. To maintain bnce, nature made it difficult for god beasts to reproduce up to the point that in an entire generation, a n of beast-men is considered lucky if they can bring forth two or three offspring. With this, their numbers have always been few, and to bypass these restrictions ced on them by nature and in a bid to avoid extinction, beast-men began taking human wives. Even though their reproduction rate was still considered slow whenpared to humans, it was still a hundred times faster than when they solely depended on inbreeding. But this led to descendants with weaker bloodline. Being proud beasts, those with the stronger bloodline called themselves the main branch, and only members of the main branch have a chance to be the n Patriarch, alongside other special treatments granted to them. To keep their linage pure, members of the main branch adopted inbreeding once again in a bid to keep their bloodline pure. While it''s possible for the members of the lesser branch can give birth to an offspring with a strong bloodline, it is rare, but when it happens that child is epted into the main branch and forced to leave his or her family behind. Lucien is the direct descendant of the current n patriarch and what he did earlier is usually called the shift by many. It''s a process where a beast-man taps into the power of their ancestors, drawing enough power to alter their physical appearance by taking key properties of their god beasts to enhance their fighting capabilities. In normal circumstances, it takes a long while before a beats-man can master this ability but Lucien achieved this at a young age due to his powerful bloodline which is considered the purest they have seen in three centuries. While people are born with two elements known as the primary and secondary elements. While their affinity to the primary element is stronger, their affinity to the second element is usually weaker but Lucien''s affinity to Raizen''s core elements of wind and lighting is at the same level, making it look like both elements are his primary elements. He is considered a genius thates only once in a century and the entire n sees him as their pride and hope. ...................................... "You must not leave the castle without guards my lord... you are the n''s pride and hope... if anything happens to you, your grandfather will have our heads" Randolf said that while rubbing his neck softly. based on the expression on his face, everyone could tell he was visualizing the punishment been carried out. "Hahahaha! Don''t worry uncle, I am Lucien of the Raizen n! grandson of Lukas Raizen... that name shall never no defeat!" Lucienughed heartily. while in public, he acted cold, mature, and proud but when he was around family, Lucien acted his age, like any other cocky fifteen-year-old. Chapter 4: The Shift Chapter 4: The Shift After a five minute walk, Lucien could see the mighty walls surrounding the Raizen territory. Gazing at that mighty wall, with the number of guards station atop it made the others wonder how Lucien is always able to sneak past these guards whenever he wishes to meet his rival, Brian. Only when they saw Lucien unharmed and well did the guards at the gate let out a sigh of relief. They had visualized many ways the n Patriarch would have executed them if Lucien came back hurt in any way. If it wasn''t for the silver light glowing in the dark Tron forest, no one would have been able to find Lucien easily. In front of the mighty gates were more guards of both gender from the Raizen n with a couple of horses, waiting for their arrival. Members of the lesser branch usually end up bing guards or part of the n''s military force tasked with protecting the territory of the Raizen n. Even though there were about three more god beast ns of lower tiers residing in the territory, they were barely ced at any important roles, and even those who enroll to join the military never be anything more than foot soldiers. Just like other god beast ns, it is believed that might is right! The weak should suppress the strong in order to remain at the top. "Young master, Your grandfather awaits your arrival He wishes to speak to you in private" The guards said as they bowed respectfully as they presented a horse for him Pa! Not caring to give them a look or even respond, Lucien jumped on the horse and rode into the town without looking back. Randolf and the other members of the Raizen lightning guards followed him on foot, adjusting their speed to match that of the horse. ............................... Separating the town meant for the inhabitants of the territory and the Raizen family was a wall even sturdier than the ones surrounding the territory. It was a twenty-meter-tall wall and at the other side were numerous castles, mansions, and sturdy brick homes surrounded by properly trimmed green grass. Compared to the residential area, this ce was more like paradise. The Raizen territory was divided into three walls. The outer wall belonged to the normal inhabitants of the territory, that''s the members of different god beast ns. While the middle wall belongs to the Raizen family with lesser or weaker bloodlines. While the outer wall was more like a dump, the middle realm could be considered luxurious even for nobles and then the inner wall which was meant for the n members with powerful bloodlines could be considered a paradise that everyone would wish to live in. Reaching thergest castle located at the edge of the inner wall, Lucien jumped off the horse and walked towards it alone. This castle was surrounded by a body of water, with the drawbridge as the only way into the castle. Lucien waited patiently for the drawbridge to be released before walking in. He was greeted by so many guards and was given a ck feather coat to wear as he reached the great hall. "I have arrived, grandfather" Lucien fell on his knees as he spoke, before entering. "You may enter" A weak voice resonated from the hall after a minute or two, only then did the mighty doors slowly open. Contrary to what he was told at the gates about his grandfather wishing to speak to him alone, the hall was filled with the most important individuals of the Raizen family. Without any sign of anxiety or fear, Lucien strode into the room with a face brimming with confidence. His indifferent gaze was fixed on the two youths his age who wore the same ck feather coat as him and he couldn''t help but let out a snort filled with venom, causing the two the frown in response. "Lucien, my child You have returned" An elderly man whose face was covered with a hood spoke slowly. He wore a silver feather coat which was a sign to everyone that he is the current head of the Raizen n. "Yes, Grandfather I came over as soon as I was told you sort my presence" Lucien replied with a slight bow. "Good good that''s good I was told you had a confrontation with the little heir of the Lucardo family I was told you sessfully performed the Shift" The old man said in a more inquisitive tone which made Lucien tremble on the inside but he was as calm as ever on the outside. "Yes, grandfather I was only able to achieve this thanks to your teachings" Lucien fell on one knee and bowed respectfully as he said this. Hearing him confirm these words, there was an uproar in the room as many people spoke in hushed tones but it was loud enough to create irritating sounds. The two youths standing by his side gazed at him with signs of fear, mixed with surprise in their expression. The shift is something that has never been achieved at this age. In the past, Lucien was only capable of summoning the silver image of the ancestral god beast but his body never changed but even then he was praised by the elders of the n. The two youths in the ck feather coat were Raziel and La, the two prodigies of the n who are only inferior to Lucien. They two have practiced the shift alongside Lucien and the furthest they have gone is to summon a silver light behind them but the silver light has never been able to take the form of the ancestral god beast just like that of Lucien. Even then it was considered a great achievement. "Can you demonstrate the shift again? I wish to see it for myself" The elderly man in a silver fur coat said. With that said, everyone turned their attention to Lucien with eyes filled with anticipation. "As you wish, grandfather" Lucien said with a smile as he gently ced his palm on the ground and a loud bird cry resonated from behind him CAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW! Chapter 5: Fotià Academy Chapter 5: Foti¨¤ Academy CAAAAAAWWWWWWWW! The high-pitched cry of the Raizen echoed all over the hall as the silver light slowly took the shape of the Raizen. It was a man with an eagle head with talons for hands and legs. This man was topless and on his back were four mighty wings. The man slowly gazed at the hall and all those within, its self-awareness was stunning even for the n head. It shot the n head a nce before turning its attention to the two youths beside Lucien, only then did it return its attention to the one channeling its power. CAAAAAAWWWWW! With a loud cry, the silver image surged into Lucien''s body, and right there and then his fist turned to talons and his eyes changed as well and moved to the sides the grant him a greater range of vision just like that of the Raizen. It''s general knowledge that the more powerful the caster is, the more features they can take from the God beast during a shift. While many are stuck at one, a good number of them can take two features while the elites can take up to three features. Rumors have it that at a certain level, a beast-man canpletely transform and take the form of their God beast. Although this has never been seentely by the younger generation, the older generation insists on it. Seeing that Lucien could take two features right off the bat from the God beast brought upon him a lot of reactions. There was love, there was joy, there was admiration but there was also hate and jealousy. In their opinion, Lucien''s talent is too astonishing! This is not something only one man should acquire. If given the chance and proper cultivation resources, he will definitely surpass the current patriarch of the Raizen n. "Hahaha hahaha good, very good as expected of my grandson you truly are the future of this n" Lukas Raizen pped his hands in excitement as he spoke. With Lucien''s capabilities, he should be able to reach the top in the Foti academy if he puts in a lot of effort. While he wished he could keep Lucien back and tutor him personally, Fotia academy is a must-go for every young cultivator in the kingdom. A n is not allowed to let have their members undergo refinement outside the Academy, meaning if one cannot afford to go to the Academy, they will only remain a normal person with no abilities. This was a method used by the emperor to keep tabs on the forces of the noble families in his kingdom. That way the royal family can pick out the most talented ones amongst them and have them serve the empire while simultaneously bncing the strength of their nobles. The Five years'' worth of education is enough time for everyone''s true potential to manifest and only then will the emperor pick out those who will serve the empire in different ways and give them irresistible offers. The fear of losing Lucien and the other prodigies of the n to the empire terrified Lukas Raizen a lot. This wasn''t the first time a powerful member of their n has abandoned the n for personal benefits. Extremely powerful Raizen n members who are worthy to take the ce of the n head exist but they all serve the empire in so many ways like joining the army. "As important as it is to serve the empire, it''s even more important to put the n needs first this is a struggle for survival and if our peak experts keep leaving, a time wille when our strength will depreciate to a level where we won''t be able to stand on the same footing as the Drax n and the Luno n." The n head spoke slowly as if those words weren''t meant for the three of them. The A new session was beginning tomorrow for the Fotia academy and the three prodigies of the n will be leaving, only to return five yearster or stay back and at the capital and serve the empire. Lukas has never been a man of many words and his pride prevented him from doing things like begging on his knees. He hadn''t worried about the other two since they have been controlled and well-coordinated from the very beginning. They follow orders to thest letter and they never act without approval. The real problem here was Lucien who was known to have great admiration for the royal family of the Phoenix n. No matter what anyone said, Lucien has always wanted to serve directly under the man whom he regarded as his role model, Emperor Fei. Apart from that he is wild and rarely follows orders. He makes decisions on his own and ignores advice given to him. In terms of cultivation, this has helped him since he acts based on instincts but in other aspects, it''s a disaster. Unfortunately, he is the most talented amongst the three and probably the one who will be wooed over by the empire! "In five years I expect to see all three of you here, ready to serve your n with the best of your abilities! Is that clear?!" Lukas growled. "Yes! n master!" Only two voices could be heard replying. Apparently, Lucien remained silent. Chapter 6: The Test Chapter 6: The Test A week had passed by and all the younglings of the Raizen family, alongside other families, were sent away to the Fotia academy where they will be awakened and cultivation will be made possible for them. While almost everyone hated thisw and would prefer to personally teach their younglings the path of cultivation, no one could stand against the Phoenix emperor so they had no choice to go along. By the way, personally awakening someone in secret without letting the person pass through the Fotia academy is a crime no different from treason. The Fotia academy was no different from an entire kingdom, located at the center of the empire. Stories of people getting lost whileing here was something Lucien always pondered on and found ridiculous but after seeing this, he found it reasonable. Arriving at the gates of the mighty academy, Lucien and the other members of the various families, ns, and groups in the empire. Since they are all freshers andcked any form of identification, they all had to wait for a while for their instructor to appear. During the wait, Lucien decided to leave the Raizen family members and look around a bit. He used this time to gaze at the faces of all those he consideredpetitors. While others may have minor goals like graduating with good grades and getting good jobs, Lucien was different. He aimed at bing the strongest just like the Beast Emperor Fei. He wished to be able tomand such respect and power. He simply didn''t wish to serve the beast emperor because it''s fun. He decided to serve the beast emperor because he admires him and intends to rece him. Wam! The space above them twisted and turned violently creating loud sounds like a creaking sound. Slowly the space tore open and a young man stepped out of it. He had long silver hair that was neatlybed back and tied into a ponytail that was long enough to reach his waist. His eyes were like two balls of silver light shining brightly even during the daytime. Instructor Han wore a traditional Japanese silver kimono crashing blue waves design littered all over it. Han has always been an important figure in the Academy and the empire since he''s the most powerful spatial mage in the empire. In normal circumstances, people are born with an affinity for two elements while the strength of the affinity of one''s primary element is usually greater than the affinity for the secondary element, there are situations when a person is born with a single affinity to an element. While they mayck a second element, their affinity to their only element is so strong that these people are considered monsters. These mages are called exclusive mages! Separating the beast-men from the human students wasn''t hard since both sides refused to mingle with each other in the first ce. With that taken care of, Han whispered some words as he sped his hands together and two floating transparent crystal orbs appeared by his sides. Everyone watched Han as he slowly descended to the ground harmoniously. His silver eyes nced through the thousands of students and with a light sigh, Han prepared for the strenuous duty he was about to partake in. "I am instructor Han, a spatial mage, and yes, just like you heard, I am an exclusive mage with the space element as my sole element There are no failures and victors even if you possess no affinity to any element, there are still powerful fighters out there" Instructor Han avoided using the word ''abnormally''. That was the term normally used for those who were not fortunate enough to receive nature''s blessing. "These crystal balls showcase your magic affinity by changing color in ordance to your elemental affinities if youck an element, there will be no reaction from this this test allows us to know what ss to assign you to it also gives us a clue of the path more suitable for your cultivation Please step forward" Instructor Han said with a charming smile. ........................................................ And so the test began. Amongst the humans, we''re many with average affinity to elements, while some had a weak affinity to both elements, all determined by the glow the crystal orb reveals. The brighter the glow, the stronger the affinity. Lucien remained standing since he was not in a hurry to know his fate. His confidence in his abilities didn''t let him feel intimidated by those with high affinity to their elements, no matter how bright their glow is. While he wore an indifferent look on his face, he was greatly excited by the way up to the thought of how strong his affinity would be if he decided to take the test. Amongst the humans and magic beasts, there were a few abnormal who had no affinity to any element at all and there were a few exclusive mages as well who possess a strong affinity to one element. Lucien waited until all the members of the Raizen n had taken the test, judging their strength through the test. As expected Raziel and La were the two most superior members of their n since their glow was so bright, their figure was hidden by it. While Raizen had a strong affinity for lightening, La was stronger with the wind element. Lucien also watched a few members of the Phoenix family take the test and as expected all of them had strong affinities to the fire element. In fact, their talent was no less than that of Raziel and La. Time passed and the exam continued, yet Lucien had not moved a foot. Even his human friend from the Lucardo family, Brian had no affinity to any element, just like he expected. Their family has always been a family of abnormals so it wasn''t shocking for anyone. "You guys have been observing don''t you think it''s time for you to take the test? I don''t have all day" Instructor Han''s voice caught Lucien''s attention and only then did he realize there were only ten of them left. Just like him, the other nine have been observing other participants and surprisingly, all of them are the heirs of the various noble families in the empire! Chapter 7: Time Magic! Chapter 7: Time Magic! Woosh! A calm breeze tore through the open field as all ten youths had their eyes fixated on each other. No matter how much they tried to deny it, they had this hunch that every single person still standing here is extraordinary. Instructor Han and the other youths standing behind him the standoff watch the standoff with aplicated look on their faces. They failed to understand how these ten youths who are yet to undergo refinement act like they are top-tier masters capable of burning the entire empire to ashes. They failed to understand why the atmosphere around them is so tense but Instructor Han found this amusing. His focus was fixated on the two human youths standing side by side. If his memory isn''t wrong, he could tell that these two are not from any noble family. Judging based on their choice of attire, they were meremoners who probably came from poor or average backgrounds yet they both possessed sharp eyes and a demeanor simr to the heirs of the noble families. Was it luck? Was it training? No, it was just pure confidence in themselves! This is something attained after one has a good wealth of experience. "I will be going first then" The light green-haired boy said to thedy beside him as he adjusted his shirt and walked towards inspector Han with an insane amount of confidence oozing out of him. He was dark-skinned and had a strong build simr to that of a fighter. For someone so young he had acquired lean muscles to helpplement his body shape and this couldn''t be hidden with his baggy white shirt. "Your name?" Instructor Han asked as he looked directly into the youth''s eyes as if he was searching for something. "Lenard since I am amoner, my familycks ast name" Lenard answered boldly without blinking, causing Han to smile sheepishly. In his opinion, if humans will ever break free from the oppression of the beast-men, people like Lenard are needed. He pushed the two floating orbs over to Lenard with a smile on his face before saying; "I am counting on you" Instructor Han muttered sweetly. Hearing this, Lenard was left stunned for a second but he shrugged it off immediately. He was used to nobles or high-ranking officers in the empire, looking down onmoners like them. Deciding not to dwell on the thought for too long, Lenard shut his eyes as he ced both hands on the crystal orbs. Memories of the past flowed into his mind like a raging storm and images popped up in his mind. All through his life, he has encountered so many hardships, crossed so many local gangs, and even with all this, no one has ever been able to bring him down. While refinement allows one to fully utilize the power of their magic, without it, someone''s magic tends to manifest on special asions or in special conditions. For Lenard, he was running for his life, desperately trying to escape from a dangerous group. They were all normal humans but they all had sharp weapons on them and he was no different from an ordinary human too. While running he realized he was either faster than usual but when he turned around to check he realized he didn''t get faster, everyone around him just got slower. Sinking deeper into the feeling, Lenard failed to notice themotion he was causing outside. Everyone watched as time around Lenard came to a standstill as a bright green light could be seen on one of the crystal orbs. The light was not extremely bright to call him a genius yet, the magic affinity was something no one expected to see in this part of the world. The only one who possesses this ability is the man poprly known as the human emperor. The only human who was able to wipe out all the beast-men in his region and create a human-only empire. He possessed enough power to make the phoenix emperor and the dragon emperor acknowledge his strength and see him as their equal! This magic is called Time magic. HISSSSSSS! Instructor Han was still admiring the glow around Lenard when he sensed murderous intentions all directed towards Lenard, especially from a red-haired youth who had a scar across his face. He had a fiery presence simr to that of the Phoenix emperor. The beast men refused to ept the birth of another human emperor with the time magic. Instead of letting him grow, they would rather kill him here and avoid futureplications! Lucien growled as his animal instincts kept screaming in his head, pointing at Lenard as a potential threat. His white eyes whichcked both pupils and iris made him look like a predator as he focused on Lenard. His upper body leaned forward as he crouched slightly and used two fingers to support his posture. Anyone who noticed Lucien would think he was practicing for a sprintpetition. "Everyone, calm down!" Instructor Han said as he understood why the beast-men are reacting this way. The birth of a human with the time magic could lead to the same event of the past, where all the beast-men poption was wiped out by Basten de, the human emperor with the power over time! As much as he would have loved to call them paranoid and im they are reacting, Han could understand their emotions and instincts. He knew if he were the one in the same situation, he would have felt the same way. Bam! While Han''s attention was focused on the young master of the Phoenix household, Lucien shot forward with all his strength. His innate affinity to the wind element showcased itself as his feet moved so fast that it was hard to follow it. His sudden attack was so fast and wless that many were left stunned since they failed to understand how a youth who is yet to undergo refinement can move so quickly. Most of all, his guts were what was even more impressive. For him to dare attack a student in front of an instructor took a lot of courage and this is one department Lucien excelled in. His movement was so quick he too was left stunned by how fast he was moving but what left him even more confused was the fact that Instructor Han was able to follow his movements, gazing at him with the same charming smile on his face. Bam! Lucien crashed into an invisible wall, the moment he reached Lenard. Falling on his back, Lucien quickly sprang to his feet, preparing tounch another attack but Instructor Han was already there, standing between him and his target. "You have got reallyrge balls since you dare stand in my way" Lucien said with his eyes narrowed, leaving everyone including Instructor Han stunned. Chapter 8: First impression matters Chapter 8: First impression matters Lucien''s words left everyone, including instructor Han stunned for quite a while. It is general knowledge that the beast-men are the ruling race in this world or at least this empire, for that reason they have the right to act cocky and talk down to humans but even then there are certain lines one should not cross. Lucien was a member of the Ktinos race( Beast-men) and is yet to undergo refinement. At his best, he should be stronger than the average man yet he dares to talk crap against a powerful mage at the mortal realm with a strong affinity to the space element which is considered rare just like the time element. Even the great-grandson of Emperor Fei, Hex was left stunned by this. He could understand if he or a member of the royal family did this but Lucien was only a member of the noble family. Knowing how the empire works, if the emperor deems Instructor Han more useful to the empire, he won''t mind if Han kills Lucien. "What did you just say, kid?" Instructor Han asked with knitted eyebrows. He was 6ft tall (1.8 meters) and was practically breathing down on Lucien who was just 5''7 ft tall. Everyone standing around could see space ripples around them but even then Lucien showed no signs of fear. As the possible future heir to the Raizen n and the most talented member of the n, his fame has gone beyond their territory. He knew the eyes of the entire empire were on him and for that reason, Instructor Han would not kill him or at least not for such a trivial reason. The Raizen n may be only at mid-tier in the magic beast ranking list but even then their strength is not something one human mage should underestimate. In response, Lucien didn''t speak, instead, he reached for the crystal orbs levitating right in front of Instructor Han. His grandfather always told him that when threatened, a show of strength is the best way tomand the respect of the enemy. Wooosh! The moment his hands touched the two crystal orbs a strong breeze resonated from one while bolts of lightning resonated from the other. CAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW! Not willing to be outdone by anyone, Lucien decided to go all out here and make sure he leaves a deep impression in the mind of everyone present today. As the only member of his generation who can utilize the shift at such a young age, he dared not hold back when showcasing his strength. First impression matters! He thought as he performed the shift. Following the loud bird cry, the silver Raizen figure appeared behind him with its hands also ced on the two crystal orbs. Its vicious gaze was fixated on Instructor Han who was taken aback by the turn of events. The other candidates were only capable of releasing a bright light which showed the nature of their ability but now, Lucien was able to draw out the true form of the element just by cing his hands on the crystal orb and the terrifying part to all of this was that his affinity to both wind and lighting is terrifying and none was inferior to the other. Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! The strong wind generated from the crystal orb soon surrounded him, mixing perfectly with the bolts of lightning. His eyes let out a silver sh as the silver figure of the Raizen let out another cry while raising all four of its wings above Lucien''s head. Everyone watched as the youth''s clothes fluttered under the effect of the wind and his silver eyes kept shining bright. His hands head already taken the form of the Raizen''s talons, giving him a more intimidating look. "You are nothing special!" Lucien said while gazing at Lenard with knitted eyebrows making the youth shudder involuntarily. "I said, you must haverge balls for you to stand in my way!" Lucien said the moment he shifted his gaze to Instructor Han. While the humans gazed at him with lingering fear in their eyes, members of the Ktinos race gazed at him with admiration and respect. Members of the Raizen n unconsciously straightened their backs and puffed out their chest in pride while gazing at the incredible light show created by Lucien! Even Hex, the great-grandson of the emperor wasn''t sure he could create such a reaction since he is still unable to perform the shift. "You" Instructor Han muttered as he contemted on how to react to Lucien. Too many people have witnessed this strength he just showcased and if they should ry it to the emperor, he will be considered a national asset. Harming him is no different from seeking death. Unless he is ready to murder everyone present, he has no choice but to back away from this challenge. First impression matters! Well yed kid, but this is not the end! He thought. Bang! He was about the speak but then the orbs in Lucien''s hands shattered, leaving everyone speechless again. No one expected that one person could cause such amotion in just a minute! "Oops sorry" That was all Lucien could say with an innocent look on his face. Chapter 9: Creation path Chapter 9: Creation path Walking down the grand hall of the massive castle, Lucien kept gazing at the doorpost, looking for the one with the number 311 on it. He shot the piece of paper in his hand once again checking to confirm the number before he continued moving. The Fotia academy dormitory can also be called the legendary floating castle which was even mightier than the royal pce. It is a massive structure with over fifty floors and about a hundred and fifty rooms per floor. There about five castles like this and each castle is dedicated to the various levels(sses) in the Academy. Rumor has it that the higher your ss, the smaller the castle is since the number of students reduces drastically each year since a good number of them die every year. The academy is considered to be almost as big as the empire''s capital and its territory covers more ground than that of the greatest noble families in the empire. The entire academy is filled with countless teleportation pods that make movement a bit easier for students and professors as well. "Finally" Lucien let out a sigh of relief as he reached the door with the number ''311'' boldly written on it with a mana pen. cing his hand on it, the door let out a light blue glow, and a mechanical voice could be heard. "Wee back Lucien Raizen" Before Lucien could understand what was going on, the door jerked open revealing a massive luxurious room a hundred times better than his room back in the n. It was a very spacious room with a massivefy bed at the top left corner cover in white sheets. Lucien walked into the room only to realize that the temperature was just perfect, not too hot and not too cold. Three spherical orbs of light, brightened the room while dancing around, meanwhile the door to the left leg to the bathroom while the door to the right led to the wardrobe where two pairs of uniform for all special school asions was ced. "If you take a look at your desk, you will find an E grade mana crystal please do well to absorb it for refine and purposes, this is the only requirement needed for tomorrow''s ss" The voice spoke again startling Lucien. His eyes darted around the room but he couldn''t find where the voice wasing from. "What are you?" Lucien couldn''t help but ask. The events that have urred since his arrival to this room are just far beyond his imaginations. He knew so little about the current state of the world, most likely because he has been locked up in his home for too long. His keen senses kept telling him that this is a product of a spell but he didn''t understand how a spell is capable of opening doors, interacting with people, and regting room temperature! "My creators call me the Crux a product of several mages from the creation path utilizing all four primary elements to create artificial intelligence that can help make life easier for students" The Crux. While listening to this Lucien noticed the strange symbols on the ceiling of the room. He did not know what it was but he simply guessed this must be some sort of sealing spell used to bind the Crux to this room. From its exnation, he guessed another version of it was avable in every room. "Creation path?" Lucien jumped on the bed as he considered something. The creation path did sound strange for someone his age but as the heir of the Raizen n he has seen quite a few mages who graduated from this institution. With the little knowledge he has acquired during his fifteen years living, Lucien knew the creation path was one of the numerous paths avable to mages. Those who follow the creation path can give life to their spells, allowing them the gain a personality of their own, just like the Crux. He guessed that the door opening was simple earth magic, while light magic was used to brighten the room, meanwhile, fire and wind magic are been used to regte the temperature of the room. He has always been a devoted fan of those who create elemental pets using the creation path and asionally he envied them but this has never been his goal. "Magic is power, power is meant to destroy that''s all there is to it" Lucien chuckled. He was pretty sure about the rest of the paths avable but beforeing here, Lucien had already decided to join the war mages. He wanted to learn how to bring out the full destructive capabilities of his magic! Not bothering to ask the crux any more questions, mainly due to disappointment, Lucien grabbed the E grade mana crystal and gazed at it with an excited look on his face. "let''s do this" he muttered Chapter 10: Overslept Chapter 10: Overslept Pathways in cultivation in most cases is what creates diversity in the world of mages, fighters, and beast-men. A war mage is clearly different from a creation mage even though they both possess the same element, just the same as a guardian having a different skill set from a yer. In some cases, talented individuals practice two to three paths, as long as it''spatible with their elements or fighting style. For someone like Lucien who has always considered magic as a means of destruction, he had long made up his mind to join the war mage ss and mix it up with the yer path to help strengthen his physical capabilities as well. In the Fotia academy, there were the creation path, illusionary path, yer path, guardian path, seeker path, warden path, forge master path, and finally the illusionary ss. All these are sses in the institution led by professors who mastered these paths in their youthful days. Pondering deeply on his decision based on the paths, Lucien held the mana crystal tight and sat on the bed. He felt a warm feeling escape the fist-sized blue crystal, crawling up his arms. The word refinement may soundplex and amazing but in reality it quite simple. Within the body of humans, magic beasts and beast-men are magic circuits that ensure the proper flow of mana through the body. This magic circuit is sealed tight when a child is born, making it quite difficult for them to cast spells. The mana crystals are of various grades, as an item used for cultivation, it opens up the various mana circuits around the body, allowing the body to absorb mana from their surrounding. Lucien could feel the warm feeling spread across his body. When the mana around him invaded his body at first he felt like he was been stung by a thousand bees but soon the pain vanished and it was reced with pure pleasure. "Damn." Lucien muttered as his vision blurred and he instantly fell asleep. .............................. Bang! Lucien rolled off the bed and fell hard on the ground. His head struck the ground, jolting him awake as he sprang on his feet in a crouched position, waiting to lunge at any foe out there. "Good Morning, Lucien Raizen Do remember your first ss begins today Do well to prepare quick and leave or you may end up missing the ss" The Crux said causing Lucien to yelp in surprise. He spotted the colorless crystal on the ground and was left confused at first. Only after pondering for a while did he realize that this is the E-grade mana crystal he held onto in his sleep. It has lost its glow since all its contents have been drained. Considering this, Lucien checked himself out a bit, probably hoping to see a difference but he saw nothing, he couldn''t even feel anything different about himself. Dashing into the bathroom Lucien quickly took his bath while covering his most vital organ. The fact that the Crux was observing him in his sleep means it can observe him while he''s bathing. He wasn''t going to let anyone see his junk! .................................. About thirty minutester, Lucien dashed out of the room, racing towards the nearest teleportation pod. He wore a red sleeveless hooded robe with the empire symbol boldly ced on it. While there were many others like that, Lucien preferred the sleeves one and asked Crux if he could rece all the other school attire''s with their sleeveless versions. Grrrr! His stomach screamed out for help but Lucien had to endure the pain. Since the corridor was almost as good as empty he concluded he should be amongst thest set of people to wake up. Although he felt the tension loosen when he realized there were a few more students in a simr situation like him, it didn''t make him slow down any bit. Xiu! Lucien dashed through the corridor at top speed, making a sharp right turn as he desperately tried to remember the castleyout. While he ran, Lucien didn''t fail to notice he was slightly faster than usual and his body felt a bit lighter than normal. He knew it was the effects of the wind element and he loved it. Making the final turn, Lucien spotted a couple of students standing at the teleportation circle. He could see the magic array etched on the stone tform slowly light up. "Hell no!" Lucien''s screams caught the attention of those on the tform, causing them to look in his direction. What they saw was a silver-haired kid with white eyes, wearing a sleeveless mage gown dashing towards them. The youth may not have noticed it but the wind was gradually gathering beneath his feet and those watching soon noticed that his feet were barely touching the ground and his footsteps could be hardly heard. Bzzzzz! A buzzing sound could be heard and a bright silver light engulfed them. It was a sign that the teleportation array had been activated. Before they were transported to the ss a cool breeze blew past them. Bam! Bzzzzz When the light faded, these students found themselves in a massive hall too big for a ss. This was contrary to their expectations since they weren''t expecting a practical ss toe first. Oh well! The students stepped off the tform, nning to leave but then they heard heaving breathing. Turning back, they saw Lucien kneeling on one knee while breathing heavily. "Isn''t that the person running towards us? I don''t remember seeing him reach us" One of them said with a face filled with disbelief and shock! Chapter 11: First Class Chapter 11: First ss "I don''t remember seeing him enter the teleportation tform" A girl with big red eyes said. Judging based on the de-like ears and the crimson red eyes, her t nose, and her unusually long nails, Lucien knew she was from the kugo n. The Kugo n are descendants of the Kugo God beast. Its bloodline has always been considered weak since it was amongst the low-tier magic beasts that the Raizen n conquered under the name of the Phoenix Emperor Fei. The Kugo n waster assigned to be one of the minor beast-men ns under the rule of the Drax family. Rising on his feet, Lucien shot a nce and realized that everyone in this group is from the Ktinos race but with a low-tier bloodline. His anxiety vanished as his confidence returned ever since he realized these people are inferior to him in terms of social backing. "Are you so shocked to see someone from the Raizen family, that you are rooted to your positions, or are you deliberately trying to block my path?" Lucien asked with a hint of impatience in his tone. Hearing his words, these people were shocked but not intimidated. Thinking back on the Raizen n, they remembered the incident involving the most talented member of the Raizen n and the spatial master, Instructor Han. Since it happened only a day ago, the incident was still fresh in the minds of everyone so they quickly recognized Lucien and made the ''O'' shape with their lips. "Well?" Lucien couldn''t understand why these people were yet to move about he was annoyed. At this point, others in the hall were already taking notice of a student surrounded by a group of beast-men. They assumed it was a human student been bullied but when they looked closer they realized it was a member of the Raizen n who was standing at the center of the small group so they didn''t bother. It was impossible for members of the Kugo family to boldly harass a member of the Raizen family. Such an offense can lead to the entire Kugo bloodline getting wiped out. "Hello! I am Pam of the Kugo household I have heard so many stories of the vicious Raizen heir but you seem rather calm up close" the female Kugo n member stepped forward and extended her hand to Lucien. Seeing this Lucien felt slightly insulted since he didn''t understand what gave her the boldness to walk up to him and speak, but also left him stunned. He gazed at the petite girl from the dog bloodline whose only specialty at the early stage is keen sense. The Kugo magic beast starts with no elemental affinity, only during theter stages does it awaken its affinity to the fire element, bing the hell hound. In Lucien''s opinion, people from this family are only slightly better than humans without nature''s blessing. In fact, they are a little worse than human mages and sorcerers. "You know who I am, yet you dare stand before me and speak? Are you not scared?" Lucien asked with a raised eyebrow. Pam was about to reply but then a powerful wave of energy spread across the room, sessfully catching everyone''s attention. It was a man barely up to 5''5 ft tall (0.055m). He wore a sleeves brown mage robe and held on tight to a cane which wasn''t necessarily used to support himself. He was bald and has a rough brown mustache. Seeing him, the first thing anyone would do isugh but members of the Drax family fell on one knee as they bowed to the man. "Master Cain!" All of them screamed in unison leaving almost everyone around confused. But for someone like Lucien who is from a prominent family, he knew the identity of this man. In fact, he has met with this man repeatedly during his younger days since the Drax family and the Raizen family have a very good rtionship. Cain could be considered as one of the peak experts of the Drax family who chose to serve the empire by spreading his knowledge of magic to the younger generation. "Yooooo! Old man can''t, you''re still alive? I''m pretty sure I attended your funeral service a year ago" Lucien''s voice echoed across the hall dragging everyone''s attention to him. Vicious res from the members of the Drax n were all pinned at Lucien but when they heard Instructor Cain chuckle, they couldn''t help but returning their questioning gaze to the instructor. "Hahahaha little fool I heard you made an enemy out of little Han and you wrecked an affinity orb on your first day, do you know how much that cost? you are just as noisy as I remembered you, little devil" Instructor Cainughed heartily. Lucien walked past the ss and moved to the center of the hall to meet instructor Cain. With an eye brimming with excitement and hunger for knowledge, Lucien looked into instructor Cain''s eyes and asked; "What do you n to teach me today?" Hearing this, instructor Han chuckled and ignored the question. He shot everyone a nce first before asking a question that left them puzzled. "Did you have breakfast today?" Chapter 12: Might is right! Chapter 12: Might is right! The hall was as spacious as a football pitch and the walls of the hall were made of brown bricks that had unusual symbols etched on them. The grass beneath them was properly trimmed and the only stone tforms littered around the room were used as transportation pods. "Eehhh?" Lucien asked while rubbing his forehead. Both he and the other students were left speechless and confused since they didn''t know how to rely on the question. He pondered on the question for a while just like everyone else in the room but it still didn''t make sense. Grrrrr! Their stomachs let out a grumbling sound causing Lucien''s face to turn red in embarrassment. His gaze was focused on the empty space alone as he barely muttered his answer; "No, I didn''t have breakfast today!" Hearing this Instructor Cain nodded with a satisfied smile on his face. His eyes shifted from Lucien to the other students clustered around who wore confused expressions on their faces. "Last night you all were handed E Grade mana crystals to help open your magic circuits and enable mana flow and that''s what we call Refinement I''m pretty sure while absorbing the mana of the Crystal, you all fell asleep... Am I right?" Instructor Cain asked. Listening to the question, Lucien''s attention was instantly captured, just like that every student present. They turned their attention to instructor Cain and nodded their heads in agreement. Only after getting their attention did instructor Cain continue. "During the time you all slept, your body rapidly pulled in mana from the environment. This process is what we call awakening. While you sleep, the mana that surges into your body helps refine your body and spiritit brings you closer to your elements So for those who woke up early enough to have breakfast their potential is low and the rest who arrived here without breakfast because there was no time left, you are the true geniuses of this academy" Instructor Cain said causing a bright smile to appear of Lucien''s face. While a few rejoiced, the many felt down and annoyed. The thought of having less potential whenpared to their peers was not something that went down well with them. Many began gazing at Lucien who was standing by the instructor''s side with hints of jealousy in their eyes mixed with murderous intentions. In their opinion, Lucien Raizen is a typical example of a cocky kid born with everything. Wealth, Fame, background, name it! Especially since he wasn''t the humble type. "So what does this mean? Those of us who skipped breakfast because we were unconscious a bit longer than others what benefits does this bring to us?" Brian spoke up, causing Lucien to look at him with a stunned expression on his face. As someone who always looks down on those without an affinity to any element, he couldn''t help but feel strange when someone without elements is ced on the same level as him. He didn''t even know fighters go through the awakening process. "It grants you a greater understanding of the forces around you as long as one canprehend the rules behind the power he possesses, then it''s only natural they can perform better than others For instance, a mage possesses two elements some less, some more the true form of every spell you see out there is the users ingenuity be it at the human realm, mortal realm or spirit realm, manipting the element has always been the same the special part of all of this is when you how much you understand your element and that determines the kind of control you have over it" Instructor Cain said. Stomping the ground lightly a chunk of earth shot into the air and remained airborne. With slight movements of his fingers, different parts of the earth began shaving off until it took the shape of a spear. "This may look basic but not everyone can do it magic is free the elements are at your beck and call all that matters is what form do you shape it into, to make it more effective and lethal it''s like releasing a powerful wind shock wave that can knock an enemy off his feet or shape all that explosive power into a dagger-sized de that can split the heavens and cut the skies The element is basic, it''s the application that matters" Instructor Cain said while shooting Lucien a nce. Seeing that everyone was busy pondering on his words, Cain nodded with a satisfied smile before continuing; "This applies to fighters as well to attain a strong body, one has to undergo body refinement but to do this your body needs to be able to withstand the process... I did note here to dive deep into the this matter picking your path will determine the type of mage or fighter you be in future I want you all to return to your homes and think on this" Instructor Cain said. ............................ The ss ended with many questions unanswered, sessfully leaving all the students in confusion. Lucien has always been certain of the path he nned to choose even before entering the Academy but now, he found it hard to make a decision on this. Amongst the various paths avable, he fancied the war mage and yer since they were both aimed at improving one''s destructive power in battle. In his opinion, might is right! The Phoenix emperor was able to bring all the races in this region together, not through diplomacy but strength! Absolute power! Chapter 13: Making new friends Chapter 13: Making new friends As soon the ss was over, Lucien alongside a few students rushed over to the cafeteria. While a good number of the students had eaten something before the ss began, those who woke upte are consideredte and were given special treatment. "This is sad" Lucien walked into therge room with numerous desks and benches and frowned. He spent some time with instructor Cain after the ss so he was thest to get here. For breakfast, Lucien just took arge number of stakes and searched for an empty bench. Finally alone with his food, the Raizen n prodigy and heir forgot all forms of manners, diving into his food like a vicious beast. He tore the juicy stakes like a wild animal and only stopped tearing chunks of it when his mouth is full. "You shouldn''t frown while you chew It makes you look like a beast oooh, you are already one" a familiar voice reached his ears as another te was gently ced on his desk. Looking up, Lucien saw Brian from the Lucardo family looking down on him. Since his mouth was full and he couldn''t speak, he only chose to growl in response and look away. "Hahahaha! You are just like a child since your mouth is full and you can''t reply I believe this is the perfect time to diss you a bit" Brianughed causing Lucien to chew faster. Seeing Lucien still couldn''t reply, Brian nodded in satisfaction and continued. "So after all that great Raizen crap you gave me thest time we let at the torn forest, here we are... Sitting together as elite students of the Fotia academy Doesn''t that make us equals?" Brian said with a sly smile on his face. Hearing thest part, Lucien''s eyes widened as he swallowed everything n his mouth all at once without a care of the world. He felt his throat burning and probably guessed he injured himself but it didn''t matter! As long as he can put this weak ass human fighter in his ce, it will all be worth it. "You stupid piece of shit, do you wish topare mighty war mages to mere fighters? Say that again while listening to yourself" Lucien snarled with a weak voice due to the burning sensation in his throat. "Hahahaha! I told you, a mage is only mighty at a distance when you get close enough they are no different from a three-year-old with a wand, crying for help" Brian yawned while he spoke, causing Lucien''s face to turn red with anger. "You stupid #$#%&#%&#&#! Come one, let''s take this outside and settle this like men!" Lucien growled but once again Brianughed with a hint of contempt in his voice. "Says the person considering to take the yer path you chose to follow the path of the people you look down on? How low can you stoop Lucien! Hahaha! Don''t deny it! I have known you for a long time now, so I can roughly guess what''s going on in that messy mind of yours" Brian snared causing Lucien to spring on his feet, fuming! Bam! Lucien mmed his hands on the desk as his eyes began giving out a silver light. "You know what? Taking this outside will take too long Let''s settle this here and now!" Lucien growled while Brianughed his as out. Others eating watched from a distance as a human dares to make dangerous jokes with someone who will most likely be the strongest Raizen n member to have ever lived. He has reallyrge balls to even consider doing things like this! What the heck, this kid doesn''t value his life! Isn''t that the Lucardo family heir? I heard they are the only noble family without an affinity to any magic, veteran fighters if he''s here to pick a fight with the Raizen prodigy then you are right, he really has big balls! Three of them! Whispers about the two spread across the cafeteria until it became quite noisy. Everyone watched Lucien with his glowing silver eyes and Brian who was sitting and wore a bright smile on his face. "You are really easily agitated and noisy" A new voice caught everyone''s attention. It was a youth with blood-red hair tied back into a ponytail. Unlike other students he wore ck trousers and a ck shirt with a red jacket, bearing the school''s badge. This was the first time they were seeing someone putting on causal clothes with the school badge. At first they kept asking themselves if this is allowed but when they realized who the kid is, they understood why. He had sharp facial features and bright red eyes. As this youth walked forward this air of royalty and confidence followed him tightly. He was the direct descendant of the Emperor, Fei! Hex! "And?" Lucien''s answer left everyone stunned! Including Hex. He was used to people shying away because of his identity. He found Lucien interesting because of his gutsy move against the instructor Han who stopped him from murdering the new time mage in the empire. Even the way he spoke with the new Instructor Cain at the ss and most of all, he had the power and talent to back it up! All this, he assumed that Lucien was relying on his n''s name to protect himself against people below him in terms of nobility, so he didn''t expect Lucien will be bold enough to speak to him in the same manner. "Hahaha! I see why you enjoy pissing him off! It''s fun to see him make that face" Hex said to Brian before taking a seat next to him. With Lucien at the other side of the desk, both youths red at him with a rare smile on their faces, leaving Lucien even more confused. He expected Hex to at least talk down on Brian who is just a human but he didn''t seem to have any intentions of doing that. Instead, he seemed satisfied with Brian. "Fuck my life" Lucien said as he slowly sat down and continued eating in silence. All he wanted was a quiet time alone with his food but judging based on the look on their faces, he was sure these two did not care about that. In his opinion, they were sent by whatever being that lives at the deepest section of hell to make life miserable. "You don''t seem scared of my name you don''t seem scared of my grandfather''s name why?" Hex finally spoke up and broke the silence. Gulp! "Because it doesn''t matter to me I will be the next Beast emperor for that reason, I have no reason to fear In case you don''t know, fear is an emotion for the weakst time I checked, I am not weak!" Lucien gulped down half of the content in his jug of water before answering the question. He may have spoken those words casually or maybe it''s because he spoke those words so casually that''s why everyone was stunned by it. Ever since the birth of this empire, no one has dared say something like this in public. For the fact that Lucien can boldly im he will be the next beast emperor meant that he was aiming to surpass emperor Fei who has lived for more than Five hundred years! Chapter 14: Enlightenment? Chapter 14: Enlightenment? "You? Surpass my Grandfather and be the new beast emperor? Impossible! Even I don''t have a chance of surpassing my old man Whenpared to people like us, we are just mortals looking up to a god" Hex said as he remembered watching emperor Fei make a public appearance for the first time in a long while. His body had aged but his eyes and aura were more majestic than that of any other noble in the courtroom. With each word he spoke, he released waves of power that made weaklings like him want to bow and pray to him. As a man who was currently at the peak tier of the spirit realm, it was safe to say he has long surpassed the limits of mere mortals and that''s why no one has ever been able to take his ce in thest five centuries! To Hex, the old man is a god he can never reach, not to talk of surpassing him. When he heard Lucien''s words about surpassing his grandfather and taking his ce as the new beast emperor, he felt a bit offended but did well to hide it. As much as he would have loved to rebuke Lucien in a harsher tone, he saw Lucien''s performance during the entrance affinity test. Not only was his affinity for both his primary and secondary element at the same level, but they were both so high that they shattered the affinity test orbs! Something like this has never happened before! Considering that alone, he had already epted Lucien as one of the peak experts of the academy, and unknown to Lucien, a lot of important individuals in the empire have their eyes on him. After showcasing his strength and strong bloodline by performing the shift at such a young age, he has most likely be one of the most important members of his generation! More important than Hex! "So what path do you wish to join?" Brian changed the topic in hopes of lightening up the mood. "War mage and creation path" Hex answered immediately, leaving everyone stunned. The war mage path focuses on improving the destructive power of spells, turning it into their deadliest form possible. Even a war mage with light magic which is considered a support type element can be transformed into one of the deadliest mages in the empire. Meanwhile, creation magic simply implies, giving life to magic. To be able to grant life to a spell means it has a mind of its own and acts on its own ord but since it sired to the creator, its best interest will always align with that of its creator. Rumor has it that the Phoenix Emperor, Fei mastered the creation, yer, and war mage paths. With the creation path, he could summon a fire construct of a phoenix and give it life while improving its lethality with his knowledge of the war mage path and thanks to the yer path, everyone who has dared to entertain the thoughts of taking him on in closebat due to his status as a mage has never lived to tell the story. In the eyes of every member of the Fotia empire, Emperor Fei is invincible and as long as he''s by their side, they have no reason to be scared of the other empires on the continent. In their opinion, if Hex canbine the creation path and the war mage path, he will be only one step behind the current emperor Fei. Whether he is able to catch up in strength is purely based on his talent for magic. "Interesting Creation path merely gives life to magic It creates a being with the ability to reason just like any one of us It grants you a perfectpanion in battle, but that''s it War mages on the other hand teach mages ways of bringing out the best in their spell. How to shape their magic to make it more lethal and powerful Combing those two will grant you even greater elemental constructs that''s a pretty goodbo" Lucien replied dryly as he continued eating. Seeing Lucien had no intentions of asking him about his path of choice, Brian stuck out his tongue in his direction and felt like giving him a good punch. "What about you, human What path do you wish to walk?" Hex caught sight of Brian''s funny actions and decided to ask. "Well For starters, my name is Brian" Brian was taken aback. He never expected Hex to ask him such a question. "Sorry, Brian" Hex apologized, catching even Lucien by surprise. Cough! Cough! Lucien grabbed the jug of water with his reddened eyes before and gulped down a mouthful like a savage beast before letting out a deep breath. "Since when did we beast-men be so soft that we apologize to weak humans?" He asked while gazing at Hex with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Who would have thought the grandson of the great Phoenix beast emperor would be so kind and weak when dealing with humans? Chapter 15: Contractors Chapter 15: Contractors It waste that night and Lucien was yet to sleep since his mind was preupied with the events of the day. Throughout his life, he has always considered humans the weaker race and as such, they should be treated as such. His strength has never failed him and he is confident that none of his peers would be able topare with him as he grows. This is not a story of a poor and weak boy getting stronger due to some sort of luck or hard work. "My story is different I have never been weak I will never be weak doesn''t that give me the right to look down on those below me? I always said a resounding yes to myself each time this question popped up in my mind but then what about Hex?" Lucien muttered. Hex is a capable mage with great talent almostparable to his. He also had the backing of the emperor and is considered a member of the Phoenix family''s main branch members due to his strong bloodline. Compare to him, Lucien felt slightly inferior and that''s why whenever he saw Hex treating Brian with respect, he and the other beast-men couldn''t help but feel shocked! Hearing Hex, the grandson of the emperor apologize to Brian, Lucien almost choked on his food. {Why shouldn''t I apologize? I did something wrong! Whether he is a human or not doesn''t change a thing} Hex words echoed in Lucien''s head, driving away from the urge to sleep. Thinking more about this, Lucien realized something. Here in Fotia, even though racism exists between beast-men and humans, a beast-man cannot openly ughter a human without a good reason. In fact, in some cases, beast-men in high positions have been executed by the emperor for misconduct when dealing with humans. Meanwhile, in the Britta empire, the empire ruled by the ruthless dragon emperor, most of the humans in that part of the continent were wiped out and those who are left are nothing but ves andborers. The same urs in Avalon, the empire of the human emperor! There, the entire beast-men poption was wiped out and not a single soul remained. Rumors have it that a small number survived but they are used as pets and ves. "Our Fotia empire is the only one amongst the three powerhouses, trying desperately to create equality It''s safe to say the empire did not conquer this region with only his fist but his heart as well and that''s why this empire is the only ce where humans and beast-men can live together and attend the same academy without tearing each other apart" Lucien muttered. "Does that mean I am wrong with my approach?" Lucien muttered as he thought back on the discussion between Brian and Hex. Apparently, Brian chose to join the illusionist, Guardian, and the contractor paths. Thinking back on it Lucien considered it as a good choice since the illusionist is a general ss that can be essed by both mages and fighters. This path thought one of the fundamentals of mind games and foul y. It thought one how to manipte their bodies and spells to give out false information or even create false images, in order to help theme out on top during battles. Meanwhile, the guardian ss is also a general ss for both mages and fighters as well which focuses on defensive skill sets and spells. In a party, it is necessary or highly rmended they have a guardian who can watch their backs in battle. Guardians act as support and only interfere when their partners are in danger. Finally, the contractor ss was the most interesting of the three. Contractors are more like summoners who sign a pact with a magic beast. Contractors are given magic beasts at a young age and through the bond shared after signing a blood contract, they are able tomunicate with their magic beasts. These contractors spend all their resources and time trying to strengthen their beasts and the refining their bloodline. Since magic beasts are able to cultivate in this world, there is a chance that a contractor can be the master of a new god beast in the future if they are lucky. When Lucien was little he remembered his Grandfather telling him a story of a powerful contractor who had a ck dragon as his partner. They said he and his magic beast were only steps away from reaching the realm of the gods but their evil deeds did not go unpunished. One day the whole world banded together and joined hands against him. The battlested for days before the man was killed. Some say his ck dragon escaped and till today it is still seeking a way to awaken its master. "Was the old man lying?" Lucien asked as he remembered he used to get scared each time he was told this story but now he''s a little older, he found it unbelievable. He wanted to ponder on the matter more but he felt too sleepy to focus. Soon his vision faded as he dozed off peacefully. Chapter 16: The Punk face Chapter 16: The Punk face The next morning, Lucien woke up earlier than usual and felt strange changes all over his body. His hearing had improved, his vision was sharper and his entire perception of the world around him has changed slightly. At first, he assumed he was the only one going through this but when he got to the cafeteria, he realized that practically everyone was talking about this. After having his meal with Hex and Brian, they proceeded to check the schedule for today''s sses. The first week in the Academy was more like an intro for new students who use this time to be familiar with all the avable paths before they are shared into different sses. For today the War mage, Contractor, and Guardian sses were on at various time frames making it possible for everyone to attend all of them. This privilege is for those who are yet to decide and choose to check out every ss and they are for also those who n to master more than a single path. Bidding Brian farewell, Lucien and Hex moved towards the teleportation tform in hopes of getting to the ss earlier than anyone. Hex noticed that Lucien was a bit more docile and calm when dealing with Brian, he also couldn''t tell why but he chose not to dwell on the matter. Brrrrrrr! The teleportation tform let out a weird sound as the duo appeared. They could easily tell that the hall was filled with humans and beast-men based on how tense the atmosphere was. Both races separated into two groups and asionally murderous res at each other making it seem like a battle would erupt anytime soon. Hex and Lucien arrivedte so they caught the attention of both sides. While Hex was known as the talented grandson of the emperor, Lucien was known as a student who has been delivering surprises after surprises to the academy. He was a rising star amongst the beast-men and a serious threat to the humans. Brrrrrrr! They were about to move but the teleporting tform behind them made activated and two people stepped out of it. They were two humans whom Hex and Lucien were very familiar with. They are the space and time duo who showcased great potentials for the human team during the affinity testing exam. "Lenard and Susan it''s been a while" Hex noticed them instantly and shot a smile at them. "I agree where have you been hiding?" Lucien''s eyes narrowed and his fingers curled up into a fist as he asked the question. He may be able to manage Brian because he didn''t consider the youth a threat and they have known themselves for a while but these two were blessed with amazing elements. While Lenard possessed the time element, Susan was blessed with spatial and Force elements! Two extra rare elements. Lucien saw these siblings as threats that need to be put down before they grow and that''s why he didn''t bother to hide his hostility towards them. Meanwhile, Hex also shared the same view but for now, he decided to hide his nasty thoughts and put aside his evil intentions. For now! "You are in my way move!" Leonard didn''t seem to be in the mood to speak to them so he blurted out the words in his heart. Susan was more of the shy type so she only hid behind him and observed by looking over his shoulder. "This Okay, okay. I don''t mean any trouble" Hex said while desperately trying to hide his discontent as he slowly took a step back before moving to the side. As much he would have loved to stand in their way and dare them to do their worse, Hex had no intentions of causing trouble in their first official ss. The siblings didn''t even bother to nce at Hex as they walked past him. The joy of making the grandson of the emperor bow out in direct confrontation was short-lived as they soon bumped into a bigger wall. One more vicious and cruel than Hex. "You were rude back there I can see you humans were not thought manners! Fall on your knees and apologize and I''ll let you off with only a few broken ribs" Lucien said as he put on a face that people around him called the punk face. Hearing his words the ss went silent as they analyzed his words and soon realized that Lucien was picking a fight with Lenard. His actions and words indicated that he only wished for violence and even his request was outrageous! "what did you say?" Lenard asked with squinted eyebrows. Back then during the affinity test, Lucien shamelessly tried to kill him since he possessed too much potential. Back then he was too scared to act but now things changed! The fear was reced with anger ready to explode at any moment and this could be considered the ideal moment. Greenish colored aura slowly exploded from his body as it slowly spread ess his body. "I said, On your knees!" Lucien said as his silver aura slowly escaped his body and his eyes let out a silver light. Chapter 17: First spell; Wind Rider(1) Chapter 17: First spell; Wind Rider(1) The air around the two was so tense that even Hex had to take a step back. Judging based on the aura these two were giving off, he was sure that it was only a matter of time before they both pounced on each other. "I dare you to repeat those words" Lenard hissed as his fluttering clothes kept fluttering but at a slower rate. His time magic was slowly affecting everything around him even without him knowing. Meanwhile, Lucien was surrounded by tiny bolts of lightning while a mild wind blew around him. A devilish grin appeared on his face, revealing his fangs as he took a bold step towards Lenard. "I hate repeating myself but for you, I will make an exception! Fucking fall on your knees or I will cripple you in two seconds!" Lucien growled. Bothbatants took a step back and crouched slightly, preparing to pounce on each other that they failed to notice thedy standing beside them. Bang! The hall was extremelyrge, probably big enough to harbor about five thousand people. In normal circumstances, one would think that arge portion of the freshers would love to join the war mage path but the truth remains that many people don''t fancy this path. War mages are always the people at the frontline during battles and wars. Their lives are always at risk and even though there are wellpensated, many believe no amount of money is worth their life! Lucien and Lenard were forced seat at the front roll by the instructor as a punishment for trying to start a fight in her ss. Their heads were aching so much that Lucien began to wonder how this petite brown-haired woman could hit so hard. He had heard that as a person increases in cultivation level, their bodies get stronger as well. Lucien has never paid attention to minor details like this until today. "Wee to the War mage ss, You can call me Instructor Emma and I will be the one handling this ss during your first year here Now, who can tell me what you know about the war mage ss?" Instructor Emma asked with a charming smile on her face. She wore a customized blue mage robe which was shot and revealing. Even though she had a small build, her assets could be considered busty for someone of her size, giving her an alluring figure which made all the male human students and a good number of the male beast-men students daydream about a night with her instead of focusing in ss. Seeing that most of the male students were distracted and he didn''t feel like letting the girls outdo him, Lucien begrudgingly got on his feet as he answered. "The war mage path focuses on improving the lethality and destructive capabilities of a spell" Lucien would have loved to exin further but he wasn''t on good terms with the human b##ch who dared toy her hands on him. "Quite true but iplete" Instructor Emma said. "War mages do not necessarily focus on destructive capabilities of spells or lethality Actually, war mages focus on bringing the best out of their spells, judging based on their nature and purpose" A human female with bright red hair and eyes, indicating her strong affinity to the fire element. Lucien knew this much and would have said the same thing if it wasn''t for the grudge he held against Instructor Emma. In his opinion, limiting his effort in sh would affect her in some say since he can''t beat the crap out of her now. "Correct! The name war mages may indicate battle and all that but even in battle support abilities are considered the best in most cases." Instructor Emma said with a bright smile. Waving her hand she conjured a sphere of water effortlessly. "When any random mages cast a spell this is what it looks like and they toss it at you These normal mages prioritize quantity over quality but for we war mages, we bring the best out of every little mana spent" Instructor Emma said as she raised her wrist and the water sphere followed suit, slowly taking the shape of a water spear with well-defined features. Pa! Closing her hand, the water spear returned to its spherical form as it slowly expanded before colliding with Instructor Emma. With a good amount of effort, Instructor Emma was able to change the form of the water and turn it into an armor. Seeing her skillfully manipte the element, everyone in the ss was left intrigued, and even Lucien forgot his grudge against thisdy and admired her skill. "That''s all for now the main purpose of this path is to help bring the best out of your magic As we all know, the empire values originality more than copycats it is also advisable that one can create his or her own spell from scratch this will help you understand the process and this will help you understand your magic In this ss, everyone has a choice you can choose to ept the grimoire filmed with spells created by others over the centuries or you can choose to learn the hard way and create a spell of your own!" Instructor Emma said. While many would prefer to just used already created spells, a few talented youths end up creating their own spells. These people are always extraordinary! It didn''t matter to her if they are human or Beast-men. As long as they are talented, she is willing to work with them as long as she can bring out the best in them. The ss was led to an open field by Instructor Emma where they are to practice spells. Every one of them was handed a grimoire containing the mostmon beginner spells of every element known to man. "What the hell is this?" Lucien wore a disgusted expression on his face when he was handed a grimoire when it was his turn to walk through the teleportation pod. His hands remained shoved deep into his pocket showing he had no intentions of taking it from Instructor Emma. "I apologize for his rude attitude but I think what my friend is trying to say here is that only weaklings need something like this to create a spell we are not weak" Hex said with a charming smile on his face. Chapter 18: First spell; Wind Rider (2) Chapter 18: First spell; Wind Rider (2) Arriving at the open field, Hex and Lucien decided to wait a bit as they watched people practice. Since they refused to take the Grimoire, they assumed it would be best if they get a general understanding of how it works by observing instead of acting. "This is just mere attacks Imagine giving life to a spell That is the true beauty of magic" A voice was heard beside them. Shooting a nce to their side, they realized it was Lenard who was speaking. These people failed to understand why he was suddenly trying to strike off a conversation or why he''s not practicing but they chose to ignore him and continue. "And yes, I am not practicing because this ss is not for me I am just here to watch over my sister since I have some free time" Lenard said again but Hex and Lucien remained silent. Using the grimoire and following the instructions there, students began using the most casual spells like conjuring a fist-sized fireball, pulling out chunks of rock from the ground, spitting out a minor amount of water from their mouths or palms. Everything they had seen so far is basic and this is the main reason they refused to use the grimoire. When creating magic, a strong imagination is needed and ording to Lucien''s beliefs, a grimoire kills it. It''s the easy way out and in reality, nothinges easy! Lucien and Hex strongly believe this will greatly affect their cultivation in the future! "What do you n to do now? You don''t seem willing to create a spell of your own in this ss?" Lucien shot Hex a nce as he spoke,pletely ignoring Lenard who was standing beside him. "Nope... I intend to create my first spell using the knowledge of the creation path, after which I will try to weaponized with my knowledge of the war mage ss So, I suggest you go first" Hex said with a charming smile on his face. "What about you, what do you n to do?" Lenard leaned closer as he asked. "What the heck man! Fuck off!" Lucienined as he shoved the human aside. Since he openly rejected the grimoire with really ''strong'' words, Instructor Emma and a few other students were waiting to see what he had in mind. Thinking back on all he has been through and what he considered most important in a battle, Lucien began envisioning what his dream spell would be like. With his eyes shut tight, Lucien was surrounded by darkness and silence. In his own opinion and ording to the Raizen way of fighting, speed is the most important. Why struggle to fight a powerful foe by exchanging blows when you can kill them without them knowing it. Creating wings made of wind to grant him flight and speed would have been perfect but at his current level, Lucien felt this is way beyond his capabilities. {Something simple but effective Something fast but stable! SOMETHING ONLY ME CAN DO!} Lucien thought. _______ He remained silent, with his eyes shut tight for close to half an hour without noticing. By this time, everyone who chose to use a grimoire had gotten a good grip over their new spell of choice, meanwhile, the few that chose to go without it were yet to make any significant progress and they have given up on creating a spell, at least for the day. During this time, Instructor Emma paid close attention to Lucien hoping to see something amazing from the kid who shattered the affinity testing orb and talked down Instructor Han, a powerful spatial mage. She hadpletely ignored everyone around them and focused on Lucien since she wanted to see for herself if this kid''s, potential is as great as people say. Thinking back on the records of the academy''s past, those who chose to create their spells without the aid of a grimoire all turned out as outstanding students with amazing potential. These people were sorted highly by the empire. This secret was not revealed to the students since they believed confidence and talent must go together and should not be forced. If her memories were still on point, Instructor Emma could remember that the most talented mage to have ever stepped foot in this academy needed three days to create a new spell from scratch. This was considered incredibly fast and thinking back on this, Instructor Emma couldn''t tell why she was expecting more from a kid she had only heard of. Was she expecting this kid to surpass the man whom they referred to as the war god? The only human whom they considered to be on par with the Phoenix beast emperor of the Fotia empire! At that time, he was their only human, and the humans dreamed of the day when this man would challenge the beast emperor, defeat him and make humans the dominant race in this empire. "How could Ipare a kid to that man! Was I thinking too hard? Was I expecting too much? What was I expecting?" Emma mumbled while gazing at Lucien who was still as a statue. That''s enough. The time for this ss is over, let''s go!" Emma ordered after another five minutes had gone by and no change. At this moment she felt relief and disappointment as well. She wasn''t sure why she was expecting so much from Lucien after all the stories she heard of him, but she was happy it didn''t happen. In her opinion, a second beast emperor was not needed! ____ The students began packing and many had started heading towards the teleportation tforms when they felt a strong wind blow towards them from behind. Turning their attention to the source of the wind, they realized Lucien, Hex, and Lenard were yet to move. Underneath Lucien''s feet was a silver magic array with each of the star points connecting slowly. The wind around him was so fierce that Hex and Lenard were forced to retreat in a bid to avoid getting caught in it since they didn''t know what kind of spell Lucien was trying to create. "Impossible!" Instructor Emma muttered as she watched in disbelief. She didn''t expect this to happen and she was soon overwhelmed by fear! Gazing at Lucien''s levitating figure, everyone noticed the star points connectionpletely, creating a strong gust of wind to blow around Lucien. Bam! Following the loud sound, Lucien''s eyes yanked open violently, revealing a silver glow! "Wind magic: Wind rider!" Lucien growled as a wheel of wind formed beneath his feet! Chapter 19: An Intruder? Chapter 19: An Intruder? Everyone watched the wheel of wind beneath Lucien''s legs helped him stay above ground level but not too high. He ignored the eyes on him as he struggled to maintain bnce since it felt like standing on a thin wire. "He created a spell in just half an hour?" Instructor Emma muttered in disbelief as she watched Lucien getting shoved from side to side as he struggled to attain bnce. Lucien may not have noticed but actions had triggered both fear and admiration in the hearts of everyone around him. When looking at him, they thought back on his words on recing the current emperor and bing the new beast emperor. At first, it sounded dumb and impossible, but now, they couldn''t help but feel like this is possible. As for Hex, his thoughtful gaze was fixated on Lucien. Even though he has only known Lucien for a very short while, he could tell Lucien was more straightforward and honest than anyone he has ever met. He knew Lucien meant every word when he said he aimed to rece the current emperor and back then he didn''t take it to heart because he considered this impossible, but seeing this he couldn''t help but feel threatened. The thought of having a single youth from a mid-tier god beast bloodline, aiming to take over the empire his family bled to create annoyed him and hostile intentions began flooding his mind. Unknown to Lucien, he had just made a new enemy! DING! DING! DING! BOOM! Following the loud bell sound was a loud explosion that made the earth trembled and a massive golden cross could be seen at a distance blocking numerous spells thrown at it. During this time, Lucien''s mind went nk and he was overwhelmed by fear and even falling off the wind wheel. Who would have the guts to attack the empire? Why are they attacking? Also, why were they attacking from the western gate? The western region of the empire was where the academy is located. While it is well defended, none of the noble families reside in this area, making it the best ce tounch an attack from. Thinking back at this, Lucien concluded that it would take a while for the forces of the noble families to arrive, meaning that they could only rely on the instructors and the Dean to protect them! "Dammit!" Lucien growled as he jumped on his feet and dashed towards the nearest teleportation tform, jumping into it and vanishing even before anyone could react! "That idiot! If the walls have fallen that means the intruders have made it into the academy! That''s the worst ce to be right now!" Instructor Emma ran forward and jumped into the teleportation tform but it wasn''t working anymore. She tried to activate it a couple of times but it just wasn''t working. Thinking on this, she concluded that Instructor Ham must have utilized his spatial seal to lock down the entire region in hopes of preventing the invaders from using the teleporting tforms to move at will. "Damn that kid! After what just happened he will be considered an empire asset! If anything happens to him, I will be the one to me! I will be executed on the spot!" Instructor Emma shuddered in fear! Hex watched Lucien dash forward, he could have stopped him since but he didn''t. He knew if the invaders had gotten past the walls, the school would be the worst ce to be at right now. "Let''s hope he doesn''t get hurt" Hex muttered with a vicious smile on his face. __________________ Xiu! Appearing in the ss, Lucien wasted no time and quickly dashed out of the room. Upon leaving the room, his jaws dropped in shock as he gazed at something that seemed almost impossible to exin. The building was cut in half by an attack so powerful, that it left the stench of death everywhere. "Dammit! What the hell is this? Could it be that an empire is attacking ours?" Lucien couldn''t understand how someone would be able to destroy one half of a castle. What was even more shocking was that the castle was yet to fall and this can be considered as proof of how sturdy this building is Woooooo! Feeling a strong wind blow towards him, Lucien was forced to look out the window only to see the second wave of darkish purple aura shooting towards the building horizontally. "Fuck my life!" Lucien screamed as he dashed forward and jumped off the window without a second thought. The ssroom dedicated to the War mage was located at the top of the castle so Lucien was left, free-falling to the ground while he watched the darkish purple aura obliterate the top half of the castle and not leave a speck of single dust behind! "What the hell is that ability!" Lucien muttered in shock. {Don''t remember you will be reduced to a meat paste if you hit the ground!} Lucien screamed in his mind! Chapter 20: You must be tired of living! Chapter 20: You must be tired of living! "Come on! Come on! Come on!" Lucien growled as a silver magic array appeared beneath his feet and the star points at the center of the array began to link, slowly taking the shape of a star pattern. "Wind magic: Wind rider!" Lucien growled as the wind wheels appeared beneath his feet as soon as the star points linked. Brrrrr! Lucien held his breath as he struggled to use the wind wheels and skid down the walls of the castle. "If I survive this, nothing else can kill me!" Lucien growled as he performed the shift in hopes of strengthening his body while tried desperately to break his fall by reducing his speed with his spell. {GO!} Lucien yelled in his mind as soon as he got close to the ground. Stomping the wall hard, he shot forward like a missile covering a lot of ground in mere seconds! Swoosh! While shooting forward, Lucien performed a front flip, entering a position where his legs were pointing slightly above the ground while his upper half was leaning backward. GRRRRRRRRRRR! The sound of his wind wheels cutting deep into the ground could be heard as he struggled greatly to reduce his speed. Luckily for him, all the pressure was ced on the wind wheels, If not his legs would have snapped upon contact with the ground. It didn''t take long before Lucien''s spell vanished and hit the ground hard, rolling a couple of times before stopping. "O-U-C-H!" Lucien spelled out the words one after the other as he slowly tried to move but his body wasn''t responding. His joints hurt badly and his legs hurt even worse but then he couldn''t help but admit that his bones would have been shattered if not for the extra defense he gained from the shift. He slowly tried to raise his face off the ground but he felt a warm liquid rolling down his face from the top left corner of his head. "Nice, and I am bleeding!" Lucien muttered as he sluggishly got on his feet. Looking towards the west, he could still see the massive cross and spells flying around. The sound of battle was still fresh and this made him believe even more that arge number of people invaded the empire! "Come on one more time!" Lucien muttered as he breathed heavily. He felt a bit light-headed and dry. Based on his prior knowledge he could tell he was running out of mana. "I can barely cast a basic spell three times a day and I am considered a genius! How bad are the others" Lucien muttered with a wry smile as he found it hard to connect the star points on the magic circle beneath his feet. This time, he found himself, putting in a lot of effort and concentration, just toplete his spell. "Wind magic: Wind rider!" Lucien muttered weekly as his feet slowly left the ground and a wind wheel appeared beneath his feet. Xiu! __________ On the battlefield, instructor Han suddenly appeared above the battlefield, hoping to see an army but instead what he met was a small team of twelve men and the most stunning thing about these invaders was that only two out of the twelve were facing off against not less than thirty mages and fighters. The spatial Zone set around this region of the empire''s borders allowed him alerted him if someone decided to teleport into the empire through the use of spatial magic. But that didn''t happen, the destruction of the walls in such a fancy manner was what alerted him, forcing him to create a spatial lock zone around the region, preventing anyone except himself from teleporting within the area. He did this because he could feel the strong spatial aura from one of the invaders. Instead of joining the fight immediately, he chose to observe a little bit and think of a way to deal with the invaders. First of all, he didn''t know what empire these people came from if he were to judge based on their attire. Finally, if these twelve were brave enough to attack head-on, it meant they were quite confident in their strength, since he wasn''t abat type, he chose to watch from the sidelines and support the other instructors present. To do this, Instructor Han chose to hide above the clouds while suppressing his aura to the minimum! Since these people were distracted by numerous foes, they shouldn''t be able to find him "YOU DARE USE A SPATIAL LOCK ON ME? HOW BOLD OF YOU!" a white-haired youth dressed in a silver sleeveless mage robe growled. He had glowing silver eyes and countless silver tattoos littered all over his arms. He had a ck scythe in his hand which oozed of death yet his main aura showed he was a spatial mage. Leaving Instructor Han a bit confused. "Impossible!" Instructor Han muttered. With a hint of disbelief in his eyes, he watched this youth, reach towards the sky and pull! Instructor Han originally thought nothing of this but then he felt an invisible force take control of his body and forcefully pull him down to the ground. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn''t break free! The only thing he could do was slow down the speed of his descent. BAM! Upon collision with the ground, his vision blurred and it felt like all the air in him was forcefully dragged out. While gasping for air, Instructor Han could barely see a thing since he felt dizzy and his vision was blurry. As a mage who only focused on improving his magic skills, Instructor Han has never for once tried to strengthen his body, making him weaker than even warriors at a lower cultivation realm. "You are weak Just like your spatial magic!" The same voice said Instructor Han felt the spatial lock zone he set up shatter almost effortlessly. He could feel a spatial gate form and he was forced to act! "SPATIAL MAGIC: ZONE!" Instructor Han roared as he let out a silver spatial wave shattering the spatial gate formed. His body felt too weak and even now he couldn''t even rise on his feet. "You dare interfere with my ns again? Die then!" The voice could be heard even closer than before, The white-haired youth raised his ck scythe and was about to behead the instructor! The massive golden cross was ced behind the instructor, stopping all spells shot towards the in a bid to force the white-haired youth to retreat. "DON''T YOU DARE!" Suddenly a roar could be heard from the side and from nowhere a youth appeared, shooting towards the white-haired invader like a missile. "WHO!" The invader roared as he swung his ck scythe at the iing foe but his weapon only shed the empty air! Above! No the side! Raising his hand, barely on time, the invader was greeted with a powerful kick, but this was no ordinary kick! He could see a wheel of wind tearing into his flesh at an rming rate, threatening to cut off the entire palm! Xiu! Vanishing, the invader appeared a few meters away, only to gaze at his opponent and find out it was a youth barely up to thirteen or less. It was Lucien! "You dare try to kill a loyal mage of this empire? You are must be tired of living!" Lucien growled angrily. Chapter 21: Just this once! Chapter 21: Just this once! "Who are you?" The white-haired invader gazed at him meaningfully. "Lucien Raizen! The man who will surpass the beast emperors! A human dare asks for my name You''ve got balls" Lucien answered with a hint of contempt in his eyes. Seeing this the invader seemed to be vexed for some reason he didn''t attack. Those behind him watched him and chose not to act since he was reluctant to attack. Due to this, there was a minute of silence between the two sides but soon the cautious look on the invader''s face vanished and was reced with surprise, disappointment, and then rage. "What the hell! Did I just retreat because of someone as weak as him?" The white-haired invader screamed in anger! "What the hell are you talking about?" Lucien was a bit confused by the sudden change in attitude by the white-haired invader. "At first, I was flustered when you attacked because I couldn''t sense your presence back then I felt you were stronger and that''s why my movements were sloppy but just now I realized why You are running out of mana and you can barely maintain that little spell of yours! Am I correct?" The white-haired invader said with a slight frown on his face but it seemed like he has calmed down already. " and now you know that so what? Do you think you can win against me?" Lucien''s heart was pounding but he chose to push his fears aside and face the enemy bravely. "You know, you are quite hardworking and brave you remind me of myself a thousand years ago I would have loved to let you leave here alive but I think it''s best you die now. You will be a major problem in the future if I don''t put you down now! As a reward for answering my name, I will give you mine They call me Blink!" Saying this Blink charged forward with the ck scythe raised above his head. With his superhuman physical capabilities, while others could barely see him, Lucien could see him perfectly. Swoosh! Bang! In just a few seconds, the enemy had reached his position, hacking down at him dangerously with the ck scythe but luckily Lucien was faster. The ck scythe hit the ground but Lucien was nowhere to be seen. ''Not again!'' Blink cried out in his head as he instinctively looked to the side but Lucien wasn''t there. ''Shit!'' He screamed in his mind as he felt the youth''s feet connect with his face, letting out a loud bang sound but that wasn''t enough to throw Blink off his feet. The kick was only strong enough to force Blink to retreat by two steps before he recovered and swung the ck scythe at Lucien but to his greatest surprise, Lucien had anticipated this move and quickly went for a slide tackle! Bam! Sessfully dodging the attack and sweeping his opponent off his feet, Lucien hurriedly threw his hands back as he swung his feet with all his might, nting a powerful kick on Blink''s face even before his body reached the ground! Bang! Everyone watched in disbelief as they watched Blink fly back a few meters back before hitting the ground and rolling a couple of times. Lucien on his part was short of breath and was forced to retreat to Instructor Han''s side while trying to stabilize his breathing. Since he wasn''t allowed to cultivate by the rules of the empire, his childhood was dedicated to training him in various martial art and fighting styles. He had sparred with experts at the age of nine and could be considered an expert but this was his first real fight and he was surprised his body just moved ording to his instincts. Puti! Blink slowly got on his feet and wiped the blood trickling down his nose and also spat out some blood as well. While many may not have noticed Lucien did! Blink''s blood was ck and he too had a strong stench of death around him. Even now, Lucien was struggling hard not to puke his guts out since he had a feeling if he looked away for only a second, he will die. He knew something was off about this group trying to break into the empire but he couldn''t tell what exactly. He remembered thement the white-haired man made, revealing he had lived for thousands of years! Although it''s hard to believe, Lucien couldn''t help but link it to the stench of death around him and his ck scythe! The man must have found a way to prolong his life. "I would love to get this over with quickly As you can see Ick the mana needed to maintain this spell for too long" Lucien said as he slightly leaned forward and threw his hands back. He was ready for a second round! _______________ Still finding it hard to move with his eyes shut tight while waiting for death, Instructor Han heard a familiar voice that he despised so much. It was the voice of the student who people imed to be the next beast emperor or something greater. The kid who challenged his authority on the first day and got away with it! Someone he considered inferior to him just saved his life now. ''What the hell!'' Instructor Han muttered as he felt the urge to dig a hole and bury himself. His eyes were flickered dangerously as a silver aura could be seen zing around him. He wouldn''t mind dying at the hand of the enemy, what he couldn''t endure was having a student who looked down on him, protect him! His pride was on the line now, there is no way he was going to let this kid protect him! BOOM! Shooting into the air with a loud bang, the enraged Han decided to take a look at his surroundings only to notice all those stationed at the gate were already dead! While Lucien and Blink fought, the other invaders did well to kill off those around them. "I never thought a day woulde when I will be forced to say this but Lucien, we need to keep them here until the other Instructors arrive I don''t think I can deal with this on my own" Instructor Han confessed with a frown. He has seen Lucien fight and even though he knew his spatial zone y a major role in suppressing the enemy, he couldn''t help butmend Lucien! "If you put it that way then I have no choice but to help you Just this once! Also, I think it''s time I stop holding back!" Lucien dered with a vicious smile on his face. Chapter 22: Shameful Chapter 22: Shameful "If you put it that way then I have no choice but to help you Just this once! Also, I think it''s time I stop holding back!" Lucien dered with a vicious smile on his face. Upon saying those words a bright silver light shone brightly from his body and slowly took the shape of a man with an eagle head, talons for arms and feet, and four pairs of wings. Caaaaaww! Letting out a loud cry, Blink and the other invaders watched as Lucien''s body began to change. For some reason, his skin seemed thicker than usual and his arms and feet were reced with talons. The youth who had almost no presence suddenly made a 360-degree turn and showcased the beast side of him. "Cute" Blink said as he began walking towards the spatial mage and Lucien. "You wished to finish this battle quickly? Did you decide to stop holding back? You just messed up kid! That is the reason why none of you will leave this ce alive" The death scythe in Blink''s hands vanished and was reced with two silver daggers. "What you saw me use earlier was my master''s magic weapon this is my first time using a death scythe so pardon me if my skills are below standards Don''t worry, I can assure you... I am way better with my daggers!" Blink''s words were filled with so much venom it made his enemies shudder in fear. "This will be a massacre!" Upon saying this Blink''s life aura exploded taking the shape of a massive skull above his head! This time his enemies were scared senseless by his overwhelming presence. Lucien and Instructor Han watched the massive silver skull let out shrieks of the dead that instantly made them go numb. Thinking hard on Blink''s identity, they were inclined to believe that his master must be a dark mage! That is the only exnation of how a spatial mage would wreak death! "What the hell is this?!" Lucien roared with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. For the first time in his life, he was experiencing fear! Shrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Blink didn''t bother to answer, instead, he let the silver skull above him do the talking! Letting out a loud screech, Instructor Han panicked and lost concentration! Causing his spatial Zone to crumble! "No!" Inspector Han cried out but it was already toote. Swoosh! Blink wasted no time in tossing one of his silver daggers at the airborne spatial mage! He wasn''t going to let this opportunity pass by! Woosh! Suddenly Lucien appeared in front of the dagger, throwing a kick at it but instead of the dagger he met Blink! ''He switched ces with the dagger?'' Lucien screamed in his mind as his leg was caught by Blink. Pa! Pulling him towards himself, Blink shoved the dagger deep into Lucien''s belly and proceeded to smash him into the ground with as much power as he could muster, creating a small crater where they stood. "Y-o-u" Lucien muttered "You have a big mouth kid! Just keep your mouth shut and die!" Blink hissed Cough! Cough! Blink watched Lucien cough up two mouthfuls of blood while pressing the wound tight. He could feel a warm liquid flowing out of the back of his head, unknown to him, he wasying in a small pool of his blood. "No... You didn''t switch ces with the dagger you ran to it who would have thought you would be faster than me even with my wind rider spell" Lucien muttered slowly as he analyzed the situation calmly. "Hmph! That zone was the only thing keeping you alive it''s nice to know you are capable of analyzing the situation even in this condition which shows how talented you are I have to say, you would have gone far since you remind me of my master but it''s unfortunate you have to die here, you will be a problem in the future!" Blink said as he pulled out the dagger from his belly and raised it high but this time he was aiming for his throat. "Spatial magic: Zone! Swap!" Lucien had already epted his fate by shutting his eyes tight while waiting for death. It was at that moment that Instructor Han''s words reached his ears and suddenly he found himself in instructor Han''s arm. "What the hell" Blink muttered as he gazed at the white piece of kimono soaked in blood. In just a short while he could guess that instructor Han tore of a piece of his cloth and used it to swap ces with Lucien. "Equal exchange! That''s what it''s called... This is something you will never grasp!" Instructor Han said with a vicious look on his face. Gazing at him Blink could tell the man was enraged. He didn''t expect to see a human protecting a beast-man so he was taken by surprise. He was about to speak but then he felt numerous powerful aura signatures heading towards them. He knew the reinforcement these people were speaking of was close. "A prolonged fight is not what we need... We will tire out!" Blink said to hisrades before turning his attention to Instructor Han. "Your magic is inferior!" Upon saying this he sped his hands together and forcefully opened a spatial gate within the spatial zone! This was a way of showcasing his overwhelming power! Lucien watched Blink jump into the portal, alongside a gold-haired youth and the other ten go with him. Before he left, he left a word that would haunt Lucien for a long time "Saved by a human shameful" Chapter 23: A Tool Chapter 23: A Tool "Saved by a human Shameful!" Those words echoed in Lucien''s head until his eyes yanked open and a bright light prated his eyes, forcing him to use his hands to block the sunray. His head felt light and his vision was blurry but even that didn''t stop him from realizing that he was in a foreign environment. "Where is this?" He asked as he tried to sit but visions of hisst memory flooded his mind once again. "Saved by a human Shameful!" Blink said with a hint of disgust on his face before he forcefully tore open a spatial gate within the spatial zone and jumped in with the other invaders. Their whispers and chuckles kept haunting his mind, up to the point where he thought he was not sane anymore. "I will kill them all all of them!" Lucien growled only to hear a familiar voice. "Kill all of who?" Hex''s voice reached his ears causing him to jump off the king-sized bed and stand on his feet. Looking at Hex, he realized the youth wasn''t putting on the school attire, instead, he was wearing a loose ck robe with the royal crest embedded on it. His spikey red hair was now tied back into a ponytail, giving him a rather gentle look, unlike his previous fierce look. "How long have I been sleeping?" Lucien asked with a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "A week now You lost a lot of blood and even though that can be healed easily, the invader left traces of his chaotic energy in you it was so serious that the emperor had to directly get involved just to subdue this energy" There was a hint of disdain in thetter part of Hex''s words but Lucien was too focused on something else to notice. The emperor had to take action personally, just to heal him? Yes, he knew his position as the heir of the Raizen n was high but it wasn''t high enough for the emperor to bother about his life, by the way, he was just a kid at the first level of the human realm. He just couldn''t wrap his head around the information he had received and because of that, he found himself wandering around the room like a lost sheep. Hex watched him walk towards the edges of the room, reluctantly touching the walls like he was torching a gold bar. Seeing this was amusing and irritating at the same time but Hex did well to suppress his true emotions before he spoke. "I guess you figured it out, you are at the royal pce and I am here to gate you My family is about to have breakfast and I was sent to bring you over" Hex chuckled lightly as he spoke. ''The royal family wants me to join them for breakfast?'' Lucien''s mind couldn''t handle the information he just received! Just like ady who suddenly meets her favorite celebrity, Lucien''s face turned red and he copsed. Hex ran over his side in shock which soon turned to amusement when he realized Lucien just fainted. "Is this the person meant to surpass my grandfather? What a joke!" He hissed. ___________________ Walking out of the room, Lucien wore a silver short sleeve tight shirt that revealed all his ''manly'' features, and beneath was a tight ck trouser, and on his feet were slippers decorated with so many feathers it looked girlish. "Who the hell picked out these clothes for me, I don''t care if it''s the emperor I won''t forgive that person" Lucien asked Hex with a frown on his face. Hearing this, Hex couldn''t help but let out a burst of loudughter while holding his belly. With watery eyes, he turned to Lucien and tried to speak. "I- I am sorry but I couldn''t resist! I had to do it, bro, you understand me right?" Hex confessed. Hearing this Lucien just ignored him and kept moving forward. "Come on man, it''s just a joke" Hex called out as he chased after him but Lucien showed no signs of slowing down. "Why would the emperor save my life? I am a nobodypared to the royal family and I am still weak" Lucien couldn''t help but ask. "But you have potential! You shattered the affinity testing orb with your insane magic affinity You talked back to a powerful mage like Instructor Han, fearlessly! You created your own spell in just an hour! Something that takes peak experts days to do! And finally, you helped defend the empire against the invaders and held your own against one of the leaders for a while yes, it was broadcasted all through the empire, you have some sick fighting skills.Your talent is probably close to that of the emperor or equal to it You have contributed enough to make the emperor notice you and for your sacrifice, the least he can do is save your life" Hex answered. Hearing this, Lucien finally understood why he was suddenly treated this way. ''if I were a normal student with average talent and was injured trying to protect the empire, would the royal family bother trying to save my life?'' Lucien didn''t know why he suddenly felt this way. While it felt good that he was recognized by the empire, his instincts kept screaming out that he was nothing but a tool to be used by the emperor! "What the hell is wrong with me?" He muttered as they reached the teleportation tform. Chapter 24: A second chance! Chapter 24: A second chance! XIU! Lucien''s vision blurred as he soon appeared on the other side of the castle. It was arge room with an extrarge dining table which could hold over twenty-plus people, luckily the beast-men have always been known to have reproductive issues so the table had fewer members than expected. "What happened to the academy? Why aren''t you there?" The question popped up in Lucien''s head so he just threw out the question without care. "The academy was damaged it will need some time to be rebuilt, two to three weeks Until then you are staying here with us" a familiar yet graceful voice reached his ears. Looking forward, Lucien noticed the mighty gray-haired man dressed in an expensive ck kimono with a red flower dressed draped over it. His long gray hair was allowed to roam free across his face as he ate and his pupils were zing red, filled with so much power that Lucien felt the need to fall on his knees and worship this man but Lucien didn''t do that. With his back straightened he began taking bold strides forward, catching the attention of all the royal family members! Even the emperor Fei who was busy enjoying his soup couldn''t help but shoot Lucien a meaningful nce. "This is really interesting, you are the first outsider to set his eyes on me and not kneel I can''t help but wonder why?" Emperor Fei''s said as he wolfed down another piece of stake. "Why? Sorry but I do not believe a beast emperor should bow to another! Don''t you think so?" Lucien asked with a confident smile as he sat across the table, staring at the seemingly uninterested beast emperor who was at the other end of the long dining table. His words struck like lightning leaving everyone stunned as they gazed at the kid for a short time while deeply pondering on what to do with him. Openly dering himself a beast emperor in front of the emperor is not only a crime no less than treason bit it''s also disrespectful! They all wanted to refute his words but none dared to speak up because based on talent as a genius, Lucien far surpasses them in their youthful days. Some even believe he is more talented than the beast Emperor "Hehehe! You little man, you remind me of when I was your age I was so hot-headed and eager to fight I watched your performance against the invaders. Firstly, you shatter the affinity testing orb due to your insane affinity to both your primary and secondary elements Next, you create an original spell in just an hour, and finally, you saved the life of an instructor and held your own against an invader! For someone your age, this is considered incredible! That is why you have gotten my attention..."Emperor Fei said as he used a piece of white cloth to clean his lips. "I could only hold the invader because of the spatial zone lock cast by instructor Han once taken away, I was defeated easily so the third point doesn''t count" Lucien said as he shoved a piece of steak into his mouth shamelessly. He even failed to notice that Hex had arrived and was currently making his way to one of the many empty chairs. "Hahahaha! You are modest and honest too! I like you kid! Regarding your question, the fact, you could muster the courage to face an unknown enemy is more than enough! By saving Little Han''s life, you saved the lives of many who would have fallen prey to these invaders You are unaware of how much you contributed to this empire by just that simple act of bravery and that is why I wish to reward you Tell me, youngd, what do you want?" Emperor Fei said with a serious look on his face as he leaned back. Listening to his words, Lucien fell into deep thought. He knew what it meant and he knew the royal family now owes him a favor. He considered the number of things he may want but only one thing came to his mind. "When the invaders hiding in the empire are found, I want to be one of those who will confront them! That''s what I want!" Lucien said with a serious look on his face. The others were taken aback by his request since they failed to understand how a kid who barely survived a battle with enemies stronger than noble family heads would want to jump back in! Was he really tired of living? Or does he have some issues upstairs? "Why?" The Emperor kept a straight face as if he was expecting this reply from Lucien. "It''s because I have to! For the sake of my pride as a warrior!" Lucien said with his head held high. Chapter 25: New bonds Chapter 25: New bonds "For the sake of your pride as a warrior?" The Beast emperor muttered as he steered the soup in his bowl with his finger. His eyes were void of any emotions as he pondered on these words. Lucien was taken aback by this because the emperor had a different aura entirely while acting this way, it was like he was speaking to someone entirely different. "If you go up against them again the chances of you losing your life is quite high it''s almost certain Right now you are the poster boy of our empire! The most talented in the empire and we are more than willing to spend so many resources just to help you cultivate! Are you willing to give that all up for your little pride?" The Beast emperor asked with a straight face. "Yes! Call it little or stupid or anything you wish but my pride makes me who I am! Without it, I will be nothing empty" Lucien said with so much determination and fire that everyone was startled. Hearing this a big grin appeared on the face of the emperor and he pped repeatedly! "BRAVO!!!! That''s perfect kid! You have the right mindset, from now on I will refer to you as little emperor!" Emperor Feiughed loudly as he spoke. Hearing this, Lucien frowned since he didn''t really fancy the little that came before the emperor. "You know that means I will end up battling you for the post of the beast emperor in the future right?" Lucien shoved another piece of steak into his mouth while he said it. "HAHAHAHAHA! I look forward to that day!" Emperor Feiughed out loud. Lucien spent most of his time eating and speaking with the emperor the invaders are still within the empire and it is believed that a member of the royal family, Bradley, and his group were killed by this group as well. The corpses of Bradley''s teammates were found west of the empire but Bradley''s body was never found. Lucien spent another week in the royal pce at the capital. During this time, the raizen n had sent over a gift for his amazing achievements. The first was a minor grade spatial ring capable of containing over ten pieces of equipment and within it were about 3 E grade mana crystals, two D grade mana crystals, and a C grade mana crystal, all used for cultivation purposes. What caught his attention was the Raizen n heirloom, the Stormborn whip! It allows the user to channel the lightning element through it and increases the output at least tenfold! He could hardly believe that his grandfather would release his soul seal on the weapon and hand it over to him so soon. [A/N: Every magic weapon requires a person''s soul seal to work! By pouring in one''s mana into a newly forged magic weapon, one binds the magic weapon to him, making it impossible for other mages to make use of it! The only way to remove someone''s seal on a magic weapon is to get him to do it willingly or just kill him or her] "It''s probably because of your achievements Don''t let it get to your head if you didn''t do so well or show any promise, no one would even bother to look your way" Emperor Fei said when he saw Lucien gazing at the Stromborn whip. Its hilt was golden with the face of the Raizen God-beast carved into it and that was just it. There was no whip or anything outside that! Only after taking hold of it and pouring his lightning element into it did the glowing blue lightning whip appear. It took him only a few seconds before he felt lightheaded and was forced to let go of the whip! "Hahahaha! I see we have a one-minute man here" The emperor Fei said whileughing out loud. At first, Lucien didn''t get the joke but when he noticed the lewd look on the emperor''s face, his face turned red as he ran out of the room. The extra week spent with the royal family was dedicated to training with the Emperor. Their training exercise was mainly focused on sharpening his senses and improving his physical capabilities through numerousbat experiences, as for the moments spent outside training hours was dedicated to chatting and having fun. Unknown to Lucien, he soon got attached to the Emperor and viewed him as a father figure,pletely forgetting about his roots. This was simply because the old man shared the same beliefs and views as him about life. Thanks to the emperor''s asional tips and guidance, it took Lucien a week to create a spell with his secondary element, lightning. This is something that would normally take a normal person a month or two to aplish. _____________________ Lucien sat on his king-sized bed in a cross-legged position, absorbing mana from thest E-grade mana crystal he had on him. He decided to save the D and C grade crystals forter. During the past week, he slowly absorbed the contents of these mana crystals and silently paid attention to the physical changes his body underwent. "I feel slightly stronger and faster my mana reserves have increased a little bit but I am still far from breaking into the second sky of the human realm I guess it will take a bit longer" Lucien muttered as he dropped the transparent crystal shard, void of any form of energy. "It''s time little Emperor, the invaders are heading towards the ckwater cave it''s time we put them down for good!" Emperor Fei''s voice echoed from the side, causing Lucien to instinctively throw a punch towards the source of the voice but it was caught easily. "Nice reaction" Emperor Fei added. "We? You are going to get involved in this?" Lucien asked with a hint of disbelief in his eyes. "Of course! They killed a member of the Phoenix family and even though Bradley was not a member of the main branch he is still family so it''s only natural I avenge his death also did you really think I would let you go down there all alone?" The emperor said with a charming smile on his face. Chapter 26: Blackwater cave Chapter 26: ckwater cave It was a small circr-shaped pool barely a hundred meters wide, while allowed only one person to enter at a time. What was more shocking was that the water in the circr pool was ck and had an irritating stench. This pool was located at the deepest parts of the Torn forest is located between the Raizen and the Lucardo noble families "To think no one noticed this here the power source our master''s sort are beneath the pool" Blink said as he gazed at the ck pool. Thinking about it, he found it quite reasonable. The Torn forest was toorge and vast for the two noble families to im it as a territory since there are many unknowns here! Since the Torn forest is located at the edge of the southern region of the empire, stretching even further than that. "Just like we have the endless sea back in our ce, this ce has attained the right to be called the endless as well no one has ever gone this deep and I am sure if we came here on foot, most of us will be dead right now There are lots of unknowns in here, I believe we should get this over with quickly and leave" The golden-haired youth standing beside Blink spoke while ying with his hair. "Clovis From here on out, things will be a little difficult I am confident in my strength but I don''t think we will be able to protect these ten I sincerely don''t know why our masters insisted on having them tag along, just to die here" Blink''s voice was transmitted into Clovis'' head. "I know, I know but on the bright side, those who survive this encounter will definitely go far in the future Sacrifices have to be made to grow stronger these ten are the best amongst our newest set of disciples with no life and death experiences This is perfect for them" Clovis didn''t bothermunicating with Blink through telepathy and just blurted those words out. Woosh! Without waiting, he lightly held on to his nostrils while jumping into the pool, regardless of the foul smell. Immediately his leg made contact with the ck substance he realized this wasn''t water, since it was way thicker than usual. Before he could even react felt a suction force pull him in! It was just a few seconds of silence before he got pulled through the ck substance and out of it. Thud! Landing roughly, Clovis looked up to see a whole new world right before his eyes. Above what looked like a cave was the same ck substance, acting as the ceiling of the cave. "This is amazing!" Blink''s voice resonated from behind as he walked past Clovis with his eyes shut tight, desperately trying to explore the cave without even moving an inch. While he did this the remaining members of the team descended from above. They silently waited for Blink to finish before they moved forward. "There are powerful magic beasts here let''s go!" Blink said with a serious look on his face. _________________________ Bang! The space above the ckwater pool tore open as three figures appeared. Lucien gazed at the Beast emperor, Fei, and Instructor Han with a hint of worry in his eyes. They were going up against twelve enemies. He saw only a glimpse of Blink and the Clovis'' strength so he felt extremely anxious and proud at the same time. ''I can''t believe I am part of a major operation like this!'' Lucien screamed in his mind. "Don''t worry, I will deal with the one you call Blink and the golden hair kid You and Little Han will just have to take care of the ten weaker Minions" Emperor Fei said with an infectious smile. "What is this all about... You seem to know this ce and the reason why they are here, Emperor" Instructor Han asked coldly. Lucien felt like pouncing on Instructor Han for speaking to the Emperor that way but then something struck his mind. The emperor calls him ''Lil Emperor'' and calls Instructor Han ''Lil Han''. Considering this, he came to the conclusion that they both have a close rtionship. Gazing at the emperor, he let his gray hair flutter freely and he wore a sleeveless red mage robe but there was no talisman or any form of enchantment on him, it seemed as if the old man didn''t consider this a hard task. "I found this ce when the Fotia empire was newly formed, that''s about five centuries ago I wanted to expand my empire further and decided to explore the Torn forest! From here, leads to an underground ancient civilization There is a power source down there, but it was been protected by some sort of barrier I tried to take it and make it my own but I couldn''t bring destroy the barrier From time to time Ie here to check but the barrier has always been there, but weakening the fact these invaders came for this means they are confident of breaking this barrier if they can, then I can''t let them have the power source down there" Emperor Fei saw no reason to lie to them since they were all going down there anyway, so he didn''t hesitate to tell the story. "" Lucien gazed with a nk expression, unable to know what to make out of the story he just heard. Chapter 27: Underground civilization? Chapter 27: Underground civilization? "" "" There was silence between the two men for a short while and Lucien was starting to feel a bit nervous. The power source down there is protected by something that even Emperor Fei could not destroy. This meant that whatever is down there must be extremely powerful! That meant that if instructor Han could get his hands on it, didn''t it mean he may be able to surpass the emperor in an instant? Lucien''s gaze on Instructor Han turned murderous but thankfully he was standing behind so the two men didn''t seem to notice. He considered killing Instructor Han now just to make sure it doesn''t fall in the hands of a human! "You want the power for yourself? If you do, you can have it" Emperor Fei said with a nk look on his face. Hearing his words, Lucien felt speechless as his jaw dropped while gazing at the emperor. "Why give it to me? Won''t it be better if you have it and further improve your realm?" Instructor Han said with his normal indifferent look on his face. It looked like he was not surprised by the emperor''s action. "It will help me get past my bottleneck but sometimes it is better to have two powerful people rather than having one Have you forgotten the match between to Human realm mage at the third sky against the single human realm mage at the fifth sky of the realm, it was an amazing fight and the two were able to win thanks to the numbers advantage Sometimes two powerful men are greater than just a single more powerful person" Emperor Fei said thoughtfully. "It''s not about the power, it all centers around politics we can''t do things this way and think it won''t attract attention what will the people say? Both the humans and the beast-men are against you for trying to create a world where everyone is equal a world where both the beast-men and the humans have equal rights right now there is a chance that a coup can take ce anytime soon I believe it''s more important if our rtionship does not get out It may attract unwanted attention" Instructor Han protested. Hearing them speak, Lucien couldn''t help but wonder what kind of rtionship the emperor and Instructor Han had. He even began thinking of the possibility that instructor Han is one of the emperor''s illegitimate children from a human mother who failed to get the blessing of the beast-men. "Don''t think about it I am not his son All you need to know is that he saved my life and made me who I am now For that reason, I will forever remain by his side!" Instructor Han said the moment he noticed Lucien was entertaining some impure thoughts. "HAHAHA! I have an idea why don''t we let this kid have it A sudden increase in my strength by arge portion will breed fear in the hearts of humans and beast-men alike which can trigger an alliance to take me out, but if we give it to someone who isn''t rted to us in any way, we might have a capable third member in this squad!" The Emperor chuckled. "G-give m-me w-what?" Lucien stuttered due to shock since he never expected the emperor to make such a generous offer. For a short while, Instructor Han kept gazing at Lucien as if he were searching for something. He sighed a couple of times before finally speaking. "First of all, we have to know what type of power this thing grants.. we also need to know if his body will be able to contain it without any adverse effects Since you brought him up, I am sure you have faith in him, so I have no choice but to believe in him as well apart from those few issues I think having him take whatever is down there is the best option having a hidden trump card is never a bad thing" Instructor Han said casually before shooting into the ck pool. "Hehehe He is a really cool guy, right? That''s what I like most about him" The Emperor said before grabbing onto Lucien and diving into the ck pool ______________________________________________ At first, it was darkness, but soon Lucien saw himself shooting out of the ck pool, into something that looked more like a massive underground civilization. The walls were filled with strange glowing markings which lit up the entire cave. Above them was the ck watery substance, preventing sunlight from prating into this ce. Lucien was curious about things here and wished he could look around more but the emperor and Instructor Han began walking forward so he had no choice but to chase after them. While moving, they came across different fork roads but the emperor always followed certain parts with enough confidence to make them believe he has been down here a couple of times. As they moved forward they came across many buildings and strange structures but they didn''t bother to check any, they just kept moving. They also came across different bodies of strange beasts which have never been seen on the surface! Judging based on the freshness of their corpses, they could the invaders are not too far ahead. "Considering how many routes and roads in this underground maze, I must say these invaders are either fast or they have someone capable of sensing the exact location of the power source, down here" Emperor Feiughed. "Ehmm" Instructor Han nodded in agreement. "Or they have someone who has been here a couple of times too without you noticing" Lucien said without even thinking. When he realized what he did, he quickly looked up only to see the emperor and the instructor gazing at him with weird expressions on their faces. "What?" Lucien stopped moving and asked with a reddened face. "You are smarter than I thought that''s a bonus point for you in my book" The emperor said. "Ehmm" Instructor Han nodded in agreement. They kept moving until they were forced to climb really long stone stairs, leading to arge stone tform. Chapter 28: The power of an emperor(1) Chapter 28: The power of an emperor(1) "Kid, are you nervous?" Emperor Fei asked with a charming smile on his face. He noticed Lucien''s movements stiffened the moment they got to the stone stairs. He also knew Lucien was aware that the invaders were not too far away so he found it reasonable that the kid would be a bit nervous when facing off against those people that almost killed himst time. "No not that I think I am I am excited by all of this I have always wanted to be of use to this empire I have always wanted to be useful and not just someone that is always getting looked out for! That''s why I worked so hard" Lucien was practically speaking to himself, rather than others but they could still hear him well. Pa! Looking up, Lucien was met with instructor Han''s indifferent gaze which soon crumbled as a genuine smile bloomed on his face. "You are really something" Instructor Han said before walking up the stairs again. The emperor also shot Lucien a warm smile and nodded at him before walking up the stairs, alongside instructor Han. Seeing their reactions, Lucien couldn''t help but feel happy. Remembering the gaze his parents and grandparents give him, it was more like a man gazing at his expensive castle or a woman gazing at her expensive pieces of jewelry and this is why he always wanted to leave because he felt like if he wasn''t this talented, these people won''t bother looking his way. Right now he didn''t care if it is from the humans or beast-men, as long as he could meet people who truly appreciate him not for what he can do but for who he is, he is willing to leave his family behind for them. "Are you noting?" The voice snapped him out of his deep thoughts and only then did he notice that the emperor and Instructor Han had gone quite far. Right now they stood there waiting for him with their hands extended. "SORRY! COMING!!!" Lucien screamed as he ran up the stairs. _______________________________________ Blink had arrived at the top of the stone tform and in front of there was a wall stretching all the way to the ck liquid above. On the wall was a small crack, enough to fit only one person but a protective barrier prevents anyone from entering through it. "The power source is here but it''s protected by some sort of barrier! Luckily the barrier will soon fade, just in a few minutes" Blink said with his usual smile but then his smile froze and his facial expression turned serious. Looking at Clovis, he could tell his partner had also noticed the immense aura walking up the stairs. The aura was so powerful, if he didn''t take his time to try and find out how many enemies they have to go up against, he was sure he wouldn''t have noticed the two other aura. "Whoever ising up here is stronger than us" Clovis said with a serious look on his face. "Individually if we join hands we should be able to take deal with him or her by the way we still have the trump cards our masters gave us!" Blink added. Hearing their words, the ten weaker warriors and mages with them couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous. To see the sessors of the death and life gods in their world openly dere that someone is stronger than them didn''t really sink in well and they couldn''t help but feel anxious. "You don''t have to worry I am pretty confident that Clovis and I can suppress this enemy if we join hands As for the other two enemies we leave them with you guys there are ten of you and judging based on their aura, I can tell you guys can deal with them if you work together and fight properly" Blink said to the ten anxious men standing by his side. The auraing from the stairs below kept rising and getting fiercer as the figure kept getting closer. Soon the owner of the aura appeared! It was an elderly man with a youthful vibe. He had shoulder-length gray hair and he wore a sleeveless mage robe, revealing his muscr biceps and triceps. Beside him were two people Blink and Clovis were acquainted with! "I see the spatial mage and the cocky brat came with you what happened? Does this empire reallyck capable mages and fighters?" Blink sneered. Chapter 29: The power of an emperor (2) Chapter 29: The power of an emperor (2) "Oooh? You know me?" Emperor Fei asked with a hint of surprise in his facial expression as he tried as hard as possible to ignore the insult thrown at his juniors. "I have seen you in the vision revealed to me by my master" Blink''s yful demeanor changed the moment he was confronted by the beast emperor. "And who is this master you speak of? Is he a noble in this empire? Or a rival emperor from another empire?" Emperor Fei asked as his aura kept rising slowly, putting more pressure on Blink and Clovis. "Hmph! Our Masters are true gods from another world! The mightiest amongst their peers and we are their sessors!" Clovis said with a hint of disrespect in his voice. "We were shown the vision of the past, the present, and future of this particr event This meeting was expected and we were well equipped for it I suggest you take a step back and leave if you don''t want to attract the wrath of our masters" Blink chose to use this as an opportunity to talk things out. He knew taking on the beast emperor will be difficult and since the vision wasn''t too clear, it meant he can''t really tell who will emerge from this battle as the victor. Since there are so many unknowns, Blink chose to use diplomacy first. He decided to use the name of their masters in hopes of scaring these people away but then something unexpected happened. BOOM! "You killed a member of my n and belittled my subordinates and you think I will just let it slide? Your masters are true gods, good for you but then let me tell you this Right here, in this empire, I am the only god you know I didn''t bring more skilled fighters because it won''t be necessary! I am more than enough for you all!" Emperor Fei growled as his orange aura exploded from his body, making the space around him tremble. sping his hands together, he stomped his feet on the ground and muttered a few words before pirs of fire surrounded everyone on the massive stone tform. "Wow!" Lucien couldn''t help but exim when he saw the five-meter tall pirs of me shoot out of the ground and into the ck liquid. Lucien soon noticed the strange thing about these mes! While they were terrifying and huge, they emitted no heat or so he thought. When he turned his attention to the other ten behind the two invaders, he realized they were sweating profusely. "This is possible with someone who has good control over the creation path of magic These me pirs are alive and can differentiate between friends and foes Don''t think too much about it, and stay back a little Things are about to get ugly" Instructor Han said as he walked forward with the beast emperor. "Do as he says, kid If you get too close, I may end up killing you by mistake Don''t worry, I will call you when I need you" Emperor Fei winked at him before walking forward. "Stay back and you may just live through this event" Blink said in a serious tone before walking towards the beast emperor and Instructor Han. "Don''t worry, this won''t take long" Clovis said to the ten before chasing after Blink. Thud! Thud! Thud! Lucien watched in silence as the two sides walked towards each other without saying a word. Lucien couldn''t help but feel excited since he strongly believed that to improve, one must watch experts and masters do battle "Phoenix" Upon saying the word, an orange star pattern appeared beneath the feet of the emperor so fast that it looked like he needed no preparation time to cast his spell! Woooo! A massive gust of wind swept across the battlefield as massive orange mes erupted from the emperor''s body. They watched as the massive wave of orange mes take the shape of a mighty phoenix that is over seven meters tall! "Go" The emperor said casually as the mighty fiery phoenix pped its wings creating a powerful wind storm strong enough to throw Lucien off the stone tform and causing him to roll down the stone stairs. BOOM! Lucien''s vision turned blurry as he felt a warm liquid rolling down his forehead. Luckily for him, Beast-men had strong physical makeup so he didn''t break any bone from the fall. "I guess I am like ten steps behind" Lucien muttered as he counted the stone steps he needed to climb before reaching the stone tform again. He nned on moving up but then series of powerful explosions rocked the stone tform hard, causing him to rethink his ns. He realized how foolish he was to think he could stand on the same level with the beast emperor and fight against amon foe. He soon realized he is a burden to the emperor and Instructor Han! He could only sit and watch the explosions smash into the giant golden cross above. At this point, he couldn''t help but wonder how the ten weak members of the invaders are doing. He couldn''t help but wonder how they n to survive on such a chaotic battlefield. Chapter 30: Dying for the sake of power? Chapter 30: Dying for the sake of power? Ca! The emperor could be seen standing atop the hair of the zing phoenix while Instructor Han stood at the edge of the stone tform. Inbat mode, the emperor seemed to have regained his blood-red hair and his body seemed buffed and muscr, giving him a fierce aura. Instructor Han stood behind the fire pirs and spread his spatial Zone all over the stone tform, this prevented Blink from using spatial magic to escape! In this fight, Instructor Han only focused on maintaining his spatial Zone coupled with the constant attacks bombarded on Blink and Clovis, they didn''t have enough time to break the spatial Zone. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Blink growled while hiding behind the massive golden cross with Clovis. "I think we should focus on defeating the enemy before cursing don''t you think so too?" Clovis said while struggling to keep the mes pouring down at them at bay. "Judging from his power output, the beast emperor should be at the mid-grade of the gold realm while in this world he should be at the fifth sky of the spirit realm" Blink said with a serious expression on his face. "And ording to their knowledge, there should be the champion, Demigod, god, true God and King God realm if we judge this fairly, the champion realm should be equivalent to our demigod realm I would love to deny this but these people have the potential to surpass our world and our Gods it''s just like we feared" Clovis said as he ced his hand on the massive golden cross, empowering it with his mana. "If that''s what you truly think, I believe we should kill this man now!" Blinkughed as he summoned the death scythe. Wooosh! Suddenly Blink dashed forward, dashing past the golden cross but the mes could not reach him since he was shrouded in a darkish purple veil made of aura the moment he summoned the death scythe. ''What the hell is that power? Could it be their ims about having God realm masters is true?'' Emperor Fei couldn''t help but feel wary of the weapon in Blink''s hand. Today he has been met with two surprises, one was the golden crucifix which carried the purest form of the light magic he has ever seen in the past five hundred centuries, and now he has seen the strongest form of dark magic as well in the ck scythe. Even the great emperor couldn''t help but believe the possibility of these two having gods as their mentors. "Fall!" Blink screamed as he swung the death scythe towards the massive fiery Phoenix, releasing a mass of darkish purple aura which tore through the mes, heading straight to the head of the Phoenix where Emperor Fei was standing. Wooosh! Sensing the incredible power in the attack, emperor Fei didn''t hesitate to jump off the fire phoenix''s head, diving down at Blink with a fist shrouded in mes. "It''s over!" Blink growled like a mad beast as he poured in more mana into the terrifying magic weapon in his hand. Vanish! Pointing the scythe towards the iing beast emperor, he summoned a powerful beam of darkish purple aura which was at least three to four times the size of the beast emperor. Given the distance between them, Blink concluded that the old man won''t be able to dodge even with the help of his flight ability and to his greatest surprise, Emperor Fei didn''t even attempt to dodge. Instead, he kept shooting towards Blink. "Zone!" Instructor Han''s voice suddenly reached their ears and out of nowhere, Emperor Fei swapped ces with one of the ten weak members of the invaders, forcing Blink and Clovis to watch as the beam of dark aura consume the youth! "You!!!!!" Clovis roared furiously and turned to face the man but the beast emperor was already standing right in front of him and before he could react, a scorched hole appeared at the center of his chest! "Clovis!!!!" Blink growler furiously as he shot forward to face ____________________________ BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Lucien watched anxiously as more explosions rocked the stone tform above, spreading to the entire cave. He couldn''t help but wonder what was going up but he was quite sure that going up there means instant death but that didn''t stop him from watching vigntly, waiting for the emperor''s call like promised. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz! "Lucien now! im the power!" A bright blue suddenly tore through the battlefield, shining so bright that it poured shot out of the small ck water pool, catching the attention of the Lucardo and Raizen ns, positioned not too far from the torn forest. At this point, Lucien concluded that the barrier protecting Wooosh! Blink shot into the air and past Instructor Han, pushing through the pir of mes without getting burnt. "It''s open!" Lucien saw that the veil covering the entrance to the power source was gone. He saw Clovis levitating off the ground with bright golden eyes and a bloody hole on his chest, while Blink also had numerous holes on his body but was shrouded in death aura and they kept fighting the emperor regardless of their injuries. "Wind Magic: Wind rider!" Lucien roared as he blew through the battlefield fearlessly, dodging random attacks flying everywhere as he made his way to the entrance to the power source. "Where do you think you are going?" Blink''s enrage voice reached his ear, causing Lucien to freeze due to fear! Was he going to die for the sake of power? Chapter 31: Is this how I die? Chapter 31: Is this how I die? "Where do you think you are going?" Blink''s enraged voice reached Lucien''s ear, causing him to freeze due to fear. Looking in the direction of the ongoing battle between Blink, Clovis, and the beast emperor, he could tell they were not paying attention to him but he could see a faint image of a massive darkish purple skull gazing at him attentively! His instincts kept screaming at him! Warning him of the impending doom if he decides to take just a step forward! Lucien couldn''t help but recall Blink and Clovis boasting about their masters who happen to be gods. He could see the injuries they sustained in normal circumstances should be enough to kill a man or even a beast-man three times over but they were still alive and fighting! ''These people weren''t lying about their masters! What do I do?'' For the first time since his entire life, Lucien experienced true fear. He could see Blink and Clovis were locked in intense close-quartersbat with Emperor Fei but the strange Darkish purple skull kept its cold gaze on him. His body shivered as his eyes let out a silver light and the wind wheels beneath his feet increased in size as he poured more mana into the spell. "Nothinges easy I can''t sit here and wait for the battle to end and except them to hand whatever is in there to me That wouldn''t be fair! I AM LUCIEN RAIZEN, GRANDSON OF LUCAS RAIZEN, SUCCESSOR OF THE RAIZEN CLAN! I REFUSE TO BE INTIMIDATED BY MERE HUMANS!" Lucien roared before shooting forward. ''I warned you!'' A strange voice echoed in his head. Ba! Instantly, Blink broke away from Emperor Fei and swung the ck scythe at Lucien, releasing a wave of darkish purple aura. In response, Lucien gritted his teeth as he stomped the ground with his wind wheels, shooting into the air in a bid to escape the attack only to see the second wave of darkish purple aura heading towards him. "Shit!" Lucien hissed as he shut his eyes while he waited for the attack to hit. "Keep moving! I''ve got your back!" Instructor Han''s voice reached his ears cursing his eyes to jerk open. Bang! Lucien watched a spatial gate absorb all the darkish purple waves of aura before he hit the ground. The moment his feet touched the ground, Lucien lunged forward and thanks to his wind wheel, his movement speed could be considered terrifying! Whoosh! Lucien shot forward covering hundreds of meters in mere seconds. "Stop Him!" Clovis growled at the remaining nine invaders blocking the entrance or the power source with their bodies. The terrified youths gulped in balls of saliva as they soon began fireballs, wind des, rocks, and other elemental attacks at Lucien. "NO TURNING BACK!" Lucien growled as the lightning star path appeared below his feet and the star points quickly connected. "Lightning magic: Lightning Rush!" Lucien screamed as a terrifying blew streak of lightning engulfed his body increasing his already crazy movement speed almost twofold! "I AM THE ABSOLUTE!" Lucien roared as he maneuvered through the attacks, evading every one of them so skillfully that everyone was left stunned, including the beast emperor and instructor Han. ''This kid is amazing!'' They couldn''t help but think. Soon the only thing standing between Lucien and the power source were the nine invaders and another barrage of spells wasunched at him, leaving him with almost no room to evade! "IT''S OVER!" Lucien growled! Contrary to everyone''s expectations, Lucien kept advancing instead of retreating! A silver ring in his hand let out blue light as a golden hilt without a de appeared in his hand! It had the face of the great Raizen God beast ancestor carved on it! It was the Stormborn whip! Tightening his grip on the sacred weapon in his hand, Lucien allowed it to consume his mana without restraint! Instantly a bright blue lightning whip appeared and without hesitation, Lucien swung his sacred weapon at the attacks and the people thatunched it. He watched as the lightning whip kept increasing in length as it cut through all the spells sent at Lucien and the people who sent it! Boom! In one attack, Lucien Raizen reduced all nine invades into chunks of meat! He felt drained and his vision blurred as the wind wheels beneath his feet vanished! This is a condition he is very familiar with! He wascking mana! Fell on the pool of blood and chunks of meat, staining his silver robe with the blood of his enemies. His face was smeared with blood and the moment he got a glimpse of the mess he made, he couldn''t help but throw up! ''As expected! The family heirloom is extremely powerful but at my level, I can only use a single attack and be like this'' Lucienmpooned in his mind as he struggled to get on his feet as he got to his feet. He staggered towards the entrance of the power source with a peaceful smile on his face. He someone managed to defeat nine weak invaders overwhelmingly and now all he has to do is im this power source and be the strongest he can be! What can possibly go wrong? "Lucien move!" Instructor Han''s scream reached his ears when he was just a step from entering the power source. Turning to see what''s wrong, Blink saw a spatial gate in front of him aggressively absorbing a ridiculous amount of darkish purple aura sent to reduce him to dust! "Thanks for watching my back" Lucien said with a weak smile on his face as he threw instructor Han a thumbs up but then he saw a panicked look on Instructor Han''s face. He turned his gaze to meet the worried look on the face of Emperor Fei and at this point, he realized they were screaming something at the top of their voices but he just couldn''t hear them. Only then did he notice the two-meter-long golden spear that pierced through his chest, leaving behind a massive hole in his chest. He could also feel a burning sensation passing through his body and when he tried to speak he felt like he was choking on his blood. ''Is this how I die?'' Lucien couldn''t help but ask in his mind as his legs lost all their strength and his body fell backward. Everyone watched him stagger back, unknowingly entering the power source and finally falling into the blue light, vanishing from their sightpletely! Chapter 32: Abandoned Chapter 32: Abandoned It was dark, silent, and ridiculously cold. Lucien felt like he been pulled down into the darkness by an unknown force! Something he is unable to fight against. ''Is this what it means to be dead?'' Lucien muttered in his mind. ''Did I actually die, for the sake of power?'' ''No, I have no regret! The Emperor and Instructor Fei were depending on me, I didn''t want to disappoint them I know I failed and died but then, I gave it my all I am sure they understand'' ''But darn it, bro! Why does it hurt so much? Shouldn''t peacee after death?'' He could still feel some strange energy surging through his body, destroying his magic circuits by the second, most likely crippling his cultivation but it didn''t matter much to him since he''s already dead. If he were alive he would have worried about this but since he''s dead, it didn''t matter much. He onlyined because he found the pain numbing and irritating. [You still feel the pain because you are not yet dead] A strange text appeared in a strangenguage but strangely Lucien could understand it. He yelped in surprise as he started to feel the pain subside but he has this feeling that it was still there! The strange energy has not beenpletely purged. "What are you? What the hell is this?" Lucien cared little about the pain and focused on the strange text. [I am the power you sort, the power which will guide you to the peak of this world] Seeing this text, Lucien couldn''t help but frown. Whoever created this must have been one cocky but powerful mage. Lucien isn''t dumb so he had a rough understanding of what the texts meant. However he couldn''t understand how a bunch of texts would be able to guide him to the peak of this world and even if what it said is true, then he would rather die than live! "If I am not dead, that means my affinity to magic will be cut short my cultivation is almost as good as crippled I can''t live like this! I cannot be weak!" Lucien growled. [Your condition is not permanent and can be cured] The system and a dry reply. Before Lucien could speak more on the matter he felt a strange force pull him up! Before he could even react his eyesight was blinded by a strong light! ___________________________________________ "He''s awake!" A voice echoed in his ears making his head hurt. The light prating the familiar yet spacious room, through the window kept hitting his eyes directly, he had to use his palm to block it. "Come on boy, tell me how do you feel?" a familiar voice reached his ears but this time it wasn''t as loud as before. Lucien ignored the question and searched for the source of the voice. He saw a middle-aged man adorned in a bright blue kimono. He had a very attractive goatee and well-trimmed silver hair neatlybed backward. He could be considered handsome and beside the man was a fair-skinned petitedy who looked like someone in her early twenties but Lucien knew she was much older. She wore a silver Chinese kimono but even that failed to hide her alluring figure. Her beautiful face looks pretty even as tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly. "Why is my mum crying?" Lucien couldn''t help but ask as he struggled to sit up. Judging based on the look on his dad''s face, he could tell something was wrong and as the man, he was suppressing his emotions but his mum couldn''t. ''Why are they crying? I am alive, shouldn''t that be enough for them to be happy?'' ''Or did something worse happen?'' Lucien''s thoughts ran wild until a loud banging sound could be heard and an elderly man stepped into the room with a stern look on his face. The man looked more frustrated and sad than happy! "Grandfather!" Lucien blurted out. Right now he was sure he was in the Raizen castle. "How are you feeling my boy?" Lukas Raizen said while trying to force a smile. Lucien didn''t know why but the mood in the room was rather gloomy, quite different from what he expected. Shouldn''t they be happy that he survived? "I feel okay but tired" Lucien answered slowly. "Good Can you release your lightning element just a little nothing too fancy" Lukas said with a stern look on his face. Listening to the request, Lucien felt it was strange, but he stretches forth his hand and shut his eyes in a bid to summon his lightning element. Just like a bottomless pit, Lucien felt empty! There was nothing there! Even his link with the Raizen God beast had greatly weakened so much that he almost couldn''t sense it anymore! "There is nothing there I have no power" Lucien muttered slowly with a nk look on his face. It was only then that the images of his past start rushing in! It was only then that Lucien remembered his cultivation was greatly affected by the dangerous light spear that hurt him. "Since you have no powers, no strength, you are hereby stripped of your position as my sessor The n space ring and the n sacred heirloom have been taken away already In a week, there will be a n meeting there your fate will be decided until then I advise you stay here!" Lukas said coldly. Chapter 33: My Beast Emperor System Chapter 33: My Beast Emperor System ''Just like that?'' Lucien was left dumbfounded by the harsh words thrown at him by the man he once called grandfather. Hemitted no crime and instead fought for the sake of the empire! It was only natural he is rewarded, yet these people had the guts to treat him this way, simply because their victory cost him his cultivation. Pondering more on this matter he couldn''t help but remember the emperor Fei, warning him about something like this when he received the gifts. "It''s probably because of your achievements Don''t let it get to your head if you didn''t do so well or show any promise, no one would even bother to look your way. I guess the emperor was right, you all are scum" Lucien hissed with bloodshot eyes. At this moment, he prayed that he had some sort of hidden strength that will let him destroy the entire Raizen n and kill off his old man. "You little" Lucas growled as he raised his cane but then an incredible pressure invaded the room, causing the old man''s face to turn pale with fear. "Is that how you treat a hero of the empire? You must have gone mad old man!" Emperor Fei''s voice may sound calm but the power erupting from his body was enough to make the old man of the Raizen n shiver due to fear. "A thousand apologies but I strongly believe you misunderstood my intentions" Lucas said with a pale face. "Get out all of you" Lucien growled stunning everyone. "You heard him Get out, now!" Instructor Han said coldly while he and Emperor Fei walked in. With no choice, Lucas and the other members of the Raizen n threw Lucien ast cold nce before the left. With these people gone, Lucienid on the bed and covered his face with his pillow, in a bid to prevent people from seeing the tears rolling down his face. No matter how much he has achieved or done, the fact remains that he is just a thirteen-year-old kid and Emperor Fei knew that. "That''s alright Lil emperor" He said as he sat beside Lucien, patting his back asionally. Instructor Han just stood by the side and watched with a frustrated look on his face. They patiently waited for Lucien to gather his shit together. "Did we win?" Lucien asked as he threw the pillow away and sat up once again. The emperor and Instructor Han shot each other a meaningful nce before turning to meet Lucien''s cold gaze and gulped before speaking. "Apart from the nine you killed Blink and Clovis escaped" Emperor Fei said. "What? How? Even if they used a spatial gate to escape, instructor Han should be able to track them" Lucien was dumbfounded by what he heard and quickly replied. "That''s the problem they weren''t escaping to another part of this emperor instead they were traveling to another world entirely! This power far surpasses anything we can suppress so we could only watch them leave" Instructor Han exined. "I understand" Lucien said after giving the matter some thought. During this time, he shot a nce across the room only to realize that most of these things have been moved. His once lively and well-decorated room was almost empty, leaving him with his clothes and the big bed. "After the left, we found you down there, within the power sources, you were unconscious and the hole on your chest had closed up it''s a miracle you are still alive. Unfortunately, it couldn''t save you, from the effects of that attack" Instructor Han said. "Of course it couldn''tif what they said is true and the aura of those weapons are truly at the God tier, it will be extremely difficult for it to be purged" Emperor Fei said with a stern look on his face. After that was said, silence followed. Lucien and the rest remained silent for over a before the emperor asked a question. "Do you feel any different stronger, weaker... Anything at all we can confirm the power source saved your life but we believe it should be capable of more" The Emperor''s voice trailed off as he watched Lucien shake his head in disagreement. "I will be leaving then Lil Han here will look stay here and look after you until you are ready to return to the Academy You don''t have to worry we have your back" Emperor Fei said before walking out of the room with Instructor Han following him tightly behind. Alone, Lucien rolled off the bed and moved to a corner of the room where he sat quietly and thought about his future. Back then he was the one who looked down on the weak but now the situation is reversed. "What an unfortunate turn of events" He said while smiling bitterly. "The most frustrating part of it is that I don''t even know what''s wrong with me!" Lucien cried. [Information Requested] [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 0] [Hp: 5/5] [Strength:5] [Agility:5] [Stamina:5] [Mana:5] [Exp:0/50] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, the host''s stats will be halved] Chapter 34: Level up! Chapter 34: Level up! [Information Requested] [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 0] [Hp: 5/5] [Strength: 5] [Agility: 5] [Stamina: 5] [Mana: 5] [Exp: 0/50] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] "What the hell is this and what is this godly power it''s talking about? Is it referring to the golden spear that struck me? The person whounched the attack may be strong but he is far from reaching the realm of gods!" Lucienined with a frown on his face. He couldn''t help but reevaluate Blink and Clovis'' strength. Those two imed their masters were godly beings and the only proof on them that supported their outrageous im was the ck scythe thatunched unblockable attacks and the golden crucifix that blocked every attack. [The man called Clovis was under the influence of the god blessed seal when he attacked you. This allows the user to temporarily tap power directly from their deity to boost their strength but only for a short while This seal also grants them the unique traits and divinities of their deities] Reading this text, Lucien had a rough understanding of what the system was trying to say. His condition possible due to the fact that it was the god''s aura that invaded his body and not that of Clovis! That exins why even Emperor Fei can''t dispel it. This also confirmed the suspicion that those two were working for actual gods from another world and this left him worried about the emperor Fei and instructor Han. "What if the gods return to this world to avenge their fallen subordinates, will the emperor and instructor Han be able to resist?" Lucien muttered. "Will the entire empire be able to stand against the wrath of two ancient gods representing creation and death?" "No! I need to get stronger, I don''t care if Ick the elemental abilities I will push forward as a fighter! I will reach my limits and go beyond if that''s what I have to do!" Lucien slowly got on his feet with an eye filled with sheer fighting spirit and determination. DING! DING! DING! Suddenly three bell ringing sounds echoed in his head and series of new messages appeared right before him. [New Ability Unlocked] [Achievements Unlocked] [Will of an Emperor: Even under unfavorable conditions, a true emperor never backs down or loses hope. An emperor strives and pushes forward no matter the obstacle! +150exp] [Instincts of a True leader: As a leader, your primary goal in the face of danger is to protect your subordinates. As long as a leader understands this and acts in the interest of his people, he will forever have loyal subordinates. +150exp] Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 3] [Hp: 5/5] [Strength: 5] [Agility: 5] [Stamina: 5] [Mana: 5] [Exp: 0/200] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] [Three unused stat points] [New ability unlocked] Seeing this, the only visible change Lucien could see was the increase in his level but nothing new. He was left confused for a while as he read the achievements and when he finally reached the part of the unused stat points, he couldn''t help but ask; "What are stat points used for?" Lucien was still confused by this system of doing this. [Stat points can be used to increase your stats like Strength, Agility, and stamina This increases your general strength, making you even stronger! So don''t go about wasting it unnecessarily!] "I see" Lucien rubbed his chin as he thought deeply about which stat to increase. The Raizen has always been known as the fastest ns in the entire empire and Lucien has grown up believing that. That''s why his first two spells were made purely to increase his speed. Without hesitation, Lucien focused on the Agility stat and to his greatest surprise, it kept increasing until all his stat points were used up! [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 3] [Hp: 5/5] [Strength: 5] [Agility: 8] [Stamina: 5] [Mana: 5] [Exp: 0/200] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] [New ability unlocked] With all three points added to agility, Lucien felt like his body was deep in a pool of warm water. As soon as the feeling passed he felt lighter than usual, but not light enough! He could tell he was nowhere near his original condition but this was a huge improvement since his body didn''t feel too sluggish anymore. "What the hell, that actually worked?" Lucien screamed in tion as he stretched. "Since my stats are halved due to the curse of the gods that means my original speed stat is at ten points Hey, what is the average speed stat for normal beast-men?" Lucien asked, hoping he would get an answer from his miraculouspanion. [] [The average human your age has about two points speed stat and the average beast-man your age has not more than five points attributed to their speed stat] Hearing this, Lucien used the wall to support himself as he pondered on this. He could remember his spars with ordinary members of the Raizen n and how he easily destroyed them back then. Doesn''t this mean he was originally twice as strong as the average beast-man? "This exins why I was called a prodigy that appears once in a millennium even without this system I would have gone far I was just unlucky Sad" Lucien muttered with no hint of emotion in his eyes. He shifted his gaze to the section of the notification that caught his attention. [New ability unlocked] Chapter 35: Gaze of the emperor! Chapter 35: Gaze of the emperor! Looking at the unlocked ability icon, Lucien was confused about how to ess it. His mind kept spinning as he thought of a special word need to unlock this section. "Open?" Lucien muttered halfheartedly. [Ability list] [Wind Wheels: Creates a spinning wheel of wind beneath the feet of the user, granting a two point increase in speed. Due to the curse, the wind wheels require twice the original mana cost] [Can be upgraded] [Costs: 3 mana points] [Lightning Rush: Shrouds the body of the caster with bolts of lightning, further improving his mobility. Attacks in this mode deal extra lightning infused damage! Due to the curse, the Lightning rush requires twice the original mana cost] [Can be upgraded] [Costs: 3 mana points] [Gaze of the Emperor: None may look into the eyes of the emperor! Stuns the target for a short while. The duration of the ability varies based on the strength of the target] [Can be upgraded] [Maximum of three uses a day, any more than this will harm the host] DING! DING! DING! [New Stat Unlocked] [Charisma: This shows one''s influence over others! As an emperor, your name should make your enemies tremble in fear and fill your subordinates with joy and pride!] [New Achievements Unlocked] [Supreme Magus: You have been acknowledged as the first man to create his first spell in just an hour! This a step forward to receiving the recognition of your people! +150exp +1 charisma] [Empire Defender: Your future empire was invaded and as a future emperor you swung into action and confronted the enemy. Tales of your great deed remain in the hearts of your people! +150exp +1 charisma] [Recognition of an emperor: The tales of your brave deeds have reached the ears of an emperor and he is impressed! +150exp +3 Charisma] [Unbending will: Even after experiencing defeat at the hands of the enemy an emperor shouldn''t wallow in shame! Instead, he should rise to the asion and defend his empire till hisst breath You and your subordinates have sessfully driven away the invaders! Well done! +300exp +5 charisma] [Level up] [Level up] [Level 5 reached, the curse of the life God has been weakened +1 to all stats] [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 5] [Hp: 10/10] [Strength: 6] [Agility: 9] [Stamina: 6] [Charisma: 16] [Mana: 10] [Exp: 300/400] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] [You have two unused stat points] "Wow" Lucien''s jaw dropped as he watched numerous notifications and new messages appear but he couldn''t exin what was has going on, all he knew was that he could feel himself getting stronger. ''Is this the effects of the power source? Soo strong!" Lucien was extremely shocked by the fact that he was gaining strength due to his past achievements! With this new upgrade, he could feel three major changes taking ce in his body. The first had to do with his vitality and mana reserves, he could tell they have both returned to what they used to be. He could also feel his entire physique improve and thanks to the information disyed Lucien could confirm that the bonus points shared to all stats were legit. Finally, thest discovery was enough to put a smile on his face. Shutting his eyes tightly, Lucien once again found himself in a dark room but this time it was no different from before. A small whirlpool and bolt of lightning could be seen! Even though it was very minor it meant there is still hope for his revival! "What are you?" Lucien asked with a hint of fear mixed with excitement as well. [I am a system set up to help my host reach the peak! I am the power you sought] The system gave a short answer and even though Lucien didn''t truly believe this system but for now he knew it was the only way for him to recover so he didn''t push the matter any further. "Is it possible for me topletely remove the curse from my body?" Lucien asked while silently praying for a positive answer. [Yes As the host grows strong, the system will grow as well, allowing it to slowly remove traces of the god''s aura in you Apart from this, there are other ways of expelling this aura but none are currently within your reach] The system replied. Huff! Lucien breathed out as he nodded slowly. The answer was satisfying enough to make his usual grin appear on his face. Stretching forth his hand, slowly, Lucien conjured a small finger-sized wind twister while his eyes let out a silver glow. "Grandfather You and the entire n will regret turning your back on me On the day we meet, I will put on a show you will never forget!" Lucien muttered. Chapter 36: Pride of an emperor! Chapter 36: Pride of an emperor! Within the week, Instructor Han was treated as an important guest in the Raizen household. During that period, he asionally checked on Lucien and apart from the unusual smile on Lucien''s face, he found nothing new. Lucien on the other hand had no intentions of sharing the secrets of his new system with Instructor Han or Emperor Fei. At least not until his debut match with the Raizen family. During that time his growth reduced greatly since there were no more past achievements to leech off apart from the daily workout routine which only grants ten experience points a day. Even though he cursed the system every day for its stingy rewards he ended up following the daily workout routine religiously. [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 5] [Hp: 10/10] [Strength: 7] [Agility: 10] [Stamina: 6] [Charisma: 16] [Mana: 10] [Exp: 370/400] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] Lucien summoned his information panel once again and shot it a nce. He previously had two unused points and this time he decided to share the stats equally. He put one point in his speed stat, returning himself to his peak in terms of mobility, and put the remaining point in the strength stat since he believed a speedster without sufficient strength is worthless. "I guess that''s all I can do for now I will have to depend on this level of strength until I find a way to gain more experience points" Lucien sighed ruefully. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three loud knocks shook the door of his room but he chose to ignore it. He already knew the time for the n meeting had arrived and he was already prepared for this. Instead of putting on the Silver kimono with the Raizen n crest used to identify the main branch members of the Raizen n, Lucien chose to wear a ck sleeveless shirt with ck trousers and his feet left bare. These clothes were acquired by Instructor Han as per his request. "Lucien Its time" After countless knocks, Instructor Han finally spoke, and only then did Lucien walk out of the room with an emotionless expression on his face. "You sure know how to cause trouble" Instructor Han said with a stern look while pointing at the Raizen n guards who wore annoyed looks on their faces. "Since I am leaving, I believe someone of my status deserves to go down with a bang I will cause as much trouble as possible before I leave!" Lucien said, causing Instructor Han to reveal a rare smile. "That''s how it''s done" Instructor Han muttered while giving him a thumbs up. Pa! Lucien felt an arm reaching for him but it was intercepted midway by Instructor Han. "Randolf?" Lucien called out as he caught sight of the beast-man who tried to touch him. It was the man he once called uncle. "No oneys a hand on him... Emperor''s orders!" Instructor Han said coldly while tightening his grip on Randolf''s arm. "A mere human dares toy his hands on me? Do you think the emperor would care if someone as insignificant as you disappears?" Randolf growled in response. "Yes, the emperor will care because this man is more capable than most members of this n And don''t think I will let you harm him To me, this man is more of a family than you all have ever been" Lucien said coldly, with his murderous gaze piercing into Randolf. Hearing his words, everyone including Instructor Han was left shocked. They were all aware of the way Lucien viewed the human race and none of them expected a day woulde when Lucien would defend a human! "Maybe the chief is right you have really fallen, Lucien" Randolf said coldly as he withdrew his hand. "Your n turned its back on me... Don''t worry, I will make sure the entire n regrets the day it made this foolish decision!" Lucien said before walking forward with Instructor Han following him tightly behind. Randolf and the other guards watched Lucien walk away and for some reason, something deep down in them told them that the n made a big mistake the moment it chose to make an enemy out of Lucien! _____________________________________________________________ Bang! The massive doors swung open as Lucien walked in fearlessly with instructor Han by his side. Behind him were Randolf and other members of the Raizen n lightning guards. This time the hall was filled to the brim with members of both the main and lesser branch of the n. On the highest tform of the room the n head Lucas and the emperor, Fei were seated, while the elders of the n were left to seat at a lower tform. Seeing Lucien arrive so confidently, whispers echoed all over the room as every member of the Raizen n couldn''t help but try to guess what went wrong between the n and its brightest genius, Lucien. Didn''t he bring the n more fame in just a few days of his departure? Didn''t he serve the Empire while facing off the invaders twice despite almost losing his life the first time? Yes, he lost his cultivation as a result of his final battle and so what? He killed nine invaders all alone! "Lucien Raizen, my grandson. You have done well by bringing great fame to this n and by serving the empire well Unfortunately, your journey was cut short by the enemy and with your cultivation crippled, you can no longer be considered the n heir With a heavy heart, I dere that from today, you will be a member of the lesser branch and all that belongs to you will be move from the main branch castle But topensate for your good deeds I Luc" "Please shut up!" Lucien said fearlessly interrupting his grandfather''s long and boring speech, leaving everyone stunned and the emperor excited! "Lucas Raizen I, Lucien dere that from this day forward I will no longer bear the Raizen name I refuse to be a part of this pitiful family Keep your crappypensation and never show your face to me again If not, I may end up killing you" Lucien said those words so calmly that the entire hall fell silent for a few moments before an uproar followed! Amidst the noise, a familiar, long-awaited bell ringing sound echoed in his ear and a new notification appeared. [New Achievement Unlocked] [Pride of an Emperor] Chapter 37: Leaving with a Bang! Chapter 37: Leaving with a Bang! [New Achievement Unlocked] [Pride of an Emperor: An emperor would never let his people looked down on him, neither will he stand and watch his subordinate insult him. As a future emperor, you must hold your head high and let go of benefits if ites at the expense of your pride! +150exp] DING! [New Achievement Unlocked] [A Mere n head: Your words to the Raizen n head have not only shown your pride as an emperor but it has shown your courage and decisiveness when dealing with an enemy. Be it a powerless human, a n head, or an emperor, you should never show mercy to your enemies! Tales of today will be told to the end of your days and even beyond! +200exp +2 Charisma] DING! [Level up] [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 6] [Hp: 10/10] [Strength: 7] [Agility: 10] [Stamina: 6] [Charisma: 18] [Mana: 10] [Exp: 220/800] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] [You have one unused stat point] Seeing his new stat information, Lucien couldn''t help but frown. He soon realized that the experience points needed to level up kept doubling at this point, making it harder to reach higher levels. He would have loved to ask the system if there are new ways of getting experience points, but that had to wait. With no time to waste, Lucien focused his gaze on his strength stat and suddenly the same warm feeling befell him once again as he felt his muscles bulging. [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 6] [Hp: 10/10] [Strength: 8] [Agility: 10] [Stamina: 6] [Charisma: 18] [Mana: 10] [Exp: 220/800] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] Gazing at his new stat, a confident smile appeared on Lucien''s face as he casually began walking forward, with his cold gaze pinned at one person. Lucas Raizen! "Lucas You can keep your punypensation and for your sake, I pray no one from this pitiful n dares cross my path I won''t want tomit genocide at such a tender age" Lucien said before turning his attention to Emperor Fei. "I believe my actions and contributions to the empire are worth something at the very least I have aided this empire twice in dealing with invaders so I should at least be granted one wish" Lucien said casually, without a hint of emotion in his face or tone. Silently gazing at him for a while, Emperor Fei didn''t know how to react to this request. He was afraid that Lucien would be so bitter-hearted that he would ask for the entire Raizen n to be wiped out or something of that nature so he was a bit hesitant to agree. But after gazing into Lucien''s eyes only to realize that there was no rage in it, just calmness and indifference, he couldn''t help but smile. ''You have grown a lot in the past week, Lil emperor'' "Since you wish to disown the Raizen family, I guess it''s only right for me to call you by your first name Lucien, you have aided this empire twice and on those two asions, you have incurred life-threatening wounds The final act to protect the empire from the invaders, you ughtered nine invaders all alone and this left you in a bad condition and almost crippled your cultivation I believe the least the empire can do as a sign of gratitude is grant you two wishes As long as it''s within my power I will do it Personally" Emperor Fei said casually. Hearing this, there was silence in the entire hall. No one expected the emperor to be this generous to an outsider, up to the point where he will personally carry out his wishes. Already the elders of the Raizen n couldn''t help but feel like they made a grave mistake, abandoning Lucien in his greatest hour of need. His injuries almost crippled his cultivation meaning there is still a chance of recovery for him. They could have just kept him close and focused on others while finding a way to help him recover. If they did that since the emperor is willing to grant Lucien two wishes it was no different from the empire owing the Raizen n two wishes! Do you know how much can be aplished with just two wishes?! "You impudent child! Do you dare speak to me in that manner? Even outsiders dare not speak to me that way! Other noble family heads give me the respect I deserve, yet a child with no magic, no future dares to talk down at me?" Lucas suddenly stood on his feet and roared! Emperor Fei sat and watched with a smile on his face. Since he has already acknowledged Lucien as someone the empire owes a favor he was sure the Raizen n head will give him face and not harm Lucien At least not directly. "Hehehehe! A child with no magic and future? It''s ironic that the child is standing right in front of you and the almighty Raizen n head can''ty a finger on him You are either too weak, afraid or you must becking the balls to face me Whatever it is, I don''t have to concern myself it since you are only a minor character When I return, I will take this n and make it my ything... not through the favor the empire owes me but with my own strength!" Lucien''s words were filled with so much venom that the Raizen n head could literarily feel his heart aching. His face turned red in anger, threatening to explode anytime soon but his fear for the emperor who has lived long enough to see his grandparents still look young was far greater than his hatred for Lucien. He was about to speak but Lucien had already turned his back, walking out on the entire council. "YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON OUR CLAN HEAD!" "YOU DARE DISRESPECT THE RAIZEN CLAN IN THAT MANNER, YOU MUST BE TIRED OF LEAVING!" Two familiar voices reached Lucien''s ears causing him to reveal a devilish grin! This is what he has been waiting for! Chapter 38: First quest Chapter 38: First quest Turning to meet the voices, he saw two figures in ck feather coats shooting towards him. ''Come!'' Lucien grinned in his mind as he took a step forward catching the hands of the two assants in mid-air! Taking advantage of the momentum this two gathered while flying towards him, Lucien chose not to stop. Instead, he spun to the left while holding them tightly, before letting them go and watch them crash on the ground violently since they had no control over their body. "Don''t forget that magic was not the only aspect of life which I surpassed you all in Both of you have always been inferior" Lucien said coldly as he took bold steps forward while looking at them. "ST." Lucas Raizen was about to call out to the two youths, to stop and apologize since he didn''t want to anger the emperor but Lucien interrupted. "This is my first request, I wish to duel this two here and now The oue of the duel decides nothing and nothing will be put at stake Since they took the initiative to attack me I believe it''s only fair if we end our long rivalry here and now" Lucien said leaving everyone stunned once again. Thest time they checked, Lucien had lost his affinity to the elements! His connection with the Raizen God beast was almost severed, yet he dared to challenge Raziel and La in a two-on-one death match! Even emperor Fei and instructor Han was shocked by this request since they also knew Lucien''s physical capabilities have also dropped due to his injury. They couldn''t understand what was going through Lucien''s mind or why he would make such a request. "If that''s what he wants, let him fight them, my emperor, don''t worry I will ask those two to go easy on him!" Lucas Raizen couldn''t help but feel ted by this request. In his opinion, although Lucien was far stronger than this two in the past, it''s different now since he doesn''t have his powers to back him up. He couldn''t help but think of a better way to get rid of Lucien so easily and in a legit way too. ''This old man is really sly so sly I find it disgusting'' Emperor Fei shot Lucas a nce before turning his attention to Lucien. Gazing at Lucien he could tell that the kid''s condition had improved but he didn''t know how much it improved. He was also aware of the resentment in the hearts of the members of the Raizen n and he was sure if he agreed to this, Lucien would end up dying at the hands of this two. But to keep his image as a man of his words Emperor Fei couldn''t just say no. As much as he wanted to say no, he couldn''t just reject Lucien''s offer after the earlier deration he made concerning the two promises. "Lucien" Emperor Fei was prepared to decline, not caring about what the people may say but then he saw the confidence in Lucien''s face and only one thought came to mind ''THE POWER SOURCE!'' Could it be that Lucien reaped some benefits from the power source and that''s what was giving him so much confidence? If so then these two should not be a match for him. Shutting out everything and focusing his senses on Lucien, the emperor could tell that Lucien gave out a different vibe and he has recovered even more than expected but he was still slightly weaker than his peak state. "Your request has been granted I will hereby oversee this two on one duel and may the gods bless the victor" Emperor Fei said after he took the decision to just y the role of an observer for now. If Lucien''s life was at stake, he would just have to step in and stop it personally. DING! [New quest received] [Defeat Raizel and La] [Rewards unknown] Seeing this a smile bloomed on Lucien''s face since he didn''t expect the system to have this sort of function. Since the system can give out quests, he didn''t need to always rely on achievements for exp points. "Thank you" Lucien bowed at the emperor leaving him stunned. This was the first time Lucien was sincerely thanking him for something, this made it harder for him to understand why Lucien was very happy with the arrangements made so far. ''What the hell is that little demon hiding from me'' The emperor couldn''t help but let such thoughts run through his mind. _______________________________________________________ Hearing the emperor''s deration, Raizel and La didn''t know what to say. They didn''t know whether tough or cry when the emperor agreed to this. Their original intention was to impress the n head enough for him to consider one of them the new n heir but now they have the chance to do just that by killing Lucien, they couldn''t help but feel threatened by his presence! By the way, this was the person who has been looking down on them from the very beginning. "It ends now!" Raizel was the first to act and bright blue star patterns appeared beneath his feet and the star paths began linking one after the other. "Lightning magic: Lightning bolt!" Raizel cast basic lightning magic. Bam! "This is the problem with the general spells, everyone knows how to counter them! The lighting element is known for possessing the fastest and most lethal spells yet it has one drawback The casters tend to be slow As long as I don''t stay at one spot, your chances of hitting me are low since you always had a poor aim" Lucien said as his body moved. Swoosh! Lucien began dashing to the side at an incredible speed that left everyone dumbfounded! Didn''t they say he was weaker now due to his injuries? He shouldn''t be able to move this way! "Strike!" Raizen roared as his palms let out blue light and the bolt of lightning shot out, striking a location Lucien had already left a long time ago Chapter 39: Beast assimilation Chapter 39: Beast assimtion Bang! The lightning struck the ground, leaving behind only a ck mark. Seeing this Raizel frowned as he tried to find Lucien but it was already toote. Taking advantage of the short time needed to release the spell, Lucien sprinted to his side and quickly closed the distance between them in mere seconds. Bam! Stomping the ground, Lucien shot into the air, spinning recklessly as he prepared tond a spinning roundhouse kick on Raizel but he was met with an unexpected outburst of wind which sent him flying a few meters back. -2hp "Wind magic: Repel!" La said while gazing at Lucien coldly. In her opinion, Lucien may be stronger and faster in terms of physical capabilities but he stillcked magic and the backing of the Raizen god beast, so to cover up for his weakness, he has no choice but to fight them at close quarters. As long as they keep this in mind, they can always cover up their weaknesses. "An original spell What an interesting spell How long did it take you to make one? A day? Three days? A week? Well, it took me only an hour! You are both inferior" Lucien growled before lunging towards them again. Seeing Lucien''s approach, Raizel chose to take a different approach this time. Jumping back, a silver star pattern appeared beneath his feet as a gust of wind enveloped him. "Wind magic: Wind de!" He roared as the final star path linked. Whoosh! Almost instantly, two shuriken-sized wind des appeared by his side shooting forward with one slightly ahead but the second a second behind! "Slow!" Lucien roared as his speed suddenly increased while he ran towards the wind des. Shhhhhhhhhhh. Unexpectedly, Lucien suddenly lowered himself and relied on the momentum gathered to slide forward, effortlessly escaping the two wind des. Pa! Violently mming the ground with an open palm, Lucien rose his body with his hands and then threw a kick aimed at Raizel''s face, but once again he was met with the strong outburst of wind that sent him flying once again. Causing him to hit the ground violently and roll a couple of times before stopping. -2hp "The hell!" Lucien coughed out two mouthfuls of blood as he shot a nce at the health point section of his status [Hp: 6/10] "NOW END IT!" Lucas Raizen''s voice snapped him out of his daze, causing him to look up. La and Raziel were both engulfed in a light blue aura with the lightning star pattern beneath their feet. "Lightning magic: Lightning Bolt!" They both growled as the final star paths were about to connect! "NONE MAY LOOK THE EMPEROR IN THE EYE!" Lucien growled as his eyes let out a silver glow causing Raizel and La to halt in their attacks and also causing the star pattern beneath their feet to shatter as well! [Gaze of the emperor activated] [Gaze of the emperor sessful] "Let me show you what true power looks like!" Lucien hissed as a silver star pattern appeared beneath his feet, releasing a strong gust of wind around him. His eyes released a silver sh and his ck clothes and silver hair fluttered in the wind as his body released a threatening vibe. _______________________________________________________ "Wasn''t his power sealed?" "Didn''t they say his cultivation was crippled?" "He shouldn''t be able to cast spells or even use magic!" "How is this possible? Were we wrong?" Lucas gazed at Lucien with aplicated, yet fearful look on his face. He couldn''t understand how Lucien was able to cast spells since he was told that the kid may never be able to use magic again and that''s why he chose to drop him. Was it that the physicians lied to him or was this a ploy by the empire to snatch Lucien away by temporarily sealing his power and causing the n to give up on him and get on his bad side while giving them the chance to lure him over to their side. This theory made sense since when the unconscious Lucien was brought to the n, he had no wounds on him yet the emperor imed he was damaged by an attack from the enemy that led to his condition. At that time, he was forced to believe the emperor''s words since he couldn''t find a reason for the empire to lie to him. But now Furiously, he turned to see the astonished and unbelieving look on the emperor''s face. His instincts told him that the look on the emperor''s face is genuine, meaning that the emperor didn''t lie! He too was surprised by the unexpected turn of things. "Did that brat lie to us?" Lucas Raizen asked the emperor. "I doubt it The Lucien Raizen that fought by my side couldplete the wind wheel spell in three seconds at most but it''s over five seconds now and he''s yet to finish" Emperor Fei said while shaking his head. "It''s not that his cultivation wasn''t crippled, it''s more like he''s recovering. If only you gave him a chance before you made such a decision, this could have been avoided" Emperor Fei said with a hint of disgust in his tone. "Why are they just standing there?" Lucas Raizen could help but ask when he shifted to La and Raziel who someone decided to cancel their spells mid-way and now they were just standing there, watching the slow Lucien cast his spell. ___________________________________________________________ "Wind magic: Wind wheels!" Lucien roared as the familiar feeling of the wind gathering beneath his feet gave him so much confidence. [-6 mana] [+2 Agility] [Agility: 12] Bang! Not daring to waste more time, Lucien shot towards the two beast-men at an even greater speed. In mere seconds Lucien had reached La since he considered her the greater threat! [Gaze of the emperor deactivated] "What happened" Raziel said but then he felt a warm liquid spray all over his face. Turning to his left he saw the headless corpse of La falling to the ground. "Luci." He screamed while jumping back but Lucien had no intentions of letting him go! "SILENCE! DON''T MOVE!!" Lucien growled as his eyes let out a silver sh while he chased after him. [Gaze of the emperor activated] [Gaze of the emperor sessful] Reaching Raizel, he performed a spinning roundhouse kick but this time his attack was aimed at the neck. Puff! Using the wind de beneath his feet, Lucien beheaded Raizel as well, allowing the blood squirting out of the headless corpse, rain down on him. He didn''t mind the blood falling on him. He didn''t mind the silence that filled the hall Right now his eyes were on the series of notifications he received. [New ability acquired] [Beast Assimtion sessful] Chapter 40: Revealing the truth Chapter 40: Revealing the truth DING! [New ability acquired] [Beast Assimtion sessful] Gazing at the notification, Lucien didn''t know what to say. He was tempted to open the section concerning the beast assimtion and even do more but he couldn''t since he wasn''t sure the members of the Raizen n won''t attack. "And the battle ends Good luck finding a new prodigy in a short time" Lucien hissed at Lucas as he threw him the middle finger before taking bold steps back and then walking away. The emperor and Instructor Han gazed at him with a hint of excitement in their eyes. Lucien may have been hurt by the spear and his cultivation almost crippled but even without his elements, he was far stronger than he has ever been! "NONE MAY LOOK THE EMPEROR IN THE EYE what an interesting to say I sincerely thought he had given up on his dreams after the incident but even now he is more determined and even dares to call himself an emperor in my presence Good very good! I like this kid!" Emperor Feiughed out loud. Hisughter grew louder and then he was consumed by a pir of mes which proceeded to shoot towards Lucien whose back was turned. These caused everyone to gasp as they are retreated, trying to reduce the distance between them and Lucien who is the target of the me pir Brrrrrrrrr! The entire hall began trembling as the small pir of me soon became a massive firestorm but even then Lucien didn''t look flustered. He turned and faced the iing firestorm and contrary to everyone''s expectations he threw a thumbs up towards the direction of the zing orange mes. "shy as always Show off" Lucienmented casually. Swoosh The intense mes vanished just before it hit Lucien revealing Emperor Fei''s figure. His eyes were fixated on the thumbs up thrown at him and he couldn''t help but ask. "What if I actually tried to kill you? You won''t even try to fight back?" "Your mes I couldn''t feel the heat You never intended to hurt me and even if you did how can I resist? I don''t think you have a reason to kill me either" Lucien said casually. "True, true" The emperor nodded in approval before adding. "As for a reason, your strength is proof that it worked, why wouldn''t I want to take it? Don''t you think you should be a bit wary of me?" Emperor Fei asked. "Currently, you and Instructor Han are the only families I have I trust you That''s all there is to it. .. these are the words of an emperor to another emperor You should cherish it" Lucien said with a smile. His words caused Emperor Fei tough out loud while gripping his belly lightly. They both keptughing that they didn''t notice Instructor Han appear behind them and ce his hand on Lucien''s head. This made Lucien yelp in surprise and jump away instinctively. "You are not scared of me but you are scared of him?" Emperor Feiined with a frown. "I fear no one!" Lucien argued with his reddened face filled with embarrassment. "Yea, yeah I believe you You are a tough guy we need to leave now or you may bete for the first ss today" "Ooh, Shit!" With that said, the Trio left the grand hall of the Raizen n. Leaving behind a stunned audience and two corpses. Unknown to Lucien, not only did he make new enemies but he has also angered powerful figures in the Raizen n by killing off the only two prodigies of his generation in the n. ______________________ Riding the royal carriage, Lucien finally felt safe and decided to inspect his gains from aplishing the mission. [Quest Completed] [+150exp] [Achievement Unlocked] [Wrath of the Emperor: In response to the unruly actions of your subordinates, you punished them by taking away what they cherished the most, just like a real emperor should! Love breeds Friends but Fear breeds respect! The entire empire will hear of your deeds and many will fear your name. Well done! +150exp +2 Charisma] [New ability acquired] [Beast Assimtion sessful] "Open" Lucien said, not minding that Emperor Fei and Instructor Han were sharing the same carriage with him. [Beast Assimtion: This grants the host the ability to assimte the properties of all types of magic beasts he kills, granting him their abilities and physical properties ] [Beasts Assimted] [Raizen God beast] [Phase: Infant] [Beast Name: Wind creek] [Assimtion progress: 5%] [Abilities Unlocked] [The Shift: At the beginner level, Host can choose to borrow a few physical properties from either the Raizen God beast or the Wind creek] [Wind Creek Dive: The wind creek has always been known as a cowardly creature at its infant phase which preys on smaller aquatic beasts. It flies to a high point before diving at a terrifying speed. The wind creek gathers enough momentum to kill evenrger creatures with a hit but from severe recoil damage after collision] "Wow" Lucien couldn''t help but gasp at the information given to him by the system. He had a fair understanding of what the beast assimtion does and couldn''t help but feel ecstatic about it! The ability to pass on the powers of real magic beasts he kills over to himself, isn''t that overpowered? Gazing at the Emperor, he couldn''t help but imagine gaining the powers of the top-tier Phoenix god beast. The thought of bing an adventurer began popping up since this meant he can leave the empire and explore the continent! Killing magic beasts and getting stronger! "Wow" He muttered again. "Wow!" Lucien almost screamed this time but was brought back to reality by a punch to the shoulder! Only then did he realize that Emperor Fei and Instructor Han were still in the carriage with him. "Did you go crazy or is there something you are not telling us?" Emperor Fei asked with an unusual stern face. Shifting his gaze to instructor Han, Lucien realized he too wore a stern look on his face but he didn''t care because he was too excited to be bothered. "I will surpass you soon" Lucien blurted out in reply to his question, leaving both of them stunned. Chapter 41: Terrifying team Chapter 41: Terrifying team "What did you just say?" Emperor Fei asked with a look of shock mixed with confusion. As far as they are concerned, Lucien has been acting weird today, making them believe this may be the power source messing with his head. Gazing into his eyes, Emperor Fei realized he wasn''t crazy, he was just genuinely excited but why? "Okay, I will talk" Lucien said. He went ahead to exin to them what happened after they left, the experience points, the achievements, the tasks, and finally thetest ability unlocked today, Beast assimtion. Listening to Lucien narrate everything, they couldn''t help but doubt him at first but after everything, they saw today no one could doubt the fact that something strange was going through his body. "Gaze of the emperor The system acknowledges you as a potential emperor This is an interesting piece of news" Instructor Han said while rubbing his chin. "How could you be bothered by that? The beast assimtion part is the crazy thing about this system That''s technically overpowered! Such an ability shouldn''t exist" Emperor Fei blurted out. His gaze suddenly turned fierce as he shifted his attention to Lucien but even then Lucien showed no sign of fear. "You don''t have to pretend like this, my Emperor The few days I spent with you was enough for me to know what type of person you are you won''t kill me over something like this Yes, my existence threatens your position as emperor but unlike others who will just eliminate me You will just dedicate more time to your cultivation in hopes of making sure I never surpass you You are no coward You are cool" Lucien said sincerely, making the emperor blush. "Well I can''t remain emperor forever Maybe I will just retire when I deem you ready and have you deal with all the empire issues" Emperor Fei said while scratching his hair. "Really? You will pick me over your grandchildren? You are too kind!" Lucien smiled deeply. "Joking! Bi##h ass kid! Don''t go around thinking you can take what''s mine without a fight until that dayes, I will consider you my friend" Emperor Fei chuckled while he spoke. While the two joked and kept throwing insults at each other in a childish manner, Instructor Han sat back and kept gazing at Lucien. His stern looked stered all over his face showed he was worried about the power Lucien just acquired. If it wasn''t for the fact that he has spent enough time with Lucien to know the kind of person he is, he wouldn''t hesitate to kill him instantly. "Let''s see what you are like in the future" Instructor Han said nonchntly. _______________________________________ The empire has been through a lot in recent days. The invasion led to the death of many and in response to all of his, a three-week break was awarded as time forpensation to be distributed to the affected families while giving them enough time to bury their dead and perform their final rites. In a massive hall filled with freshers, a man walked into the hall attracting the attention of everyone. It was a middle-aged man putting on a bright oversized robe which hid all parts of his body, revealing only his neck and head. His hair was blood red and his bright red eyesplimented his bushy red mustache. His choice of dressing may seem strange and weird but no one dared to make fun of him the moment they saw the phoenix royal family crest boldly imprinted on the back of his robe. "Dean Xio! Wee!" Various instructors standing at the podium bowed respectfully as the Dean of the Fotia academy approached. The massive hall is big enough to contain a small army and based on thews of the empire, in a state of emergency these instructors are equivalent no different from captains in military rank. Seeing them now to this man respectfully left them asking questions. Judging based on the crest on his attire, everyone knew he was a member of the Phoenix n, the ruling family of the empire. What they didn''t know is how high is this person''s rank in the family. "I am Dean Fei Xio, First son of emperor Fei Dean of this academy" Dean Xio said but then he stopped speaking. His eyes were fixated on the youth below the podium but not even once did he say a word. This first minute passed and both students and instructors felt like he didn''t know what else to say but then two minutes passed and then ten minutes and finally twenty minutes, yet the dean was yet to say another word. His actions were weird as since he neither blinked nor move many students began considering the possibility that the dean died standing. This thought kept spreading around and whispers could be heard from a corner of the hall, making it noisy. The instructors knew the dean was still alive but they still failed to understand the reason behind the strange pause. Wooosh! Suddenly a spatial gate appeared at the center of the hall and two figures walked out of it. One was the instructor Han dressed in his traditional white kimono with blue crashing wave design littered all over it. The second was a much younger fellow dresses in a sleeveless ck shirt, ck trousers, and his feet bare. His silver hair was dyed red with blood and his clothes were covered in blood as well. The Dean gazed at Lucien''s indifferent face for a short time while other students instinctively distanced themselves from the duo. "You are half an hourte" Dean Xio said casually. Not minding Lucien''s haggard looks. "Lucien challenged La and Raziel of the Raizen n to a duel and killed them The battle was spectacr and time-consuming" Instructor Han lied about thest part since he didn''t want to mention that the emperor insisted on traveling with the carriage. In his opinion, his rtionship with the emperor must remain a secret. "He did? Even with his magic crippled, he won? Lucien Raizen, you are truly remarkable" Dean Xio said since he was well aware of Raziel and La''s strength. Those two were amongst the strongest members of the Raizen n admitted this year and their talent was only inferior to that of Lucien who is considered a monster. No one expected him to be able to kill those two without magic. Instructor Han had no intentions of going into the details of the battle, at least not in front of all these students. He only nodded in agreement to the Dean''s words. "I appreciate thepliment but I request you only use the name Lucien when referring to me I severed my ties with the Raizen n before I decided to kill off their two prodigies" Lucien bowed lightly as he spoke leaving everyone including the Dean stunned. Did Lucien just say that? Not only did he choose to anger the Raizen n by disowning them, but Lucien also went further to kill off two important members of the n. While many may think Lucien was impulsive in his actions, Dean Xio and the other Instructors understood why the kid did this. They are all important figures in their various ns and they have a good understanding of what n politics looks like and how unfair they can be. No one could me Lucien for his actions but they really didn''tpletely agree with his actions. ''This kid just ced a huge target on his back it will be a miracle if he lives through this year!'' Many Instructors spected and sighed ruefully since they all believe that Lucien is just unlucky. Born with terrifying talent Lucien had seeded in stunning the empire with his aplishments at a young age, leading so many to believe that he was more talented than the current beast emperor, Fei! Not given time to grow, Lucien lost his magic due to the injuries incurred in a battle he shouldn''t have participated in and now he has no backing or family. Many human instructors couldn''t help but feel pity for him even though they knew who Lucien respects only beast-men. In their opinion, they are gazing at a dead man. "Lucien you have the protection of the royal family my family Feel free to contact me through instructor Han when you are in dire need of assistance... As long as I live no one can hurt you in this academy" Dean Xio said after giving the matter some thought. "I appreciate the kind gesture Allow me to thank you in advance" Lucien said while bowing slightly. Dean Xio only nodded in response and finally turned his attention to the other students and continued his announcement. "I am Dean Fei Xio, First son of emperor Fei Dean of this academy Over the years this Academy has not only produced formidable mages but also excellent teams withmendable synergy in battle! Do not fail to remember that in war, a single mage or fighter can only do so much but with reliable teammates, a small team of three can challenge an army!" The Dean said. Before he could continue his speech, he saw Hex and Brian were already standing beside Lucien, not caring he was covered in blood. Chapter 42: New allies Chapter 42: New allies "The empire encourages Teamwork and for that reason, students are forced to form groups of there at the beginning of the session In this academy, there are no personal grades or achievements When a teammate is not doing well, the team suffers When your teammates perform excellently, the entire team enjoys the special privileges Choosing your teammate is a very important task, so I suggest you all take your time and avoid making impulsive decisions that you may regret in the future Remember, these people you call your teammates will stick with you after you graduate and serve the empire You are expected to register your teams by the ending of this week so there is no reason to rush anything" Dean Xio said while gazing at Hex, Brian, and Lucien, making them feel like those words were directed at them. Dean Xio shot a nce across the entire hall before he finally dismissed the meeting and walked away. Sure enough, his words left a lot of people worried, anxious, and some excited. While the strong were determined to remain with strong teammates, the weak tried to find ways of wooing the strong over to their side. But one thing which they all had inmon was that they all avoided Lucien like a gue. Even if the royal family offered him protection, they cannot always be with him! Struggles and battles between powerful families or ns are not always upfront and direct. A lot is done in the background to indirectly cripple their target and make life unbearable for them, so these people were of the opinion that for the sake of avoiding issues with one of the major beast-man ns in the empire, it is best to avoid Lucien with the best of their abilities. "I already told you I have a team already Ask one more time and I hurt you" Hex said with an annoyed look on his face. Arge group of students clustered around him and Brian, trying to recruit them but none dared to look Lucien in the eye. "I will be leaving now. Good luck with your team hunting" Lucien seemed to be annoyed so he just walked away, leaving the group behind and heading straight to his room. ------------------ "What a bunch of kids" Lucien grumbled as he walked out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around his waist and his upper half left bare for the artificial intelligence to gaze at. "Did you just get a tattoo recently? Why get an iplete tattoo in the first ce?" The Crux asked catching Lucien''s attention. "What tattoo are you talking about I don''t have any" Lucien''s voice trailed off as the crux used water magic to create what looked like two mirrors behind him and one by his side, allowing him to see what''s on his back. "What the hell?" Lucien muttered as he tried to think back on how the ck ink was applied to his body and he failed to understand. At first, he wanted to write it off the shapeless ck ink as a birthmark since he has but then a strange thought came to mind and he decided to check with the system face. ''Personal Information'' Lucien muttered in his mind. [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 6] [Hp: 10/10] [Strength: 7] [Agility: 10] [Stamina: 6] [Charisma: 20] [Mana: 10] [Exp: 370/800] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] His fear of this system vanishing anytime soon was still there so he couldn''t help but request for his personal information once in a while. After confirming the system was still there, Lucien went on with the main question. ''Does the system have anything to do with the painting on my back?'' Lucien asked in his mind [This is one of the many negative effects of the beast assimtion ability The higher your assimtion rate with God beast, the more tattoos will appear on your body] Reading this, Lucien couldn''t help but frown. This meant that the more magic beasts he kills, the more magic beasts or beast-men he kills the more tattoos he would gain. Soon his entire body may be covered, ruining his looks. "This is something I had them draw on me before returning Yes I know it''s iplete" Lucien replied the Crux in the most casual tone he could force. Beforeing here, the emperor and Instructor Han warned him about revealing the existence of the system to other people. The Crux is an artificial intelligence created through the use of creation magic to help aid students in the best way possible. It can ry important information on students so he came to the conclusion that''s it''s safe not to talk about the system in the room. Bang! Bang! Bang! ''Hex and Brian are here They probably came here to discuss terms of creating a prosperous team with them" The Crux said. "Have them wait outside till I dress up I fail to see why they would want to work with me even though they know that my magic abilities are close to crap now" Lucien grumbled as he walked into the small room filled with various clothes. After putting on a in white shirt and trousers, Lucien let the Crux unlock the door for them. He could only sit in silence for at least two minutes while these twopanies about how he left them waiting for a long time. He knew talking back or any attempt to defend himself will only escte the whole issue so he chose to remain silent and wait for them to finish. "Now you are done Can you please tell me why you all are here" Lucien asked with a hint of annoyance in his tone. He was created on the only cushion visible in the room while letting the other two sit on the bed. "Don''t act dumb with us we are here to form a team with you" Hex said "And we know you I don''t have my magic" Lucien said so casually that these people began to suspect he''spletely okay with his condition. "Not true news of your fight with Raziel and La has already reached the academy apparently you can still use magic, just at a slower speed " Brain said. "It means you are recovering... And since you were once a prodigy I don''t thinkcking magic will stop you from getting stronger Magic or not we still want you on our team The three of us will be invincible!" Hex added. Listening to them speak, Lucien couldn''t help but consider his options. Not is hecking magic, making him a liability to the team but no one else would want to form a team with him. He appreciated the effort these two are making to get him to join them and this made him realize he was someone they valued. "Thank you" Lucien said slowly causing the jaws of Hex and Brian to drop. Did he just thank them? "What happened to you?" Brian asked with a hint of disbelief in his eyes. He has known Lucien for over a decade now and all through that time he was well aware of how Lucien thinks and acts, that''s why he always knows the perfect thing to say to piss him off. Never did he think a day woulde when Lucien Raizen would actually thank someone for something! Anything! Even Hex kept gazing at him in disbelief since he found it hard to ept that someone can change drastically in just a few weeks. "Well, I fought alongside a human and a beast-man and realized that the race doesn''t really matter We are all fighting the same foe and that makes usrades who cares about your race?" Lucien ignored their annoying facial expressions as he spoke. ..... His words left everyone dumbfounded up to the point where they remained silent for minutes. The thought of Lucien not looking down on humans anymore was just too shocking and hard to believe. "I I think we should proceed with the other ns now" Hex finally broke the silence and spoke up first. "As a three-man team it is necessary we have a support, fighter, and mage but based on our upbringing and mindset, we are all the protagonists of our story, making us believe we must all be fighters or war mages" Hex said with a reddened face. It was obvious he was embarrassed by the truth. Hearing Hex speak about believing they are all the protagonists of their story and judging based on their reddened faces, it was clear that Hex was right. They have all been living in an illusion where they are all the main characters of this lite and that''s why all of them chose to follow paths that focus on offense. As a team, their firepower may be amazing and even terrifying but they will becking badly when ites to defense. Chapter 43: Personal growth Chapter 43: Personal growth "So what do you suggest we do" Lucien finally spoke up after remaining silent for a while. "I believe we should be able to make sacrifices, to better our chances of survival in this world as a team for that reason, it''s best we disregard our old ns and fantasies and pick new paths" Brian said and the other two nodded in response. As much as they would love to continue with their original n, none of them could deny the fact that they werecking in so many aspects and that''s why they saw this as the perfect opportunity to sort things out. "My magic is not so good now but my affinity for my elements hasn''t reduced one bit, I think it''s best I remain in the war mage path for fire power, Warden ss for arrays, traps, and finally the seeker path for scouting That way I will be of use to the team in other ways" Lucien said after giving it a thought for a while. The others remained silent for a while before shaking their head in disagreement. "If we let you follow those paths, you will be useless until the very end when you finally cast a spell you will be a liability to the team" Hex said thoughtfully. "I believe it''s better you choose these paths War mage, yer, and Forge master path The wore mage will assure us of extremely powerful spells but since we can''t always rely on it, we believe it''s best to join the yer path too that way you won''t be too reliant on spells finally, the forge mastery path is just a bonus for us For you too since you don''t have a n to rely on this can be another source of ie for you too" Brian said. Listening to him speak, Lucien found this reasonable and even though he felt like these two have nned this before meeting up with him, he couldn''t help but feel touched by their efforts. Not only were they looking for the most suitable paths for him, but they also considered his financial condition and added it to their ns. "Since you both had this all nned beforeing over here, there is no need for us to act like we are all making the decisions here what paths do you guys wish to join?" Lucien said after giving it some thought. Hearing this their faces turned red and they instinctively evaded making eye contact with Lucien. They have been caught! "I will join the Creation, Warden, and guardian path The creation path will allow me to assist you in battle with my constructs while the warden path has to deal with magic arrays, magic formations, and all that, and finally, the guardian path will let me focus on defensive spells protecting the team using spells is also relevant" Hex said proudly. "And I intend to join the Guardian path, the contractor path, and the illusionist path Defense, support, and scouting" Brian said while gazing at Lucien with a strange look in his eyes. He was expecting Lucien to rebuke him but that didn''t happen. "Interesting Magic defenses are amazing but mana is not infinite you can reduce the burden on Hex by bing a guardian knight meanwhile the contractor path allows you to have a magic beast as a partner... I suggest you pick a magic beast good at tracking andbat and finally, the illusionist path will support us in battle and with the Lucardo family techniques passed down to you you will be able to join thebat and even take down foes more effectively than us a tank that can fight back terrifying" Lucien thinking out loud,pletely forgetting those around him. "As expected of a prodigy even without his magic, he looks more capable than everyone in our ss" Hex whispered and Brian nodded in agreement. Not wanting to continue the discussion, Lucien sent them away and had the Crux lock his door. Many may not have noticed but he sustained some minor injuries from his battle with Raziel and La and even though they weren''t serious it still hurt. Lucien returned to his bed and pondered on the possible future for him. The Academy may be able to protect him during his period here as a student but once he leaves this academy, no one will be able to protect him from the Raizen n. For that reason, Lucien was busy considering ways of getting stronger and wealthier fast. "Well the issue of strength won''t be too difficult with your help what I need now is a way to acquire assets and gold I guess it''s best I take the forge mastery path more serious" Lucien muttered as he gazed at thetest notification he received as soon as Hex and Brian left the room. [New Quest avable] [Be the leader of the team] ___________________________________________________ The next day was more eventful than the previous. Stepping out of his room, Lucien noticed that the ce was more crowded than before but that didn''t bother him, neither did he try to find out why. He, Hex, and Brian had different morning sses so they chose to register their teamter that afternoon. Following the normal route but only walking this time, Lucien headed towards the nearest teleportation pod, on this floor of the dormitory. His eyes seemed dead and he looked unusually dull. Just when he thought his day couldn''t get worse, he soon realized he has be the center of attention wherever he goes. Just like Hex and Brian said, the news of his battle with Raizel and La had reached the school, so it''s natural people act this way towards him. Judging based on the whispers he heard from those around, Lucien found out that many believed he won against Raizel and La because they refused to fight. ording to the reports, La and Raizel msuddenly stopped moving and the injured Lucien took advantage of it and killed them off. "I guess it can''t be helped since no one knows about the emperor''s gaze ability, they assume I won using underhanded tactics Sad" Lucien muttered as he began walking up the stairs leading to the teleportation pod but suddenly a huge figure blocked his way. "Sad right? I agree with you" A youth with a massive build said while blocking Lucien''s path. With a nce, Lucien could tell this was a beast-man from the Plivo God beast, a low-level bloodline, and one of the minor ns under the Raizen n territory. "A plivo wishes to stand in my way in hopes of gaining the favor of the Raizen n Cute" Lucien said indifferently while looking at therge kid in the eye. His eyescked any form of fear and even though the youth was almost twice his size it looked like Lucien was gazing down at the huge youth. "You dare call the name of my God beast with a disrespectful tone? You must be tired of living!" The Plivo youth growled. He knew that Lucien wascking his magic and the Plivo god beast was known for its physical prowess! Without the blessing of the Raizen beast, Lucien should be no different from any man without powers, meaning that in a fight he will have the advantage. "Why must people be stupid. Why must they act this way? Here I am experiencing what I refer to as personal growth my life and mindset have been changing for the better and now you remind me of the reason why I looked down on weaker races They lick the boots of those at the top to rise but they can never reach the top!" Lucien said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You." The Plivo n member felt terrified by Lucien''s words. Although he was sure he should be stronger, he couldn''t deny that the vibes Lucien was giving off are still the same vibe that he use to give off in the past when he still had his magic. He would have loved to back off now but there were too many people watch! Too many people hoping he would put Lucien in his ce If he seeds not only will he be famous but he will also gain the favor of the Raizen n! This is a risk worth taking! "You dare speak to me in that manner? Die!" The youth roared as he pushed downward but just before his fist could reach Lucien he stopped. It was stopped by a single finger! "Impossible!!!!" Many screamed in shock and began even considering this a staged fight, to help promote Lucien''s already tarnished reputation in the school! How could a Riazen stop a punch from a Plivo n member with just a finger? Impossible! "You all fail to understand one thing. Your opinion does not matter I am Lucien with or without the Raizen name, I still have the blessing of the Raizen God beast!" Lucien said and then his body let out a bright silver glow, revealing the mighty silver Raizen figure standing behind him. Chapter 44: Forge master class Chapter 44: Forge master ss [Gaze of the Emperor activated] [Gaze of the Emperor Sessful] Caaaaw! The silver Raizen figure standing behind him was more lifelike than it has ever been. Lucien''s eyes kept giving off silver shes of light as his hand changed and took the form of a talon with long sharp nails. His aura changed drastically causing people to ask why he still has the power to use the shift since many strongly believed that Lucien shouldn''t be able to use it. ording to the reports, his injury severed his connection with his god beast. The only exnation for this sudden development is that Lucien is recovering faster than expected. "" The Plivo youth felt like begging but for some reason, he couldn''t move. Gazing at Lucien he could see a massive mythical beast like never before and judging based on the expression of those watching the youth was sure the others couldn''t see it! ''What the hell is this?'' ''That''s not the Raizen God beast, Lucien must be possessed by something!'' the youth cried out in his mind since he couldn''t move or speak. He watched the massive Draconic kind of beast with steel hard blue scales with its light blue eyes steering right back at him. He was too focused on the image above Lucien that he failed to notice Lucien using the shift, neither did he see Lucien drive his transformed hand into his chest, causing blood to squirt out of the wound. "You are a bore get out of my sight!" Lucien hissed as he drives his talon into the chest of the Plivo youth and then threw him off the stone tform without any sign of hesitation. "" The entire hall fell silent as they watched Plivos unmoving body on the ground and tears rolling out Plivos''s eyes. Lucien silently pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his bloodied hand before getting on the teleportation pod. Before vanishing he shot Plivo a nce as a few thoughts ran through his mind. He could just kill Plivo and gather his beast essence for assimtion and gain a small portion of his n''s power and to prevent himself from getting punished, he can use hisst favor to make the empire turn a blind eye to his action but after considering the fact that the Plivo n is a beast-man n with a much weaker bloodline, he felt like it would be a waste of resources by using a favor for such tiny figures. After pondering on how to go about it, he concluded that his prior decision to spare the Plivo youth''s life is not bad, instead of wasting the wish on him, he could just kill a member of the Drax or Luna beast ns and use the favor to escape punishment. "I shouldn''t dwell too much on this thought I don''t want to be some sort of person with a twisted mind" Lucien said only to realize some students were standing at the edge of the teleportation pod, with fearful expressions on their faces. They must have seen him deal with the Plivo kid. "Crux, send me over to the first castle" Lucien said "Okay" a voice resonated from all parts of the massive castle and a magic array appeared on the floor of the teleportation pod. Xiu! Lucien''s vision was blocked by a bright light and when it died down Lucien was in a simr castle but much with a different design and decorations. He wasn''t really a fan of fancy things so he walked towards the direction of the ssroom, using the mini maps drawn on the wall for direction. In less than five minutes, Lucien was one of the first students to arrive at the forgery mastery ss. Walking into the ss, he ignored the stinging gazes of other students. The ssroom was as massive as a modern day lecture hall with hundreds of desks and seats stacked neatly, slightly above each other with the podium where the instructor would stay is ced at the lowest point of the ss. "Impressive" Lucien muttered as he walked chose a seat at the center, not too far behind and not too close in front. He didn''t want to draw much attention but unfortunately, his reputation wouldn''t let him know peace. The very section where he was seated was avoided like a gue, leaving him all alone in the ssroom Xiu! Suddenly the podium meant for the instructor lit up and a teleportation array appeared on it. Soon a busty red hair woman appeared on the podium, dressed in scarlet red sleeveless, yet tight robes, revealing all the curves and bumps on her body... Her bright red eyes were her most impressive feature and her usually long yet thing eyshesplimented it. He had a perfectly shaped nose and sulent looking red lips. Gazing at this woman, Lucien couldn''t help but mutter the word. "Beautiful" "I am Fei Lin granddaughter of Emperor Fei and your forgery ss instructor" She said but many didn''t pay attention to her words, instead their eyes were fixated on the sulent red lips moving while she spoke. "I. Why are you sitting all by yourself in that corner?" Fei Li couldn''t help but notice Lucien was sitting all alone in what could be called one half of the ss while the other students were jam-packed at the other half of the ss. "I don''t really know I don''t really care" Lucien shrugged his shoulders as he spoke showing ack of interest. "Really?" Fei Lin asked as he walked up towards Lucien''s desk only to see small stains of blood on his cloth. Coming so close helped her recognize Lucien as well causing a sweet smile to appear on her face. As a benefactor of the Phoenix n, it was her duty to aid him whenever he needs help. "You got into a fight?" Fei Lin asked casually. "Apparently, many believe I have be weak and to gain the attention of the Raizen n they want to harm me unfortunately for them, even without magic I am still a blessed of the God bestit wasn''t a fight since it barelysted more than a minute" Lucien answered calmly. "You don''t seem hurt but I can see some blood on your attire I believe It''s safe I guess who the blood belongs to... Just tell me if he''s alright" Instructor Fei Lin asked. "He didn''t put up a good fight so I reduced him to a bloody mess don''t worry, he will live" Lucien answered promptly. This time Instructor Fei Lin only nodded in response to his words before walking away. Acting as if the discussion never happened, Fei Li returned to the podium below before looking up to the ss and started her lecture. "Now there are forgers in your local viges, towns, noble territories, and all that They only forge steel weapons like spears, swords, shields, and all that but that''s not what we do here Here I n to teach you how to forge with magic!" Instructor Fei Lin said as she pulled out a ring from her pocket and ced it on the desk in front of her. "This is the fresher ss, I am not here to go into in-depth knowledge of forge mastery instead I am here to give you the basics, like drawing the forging circle and transmuting a normal equipment, into magical equipment" She said as she carved a strange symbol on the desk with a knife. It looked like a spiral linked with two triangles ced at the top left and right of the spiral and the final triangle ced at the bottom. At the center of the spiral and the triangles were an eye-shaped carving startling most students but none dared to speak up since they were afraid of disturbing the instructor during such a delicate process. Instructor Fei Li ignored the expectant gazes of over a hundred students and focused on her work. She ced the silver ring at the Triangle located at the bottom of the spiral and then poured her mana into the formation. Suddenly, the formation lit up as the instructor channeled her elemental powers into the two triangles located at the top right and left corner of the spiral! Pouring in her elemental abilities at the triangles, one released a torch of mes while the second released a tiny hurricane. "Incindria" the instructor muttered as the two elements slowly vanished and visibly traveled through the spiral and then reached the lower triangle where the silver ring was located. Instantly the triangle lit up even brighter as red and white cracks began appearing on the ring, imprinting a word on it, too little for anyone to see at that distance but Lucien had an idea of what that word may be "Incindria.." He and the Instructor muttered at the same time but unlike him, the instructor already had the ring on and when she spoke those same words, a human-sized gust of mesbined with wind appeared right in front of her, creating an attractive scene that left the students dumbfounded! DING! [Condition Met] [God of Forge unlocked!] Chapter 45: A glimpse of History Chapter 45: A glimpse of History "God of Forge? What''s that?" Lucien whispered and waited patiently. At this point, he stopped paying attention to the ss and focused on the system, hoping for a meaningful reply. [God of the forge is the title given to me, the creator of this system Back then I was a powerful forge master that far surpassed my peers in that act While my peers were still stuck at enhancing weapons with elements and giving them elemental properties, I had reached a profound realm where I could transmute the powers and traits of a magic beast into a piece of equipment At a point, I soon learned how to transmute the power and traits of other beast men and magic beasts into my self and that''s how I came about the ability, Beast assimtion an ability I have passed down to you] For the first time, the system was responding to his questions as a person. This time not only was the text written but a cold, detached voice echoed in his head as well, reading out the text for him. He was startled by this but tried hard to control his emotions, in hopes of not attracting much attention in ss. "Can you teach me?" Lucien asked in a low tone. [My powers were considered evil so I was chased down by powerful beings. If you learn it, the same can happen to you You already possess my beast assimtion, going any further will just put you in danger I can only impact the knowledge of normal forge mastery the other part wille when you are strong enough] Lucien was about to ask more questions but he suddenly felt a piercing pain infiltrate his head. Countless visions popped up repeatedly, making him shiver, catching the attention of people around. They watched Lucien grip his head, covered in sweat while shivering. "Lucien" "Lucien" "Lucien!" Huff! Lucien sat up with a face covered in sweat, the pain was gone and the dizziness with it. He looked up to see instructor Fei Lin''s beautiful face, causing him to smile sweetly. "I guess I haven''t fully recovered but you don''t have to worry, it''s nothing but a minor headache" Lucien said. Gazing at his face which was covered in sweat, Instructor Fei Lin found it hard to believe him but since he said it''s okay, she didn''t push the matter any further. "Do you wish to return to your room and have a quick nap or maybe go see the healers?" She asked but Lucien shook his head in disagreement. "I am okay I can hold out till the ss is over" Lucien said while shaking his head. With a nod, Instructor Fei Lin returned to the podium and continued her lesson but the only difference this time is that she and other students kept shooting a nce in Lucien''s direction. "What I did now was transfer my magic into the ring, allowing me to cast the spell through the item" Fei Lin exined. "While more than just magic can be transferred, it is best to make we stick to just this at the beginner phase" She added. "That ring you have there it''s not normal right?" Lucien asked drawing the attention of everyone. Based on the knowledge he just received from the system, he determined that forge mastery is moreplicated than Fei Lin is making it look. Not only does she purposefully omit a lot of details in her exnation but she failed to inform the students that normal des and spears cannot be worked on by forge masters. Transferring fire properties to a steel sword will only make the sword melt upon activation, so there are some special types of metal and resources in this world that can be used. "If this were a normal ring, it would have shattered by now the moment it came in contact with your mana or even melted when getting infused with your fire element" Lucien said as he left his seat and walked towards the podium below. With the overflowing amount of knowledge, he had received he wanted to test the forge mastery skills he just acquired and since he didn''t have any special equipment that can withstand the process, he chose to take advantage of Fei Lin and use this opportunity to practice. "Impressive I didn''t know a fresher would have this much knowledge of forge mastery This is just an introductory ss so I didn''t want to bother these little kids with suchplex information But I am curious Why did you learn all of this from? And what exactly do you want?" Instructor Fei Lin asked while she watched Lucien walk towards her. "From a book back at the Raizen n" Lucien casually lied about it and quickly diverted her attention to his next request. "What do I aim to achieve? I want to give it a try I have read so much that I think I am ready but Ick the equipment to work on" Lucien said as he climbed the podium and was only a few feet away from the Instructor. She was going to refuse outright but seeing the confidence in Lucien''s face, Fei Lin couldn''t help but agree. She too wanted to see how skilled Lucien is since the emperor dered him as one of the greatest allies of their family and ordered that he should be taken care of from the shadows. "What type of equipment do you want? You don''t have to worry, if you seed you can keep it as a reward for your hard work" She asked sweetly. This was an offer Lucien didn''t expect, so he was taken aback a little bit and had to think hard for a while before replying. He already possessed speed and since Hex and Brian volunteered to join the guardian ss, he was sure he won''t becking defense. All that''s left now is firepower and since he didn''t have an offensive spell yet, he decided that an offensive weapon would be nice but what type of weapon. "Try this out then" Fei Lin said when she saw Lucien was confused on what equipment to pick. Lucien saw her throw a ck dagger at him but he skillfully caught it by the hilt. Removing the ck sheath which had the golden royal Phoenix crest embedded on it, Lucien saw a pitch-ck de that reminded him of Blink''s silver de. With a nod, he proceeded to the forging table gazing a the magic forging symbol on it, and shook his head in disagreement. "Imperfections" Lucien muttered but it was loud enough for Fei Lin to hear. cing his hand on the table, his eyes let out a silver glow and the spiral formation vanished instantly, leaving the Instructor stunned. Not only has the air around Lucien changed the moment he got to the forging table but seemed to know more than he said. It was like she was gazing at someone entirely different. Pa! Lucien took the carving knife and carved a new symbol on the forging table. It was arge triangle at the center and three smaller triangles at the pointy edges of therger triangle. Within those triangles was the eye symbol carved into it and then around the entire formation were series of ancient letters. ''what is he doing? The three spaces are for what? Does that mean he has three elements?'' Fei Lin was confused by what she saw. She would have loved to rebuke Lucien, but the strange confidence in his eyes made her believe that Lucien knew what he was doing. "Perfection" Lucien''s eyes flickered as the entire formation on the table lit up. cing the ck dagger at therger triangle. "Charge" Lucien muttered as his lightning element appeared on one of the triangles. "Flow" He muttered and his wind element appeared on another triangle. "Roar!" He called out loud and the final piece of his enchantment appeared on thest triangle. "This" Instructor Fei Lin said as she took a step back while gazing at Lucien with a hint of excitement and fear in her eyes. The other students watched thest piece on the final triangle and could help but ask. "Is this even possible?" Caaaaww! "You thought you could keep it from me but you made a mistake Having me reach the level of a master forger thanks to your memories, I had an in-depth understanding of your challenges and the way you overcame them with that, I had enough knowledge to at least attempt this" Lucien said as he watched at the miniature silver figure of the Raizen on the third triangle. His words were directed to the system and for the very first time since he acquired this system, Lucien felt darkness looming behind him and within the darkness, a pair of bright blue eyes slowly yanked open gazing at him. ''I guess there is no such thing as free power but then, don''t think I am so weak that you can toy with me however you want!'' Lucien silently growled at the pair of eyes gazing at him, fearlessly. Chapter 46: True face of the system Chapter 46: True face of the system Lucien slightly turned and coldly gazed at the space behind him, leaving people confused, since they couldn''t understand why he would stop forging midway and gaze at the space behind. While everyone in the ss was confused, Lucien was fearlessly steering down the massive blue reptilian eyes within the darkness. Even without been told, he could notice the existence within the system, hiding as a helper. "I understand" the system spoke up for the first time. He watched the eyes close as the dark mist behind him vanished as well. "Hmph!" Lucien scoffed as he returned to the forging table and once again summoning his lightning and wind element, as well as the Raizen God beast trait before pushing them towards the ck de at the center of the formation. "Now this is where the main work starts" Lucien muttered as he first used his mana to carve magic circuits to help allow mana flow in the magic weapon. He went ahead to carve the forging seal on the hilt of the de there sealed the two elements and Raizen traits. Wooosh! The formation let out an extremely bright glow and after a few seconds everything died down, leaving behind an exhausted Lucien and the ck dagger "Ouch!" Lucien staggered back as he felt light-headed and weak. DING! [Forging sessful] [Low grade magic weapon forged] [+200exp] [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 6] [Hp: 10/10] [Strength: 7] [Agility: 10] [Stamina: 6] [Charisma: 20] [Mana: 1/10] [Exp: 570/800] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] [Host is exhausted and is advised to rest as soon as possible] "Damn" Lucien muttered as he gazed at his stats, he could see his mana had gone down and his stamina was also drained. Realizing his stamina stat was still at six points and considering the path he wishes to follow, Lucien knew he would need to increase this stat as soon as possible. "I can''t go around passing out after forging one piece of equipment" Lucien muttered weakly as he staggered backward while watching instructor Fei Lin rush over to check out the ck dagger. While many were impressed, Lucien wasn''t. He had seen the peak of forge mastery and he could tell that it was more advanced than this. He only created a low-grade magic weapon because his body was also a limitation. He is too weak. ''The Raizen n Heirloom and even the Phoenix n Heirloom alongside the sacred weapons of other high-level noble families in the empire are only rated mid-grade but in higher tiers my first creation should be a low-grade weapon but at the mid-tier, it''s not too bad for a start'' Lucien muttered inwardly as he considered a few things. He could hear, Instructor Fei Lin talking loudly about his sess, maybe asking a few questions but all Lucien could hear are mumbles and sounds he couldn''tprehend. [Soul imprintplete] [Give your weapon a name] ''Soul imprint without me touching it? Or is this a special feature of the system?'' Lucien questioned. "As for a name, I guess I will call it the wind creek dagger" Lucien said with a weak smile. He chose this name because the main feature of the de relies on the power of the Raizen God beast. But since he didn''t want to use the name is carelessly, he chose to go with the lowest level of the Raizen God beast [Name recorded] [Wind creek dagger] [+3 strength] [Durability 10/10] [Abilities] [Charge: Summons lighting at the de of the dagger, granting the user greater piercing power] [Flow: Host conceals the de of his weapon using the wind element!] [Roar: Utilizing hismand, the user lunges forward in a straight line with greater piercing power and movement speed to deal a lethal blow to the enemy] [Host has run out mana and stamina System shut down] Just as soon as thest message appeared, Lucien wasn''t even given the chance to make a sound, instead, he cked out and fell to the ground, hard. ____________________________________________________ "Ouch" Lucien mourned as he rubbed his reddened forehead. Yanking his eyes open the first thing that came to his view was his current stats. [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 6] [Hp: 7/10] [Strength: 7] [Agility: 10] [Stamina: 6] [Charisma: 20] [Mana: 5/10] [Exp: 570/800] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] "That fall must have left a mark" Lucien groaned the moment he saw the 7 health points left. His entire body ached like he had gone through rigorous exercises, forcing him to confess that forging was no easy work. "Wee back Master Lucien How do you feel?" The Crux voice echoed from all corners of the room, causing Lucien to frown. "I feel like crap what about you?" Lucien snarled as he silently prayed that the Crux would just disappear. ''I already have one being watching my every move and making me feel uneasy I don''t need another'' Lucien was referring to the terrifying blue reptilian eyes within the system. After his conversation with the system in the ss, Lucien was sure about one thing, the system cannot be trusted. Judging based on his understanding of their previous discussion. The person who created the system must have been an extremely powerful figure than caught the attention of the world due to the rming rate of his growth. Threatened by the constant increase in strength, several powerful figures had to join hands to defeat it and ultimately kill it. Since it''s a beast-man capable of creating the system, Lucien was pretty sure that the creator of the system was definitely powerful but the question now is how powerful? [You are a really smart kid... You remind me of myself when I was younger] The system suddenly spoke up, startling him a bit. This also confirmed one of his greatest fears, now he and the system arebined, he is unable to hide his thoughts from it. Laying down and shutting his eyes, Lucien ignored the system and focused on the issue at hand. A lot of the images that shed through his mind while the system was trying to impact the knowledge of forge mastery were too blurry so he couldn''t understand a lot of things. But one thing he was sure of was that the creator of the system reached the realm of the God beasts and maybe even went beyond. Upon defeat and when it realized death was imminent it must have created the system and sealed its consciousness into it, probably hoping to possess the host of the system and start a new life! [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 6] [Hp: 7/10] [Strength: 7] [Agility: 10] [Stamina: 6] [Charisma: 20] [Mana: 5/10] [Exp: 570/800] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] ''Host?'' Lucien frowned as his eyes returned to his information panel. The system used the word ''Host'' before his name, giving away its intentions. Something told him his deductions were on point and that exined why the system is yet to say anything! The god-beasts original intention was topletely consume the life force of whoever found it and then take over the host''s body! But why didn''t it work on him? Why is he still in charge? ''A defeated God fled to thend of mortals and when the other gods uncovered his ns, they sealed him away, and to break the seal it used its power slowly weakening the barrier and itself'' Lucien made a general assumption based on the general information he had acquired by taking part in the operation. ording to Emperor Fei, the barrier was so powerful, even he couldn''t break through it, forcing him to leave. He could also remember that below the ck water pool was something that seemed like a whole new world, with technology, so advanced that not even the Emperor that has lived for over five centuries couldprehend this. All that must be the handwork of the creator of the system. "A true genius" Lucien muttered as he sat up and kept pondering on the matter. The system must have failed to possess him because it was too weak after dispelling that barrier. It must have been in a hurry, that''s why it chose to spend even more energy to heal Lucien and take his body. It was more like it was running from something or someone. [You are digging too deep boy What do you think you are? Special? You are nothing special! Do you hear me?] An enraged voice echoed in his head but instead of making Lucien feel anxious, heughed lightly. "You are like a big baby throwing a tantrum I don''t give a fuck about your identity I don''t care about your past or what you did From the images I saw, your actions brought about change in this world and I see nothing wrong with what you did people fear power They were scared of your brilliance so they chose to kill you you feel betrayed and I can sense your urge for vengeance And that''s why I am here I want to help you" Lucien said with a stern look on his face. Chapter 47: A dangerous path Chapter 47: A dangerous path [] The system was silent for a while but Lucien wasn''t in a hurry. His words were actually true but this time he nned on using them for his own personal gain. The system knew that since Lucien has gotten a rough understanding of his situation, he would try to exploit it but since they are bound together, he could also tell that Lucien actually meant every word he said. [And why do you wish to help me? Shouldn''t you be annoyed that I tried to use you?] The system asked. "Well, yes I do feel upset but I am also understanding if I were put in the same situation as you, I would have done the same so why judge? You contributed a lot to this world and I believe you should be recognized for that not killedSo I will help you get back at them.." Lucien shrugged as he jumped off the bed and proceeded to leave the room. [The enemies you are up against are beyond the level of gods it''s not something you can deal with so easily] The system warned. "Well I do have the ultimate master, so I don''t have to worry with your guidance it won''t be long before I surpass them" Lucien answered indifferently as he walked into the teleportation pod. [The Crux is trying to forcefully teleport you to an unknown location Do you wish to resist?] A notification instantly popped up, causing him to frown. The system is right! He just got on the teleportation pod and he was yet to specify any location yet it activated on its own. While he understood that the Crux answers only to school officials and they must have requested his presence, he couldn''t help but get annoyed by the fact that so much power is left in the hands of artificial intelligence. Something deep down was telling him that this is a bad idea. ''No, don''t resist'' Lucien said in his mind. He was slightly ted that the system can counter the Crux and he decided to ask the systemter if it can suppress the Crux in his room without arousing suspicion. Xiu! The lights vanished and Lucien found himself on a podium at the center of arge hall with many seats ced high above and around him. There prominent figures of the academy sat and gazed at him calmly. While some had a hint of admiration in their eyes, a few others showed uncertainty and the rest just had malicious intentions. "And why am I here?" Lucien shot a meaningful nce at the dean and his sister Instructor Fei Lin. As soon she was done, a forging table appeared right in front of him with the wind creek dagger on it. His visage turned cold as his eyes lit up in power the moment he understood what was going on. Reaching this level of forge mastery is far beyond whatever anyone in the kingdom can do. While they can forge amazing armors and weapons and give them a bonus of elemental powers, they are still unable to transfer their God-beast powers into a weapon. Now he has seeded the academy is trying to take advantage of him and force him to share his knowledge. [Don''t.] The system only said one word and Lucien nodded in agreement. "We have brought you here today for two reasons The first has to do with the Plivo kid who you hurt badly and the second is the weapon there, which you forged we expect you to shed more light on these two matters" An elderlydy well past her eighties said. Judging based on her stench and look, Lucien could tell she was a human. Just like arge number of elderly people in this room. While the dean is in charge of this school and the instructors, the heads of noble families still possess enough power to influence what happens in the school. The fact they are here means a human in the ss reported this incident and they wish to take advantage of it before everyone knows. "I owe you no exnation Also thank you for returning my dagger as per our agreement I keep the dagger if my attempt is sessful princess Fei Lin as for the Plivo kid we got into a fight, I won worse happen in this school and nothing is done about it anyway, I will be on my way since I have more important things to do" Lucien said as he tried to reach for the sword and but it was suddenly lifted by an invisible force, shooting into the olddies hands. "Do you dare speak to the council of nobles in this manner? You only triumphed against t Raizen n because you had the backing of the emperor do you think we cannot punish you?" Thedy asked coldly but even then Lucien wasn''t paying attention to her. Instead, he had his gaze focused on the notification that appeared the moment the wind creek dagger fell into her hands. [Your magic weapon has been stolen, do you wish to use the summon skill, m] ''Yes!'' Lucien screamed angrily in this mind without hesitation. The olddy and everyone else in the room was in shock when the wind creek dagger was engulfed in blue lights and it promptly appeared in Lucien''s hands. "Touch what is mine one more time and I will shatter the entire arm and just like I told you earlier I do not owe any of you an apology or an exnation when your papa teaches you basic manners and you learn how to ask politely, then you can seek me out with an apology!" Lucien snarled. "You!!!!!!" Thedy growled as the room began to tremble but Lucien won''t be outdone either. Jumping atop the forging table, his eyes let out a silver glow as the figure of the Raizen God beast appeared behind him. "Charge. Flow!" Lucien growled the moment he unsheathed the dagger, revealing a ck de engulfed in lightning and wind This fight wasn''t about him winning, even though he knew his enemy was strong enough to kill him with just a flick of her fingers he refused to just stand there and watch them do as they please. His pride won''t allow that. [You know what? It''s your courage that I admire the most] The system gave him apliment for the very first time. "Come on old hag! Show me what you are made of!" Lucien''s voice was now ovepped with that of what they believed was the Raizen but in reality, it was the voice of the system. "Suchpatibility to think he would be able to bring out this much power front the shift alone... Those twice his age can''t boast of this either! The kid is truly a prodigy with or without his magic" An aged voice echoed across the room catching everyone''s attention. "That''s enough Helen This empire hasws and keeping a discovery like this to himself is not a crime... But forcing him to spill the beans is and I will not stand for that" It was an old man with a walking stick, dressed in a green robe. It was the head of the Lucardo family. As soon as he spoke all the human nobles in the rook calmed down and soon acted as nothing happened. Many couldn''t help but notice the fear in Helen''s eyes while she gazed at the old man. "Lucien my boy I heard you will be forming a team with my grandson" The Lucardo family head asked with a warm smile on his face. All through his life, Lucien has only seen the old man once but he didn''t care about his identity back then but now he was about to start a future with Brian in his team, he felt it was only right for him to be in a good rtionship with the old man. "Yes, Brian has a lot of potentials and I believe I am a lot safer with him by my side" Lucien bowed respectfully as he spoke leaving everyone stunned. The Lucardo Family head remained silent for a long while before revealing a warm smile and saying. "To think the Raizen n let go of a capable young man like you it''s a pity why don''t youe over to the Lucardo family, we will treat you well since you are a good friend of my grandson" The old man said, catching even Lucien by surprise. He knew this old man was sly and tricky to deal with but he didn''t expect him to be this cunning. Bringing him over is as good as monopolizing the secrets of his forging technique for his n alone. What other reason is there for a human noble family to try and recruit a beast-man into their n. ''To think just a portion of your secret is this precious'' [That''s why I asked you to keep it a secret] The systemmpooned. ''No this is what I want a frencer with enough reputation to gain the favor of so many ns once I get stronger I can work for different ns all at once and gather more resources faster'' Lucien said. [This path you wish to walk is effective but dangerous] The system worked. ''But effective life without a little bit of danger is boring'' Lucienughed. [I like the way you think kid] Seeing this made a smile bloom on Lucien''s face as he turned his attention to the Lucardo family head. "I truly appreciate your offer but I have to decline I believe I work better alone" Lucien answered with a slight bow. Chapter 48: Could this be love? Chapter 48: Could this be love? ... Lucien''s response was unexpected since he didn''t think Lucien will refuse. Not only was Luciencking since he had no backing but he has also made powerful enemies from various noble families today and that''s aside from the Raizen n. In his mind, Lucien would feel ted and happy to jump at his offer but that''s not what happened. The Lucardo family head couldn''t help but give Lucien another meaningful nce and only then did he see the confident smile on his face. It was like Lucien was silently telling him something! Something like; ''You don''t have to worry, I can take care of myself'' "I am truly grateful for your offer and I will never forget your kindness and sincerity towards me For the sake of my rtionship with your grandson, I hope we can build a strong rtionship after I take over the Raizen47 n in no distant future" Lucien said with a face void of any form of emotion. His words stung the hearts of people deeply and even though they would love to refute his words and send him away, none could deny the fact that he has the means and the talent to make it happen! "This kid If all youths were like you, the empire will be filled with a lot of capable younglings" the Lucardo n headughed while the others nodded their heads in agreement. With no other reason to keep him here, Dean Fri Xio had the Crux teleport, Lucien, back to his dormitory. _______________________________________________ The next day Lucien woke up with a slight headache and an annoyance that came from the fact that he would have to attend the war mage ss again. After losing his magic and getting reduced to the level of no talent amongst mages, Lucien hasn''t really been too keen on learning, and even now the system has been silent since the event with the nobles the previous day. "Damn it, I have no choice but to attend the least I can do is give it a try" Lucien muttered reluctantly as he dressed up and dashed out of the room. Arriving at the war mage ss, everything was the same ording to his memories, except that students kept avoiding him. In fact this time, it looked like they were more terrified to associate themselves with him. "It seems my meeting with the other noble families must have been exposed I am sure I made a few new enemies that day I really have to stop making new enemies every day there is a limit to what the emperor can do for me" Lucien groaned as he remained seated alone while waiting for Instructor Emma. Suddenly a bright light shed on the podium below and Instructor Emma appeared. This time she wore a tight green mage done below the knee level. As usual, her small physiqueplemented her busty assets that got most male students hard but she didn''t pay attention to all of that. Instead, she turned her attention to Lucien who was sitting alone, and bowed slightly before saying. "Thank you for your sacrifice" Bam! Hearing this Lucien felt his heartbeats quicken while his body trembled. For the first time since the event, someone actually showed appreciation for his efforts. He could feel a lump of saliva stuck in his throat while his eyes got heavy. Lucien could tell his body wanted to let out all the pain he has been going through but he didn''t want to cry. At least not in public. Seeing that Lucien was moved by her words Instructor Emma nodded in satisfaction and then turned her attention to the other members of the ss. Soon the ss began and Emma gave them tips on how war mage spells are meant to him. Conjuring a fireball, Instructor Emma demonstrated her theory. While she just let ck marks with minor damage at the spot where she tossed the fireball, she then summoned a new fireball but this time she forcefullypressed it, into what can be referred to as a small ring of fire. Upon release, the supposed harmless ring of fire didn''t just hit and burn like the others. This time it hit, expanded, and exploded, causing even greater damage to everyone''s surprise. Seeing this, Lucien felt a bit dejected that his affinity for magic has reduced making it harder to practice all of this. He remained silent and didn''t even bother to attempt to practice with the others. ording to Instructor Emma, spells are divided into various tiers. Each tier represents a certain stage of expertise in casting spells and controlling the element. ording to her, the highest magic that can be seen in grimoires are tier three spells apart from that, higher tier magic is usually only original spells and the creators have no intentions of sharing their creation. ''It will be too embarrassing to show weakness in front of so many people'' Lucien thought as he remained seated and watched the others practice with a bored but pained expression in his eyes. "Here, have this" A voice echoed from behind, promoting Lucien to turn around and meet instructor Emma''s meaningful gaze. His eyes flickered slightly as he noticed she was trying to pass on a grimoire to him. "In the world of magic, these general spells are quite important too versatility is needed in battle and the spells here will give you what you are looking for Original spells are usually used as Trump cards in battle since people know so little about them and have fewer ways of countering" Instructor Emma quickly said the moment she realized Lucien was nning to refuse. Unknown to her, even after her long and boring speech, Lucien had no intentions of taking the grimoire. He was about to refuse but he heard a familiar voice in his head. [Take it] The system''s voice echoed in his head. Unsure of why the system would directly try to influence his actions which are usually rare, Lucien took the book, only to hear the familiar notification sound in his head. DING! [Grimoire acquired Information recorded] As he saw this happen, Lucien felt a piercing pain invade his head, causing him to stagger back. His eyes disyed hints of pain as he gripped his head once again while silently wishing that the system would inform him whenever it''s trying to do this. Images of every spell of all the elements contained in that book appeared in his head, recording without his permission. Bang! "Damn it!" Lucien dropped the grimoire and fell on one knee as well. His face was covered in sweat and his breathing was heavy. "Don''t worry... I''m yet to recoverpletely so this happens from time to time" Lucien lied when he saw the worried expression on Instructor Emma''s face. ''Damn it since the incident, apart from the royal family, the humans are the only ones who genuinely appreciate my efforts are the beast-men this messed up?'' The image of Instructor Emma''s worried expression remained fresh in his mind. "Are you sure you are okay?" Instructor Emma helped Lucien up and he nodded in response. For a short, while he was enchanted by her alluring body sent and stay so close to herrge yet firm breasts, Lucien couldn''t help but feel a bit distracted. When did he start losing himself to sexydies? She''s even human! However, Lucien''s dream world was short-lived as he felt incredible danger and murderous intentions directed towards him. ''What the hell is this'' Lucien screamed in his mind as he assumed a battle posture and waited for the worst. He could feel the hateful gaze of all the male students in the ss and some of the female students were giving him the murderous re, leaving him confused. ''Either way, I refused to be intimidated by a bunch of perverted dogs and lesbians!'' Lucien growled as his eyes red up with power. The ss turned silent as both sides kept staring each other down but none made a move. Instructor Emma on her own was left confused since she couldn''t understand why the atmosphere in the room turned violent suddenly. _____________________________________________________ Bang! Lucien shut his door tight and instantly began practicing. Humph! Breathing out lightly, Lucien''s eyes let out a silver glow as a wind star pattern slowly appeared beneath his feet. After twenty to thirty seconds, his eyes let out a bright light as a mild twister began forming around him. Soon the strong wind took the shape of a dome. "Wind magic: Wind dome!" Lucien cried out as the wind dome expanded, creating enough space for two people or so. This left him thinking. Since they were in the war mage ss, only offensive spells should be found in the grimoire given to them but this one had both offensive and defensive spells from the first tier to the third tier. "Don''t tell me miss Emma went through a lot of trouble just to put together something this amazing" Lucien muttered as he felt his heart he for the first time in his life Chapter 49: Orange Scorching pool Chapter 49: Orange Scorching pool "This is quite amazing." Lucien muttered as he realized he could remember details concerning every single spell written in the grimoire so vividly, he felt like he was born with this knowledge. He couldn''t help but shiver at the advantages he had gotten thanks to the system and he even considered this as his only hope of survival. Based on his calctions, with the royal family protecting him, while he''s still a student here, it concluded that at the rate of his improvement, he should be able to reach a level where he would be able to face protect himself against the Raizen n when he graduates and with a few more years he should be able to surpass his grandfather. [Don''t be stupid] The system''s voice echoed in his head cursing him to shiver. [What you have now is knowledge, profound knowledge that I have this will give you an advantage over your peers but that''s all there is to it. True strength here is decided by cultivation realms and as far as I am concerned, a level 1 human realm mage shouldn''t get too cocky You need to find ways to refine your body and spirit to help improve your cultivation realm quickly. Only then will you be able to protect yourself] The system said. Surprisingly, the system sounded a bit weak while it spoke and Lucien carefully guessed that this is the reason for its constant silence? Could there be an issue? Thinking back on the possibilities, Lucien couldn''t help but consider the possibility that the consciousness of the system''s creator is getting weaker. Considering a few things, Lucien knew that the system has gone out of its way to keep him alive from time to time thereby draining arge chunk of its power. [Lucien.] The system could read his thoughts and wanted to speak but it was interrupted by Lucien. "You don''t have to worry rest however you must and regain your strength, I will be okay" Lucien answered horridly. [] [Very well then] The system responded after a short while and Lucien felt like a pair of eyes watching him from behalf had finally vanished. With the little he knew, the system is not going to stop working because the creator is asleep, things will go on normally but the only thing is that he will end up losing the voice that asionally gave him some tips the system won''t give. "Thest thing it said is to cultivate more and increase my realm and I believe he is right we are still at the first level of the human realm and for that reason, our powers are greatly dyed subdued thanks to our weak bodies but if I can cultivate to a higher realm there will be more opportunities. With the matter resolved Lucien wasted no time and dashed out of the room and took the teleportation pod to a ce where he thought he wouldn''t be going. Xiu! The teleportation pod in a certain room let out a bright light and from it, Lucien stepped out. His eyes shot across the room for a short while before returning to the man dressed in a silver kimono with the crashing wave design. Seeing this, Lucien felt the urge to ask him if this was the only cloth he had but his fear for Inspector Han are surpassed his curiosity. "Why are you here?" Instructor Han asked impatiently. "Don''t give me that crappy cold attitude..." Lucienined. "Anyway I need spirit cultivation materials and body cultivation materials" Lucien added. His request was quite odd, causing instructor Han to raise an eyebrow. Apparently, students during this period need to focus on the basics and not cultivation matters and that''s why they are yet to bring it up in sses. Now what Instructor Han failed to understand is how Lucien who should be finding it more difficult to cope yet he''s here trying to cultivate ahead of others. In his opinion, there are only two possibilities. It''s either Lucien''s priority is misced or he has more secrets about the mysterious system he hasn''t told them yet. "Is there something you would love to tell me?" Instructor Han asked with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe if you asked nicely from the start I would have dly given you all the information you need" Lucien hissed. "Well, you if refuse to speak then I don''t think I can help you" Instructor Han retorted. "I n to use the final favor the emperor owes me do you think you can stop me?" Lucien sneered but then a rare sinister smile appeared on Instructor Han''s face, causing Lucien''s smile to crumble instantly. "To inform the emperor you have to go through me if you keep making my life more difficult I will dy your request by a few months... Maybe a year or two" Instructor Han sneered. With that, Lucien had no other choice but gave the details of everything that happened in thest we days to Instructor Han, purposefully omitting the part of transmuting the powers of the magic beast and people into his body. He chose to trust the system on that one and keep that information a secret to avoid unexpected issues. "You learned everything in the grimoire just by touching it? Interesting!" Instructor Han frowned while he spoke. In his own opinion, there must be a bacsh for this much power Lucien is receiving. In this world, nothinges free and in his opinion, Lucien is yet to find out the price for his power. With a sigh, Instructor Han concluded that the best he can do for Lucien is to help him strengthen himself so that he will be able to withstand the bacsh. "You don''t have to use your final request on this I will help you on this one but only on one condition" Instructor Han said with a straight face. "You will have to cultivate here You are not allowed to undergo this process personally" Instructor Han added. Hearing this request, Lucien was a bit confused. He didn''t understand why instructor Han would ask something strange. "Why?" Lucien couldn''t help but ask. "Cultivation is more dangerous than you think, especially for someone in your condition" Instructor Han said with a stern look on your face. ___________________________________________________________ After a few hours of preparation, Lucien was led to a secret chamber in Instructor Han''s office. It was an empty room with a pool with boiling orange water. The temperature in the room was a bit warm yet cool at the same time, it was a strange feeling Lucien has never experienced. "It''s a body tempering chamber" Instructor Han exined. "Body tempering?" Lucien asked with a raised eyebrow. Thest time he checked Instructor Han was a mage who purely relied on magic and never cared about his physical prowess like most mages. "After our battle with the invaders After fighting Blink and seeing the difference in power, I realized what I wascking" Instructor Han exined softly. Hearing this, Lucien couldn''t believe the stingy-faced Instructor Han would be willing to share something this precious with him. "You saved my life back then I owe you we all do" Instructor Han said when he noticed Lucien''s questioning gaze. With that, both of them took off their clothes and proceeded to jump into the pool. The moment Lucien''s body sank into the yellow liquid, he could feel a stinging pain all over his body. It felt like he was getting assaulted by a thousand needles! At first, it was just his skin but soon the pain invaded his body and even reached his bones. It wasn''t enough to make him scream but just enough to make him ufortable and irritated. "This is the orange scorch pool... It strengthens the body and enhances a person''s magic circuits, allowing more flow of mana" Instructor Han''s voice echoed in his head but since Lucien was already use to this so he didn''t panic. "I know, I can feel it" Lucien replied as he shut his eyes and monitored everything going on within his body. Not only did he feel his body strengthen but he also felt his magic circuits widen, allowing more inflow of mana. This is the perfect treatment one is meant to receive before cultivation! DING! DING! DING [Orange scorch pool identified] [+2 strength] [Stamina doubled] [Mana reserves tripled] [Health points doubled] [Curse of the life God weakened, Cost of casting magic has been reduced Magic cast speed increased slightly!] [Host: Lucien Raizen] [Race: Beast-man] [Level: 6] [Hp: 20/20] [Strength: 9] [Agility: 10] [Stamina: 12] [Charisma: 20] [Mana: 30/30] [Exp: 570/800] [Condition: Dire] [Host''s strength is been suppressed by some godly power. Until this power is dispelled, hosts stats will be halved] Taking note of his new stats Lucien was dazed for a while before turning his attention to Instructor. Seeing Instructor Han remained silent and kept absorbing the contents of the pool, he decided to askter. The duo remained in the pool for close to thirty minutes, until the orange water lost its color, bing transparent just like any other pool of water. Chapter 50: Human realm 2nd sky! Chapter 50: Human realm 2nd sky! Stepping out of the pool, Lucien felt like his body had gotten heavier but that didn''t affect his movement at all. He was just as fast as before! Without Instructor Han telling him and judging based on the benefits he reaped from it Lucien knew that the orange scorching pool was not as simple as the instructor was trying to make it look. One of the things Lucien was able to notice was that while in the pool, they had no need for air. Even though they couldn''t speak and they couldn''t breathe, they had no need for air. Also, his body consumed more nutrients from the pool faster than Instructor Han, allowing him to reach his saturation point first. He didn''t know how to exin this but he could only guess the system is responsible. "I feel stronger" He said as he put on his silver sleeveless mage robe. "I agree Did your system show you anything at all?" Instructor Han asked. Not replying, Lucien quickly summoned a star path and the star patterns began to link. Unlike before it was quicker than before and soon, Lucien was consumed by bolts of lightning. "Lightning magic: Surge!" He roared. "You are not as fast as you were before in casting spells but you should at least be as fast as an average mage That good to know" Instructor Han nodded. "With my magic circuits widened, the residual life aura in me is slightly weakened so I got a bit stronger" Lucien said and instructor Han nodded to show he understood. The duo left the room and entered the third room but this ce was empty entirely. With a nce, Lucien had a rough understanding of what this ce was. A CULTIVATION ROOM! ''How wealthy is instructor Han?'' Lucien couldn''t help but mutter in his mind. While normal people cultivate by holding on to whatever cultivation material they have and directly absorbing it, only the wealthy can have a cultivation room. In the Raizen n, only the elders and the n head have cultivation rooms! "Even though the cultivation room consumes twice the amount of resources, it boosts the cultivation speed twofold Putting in the cultivation materials necessary creates a conducive environment for cultivation" Instructor Han just gave Lucien a rough exnation since he was sure Lucien knew what a cultivation room is. Entering the cultivation room, the duo sat in a cross-legged position and slowly consumed the energy around them. Lucien felt like his body was rejecting the energy around causing him to frown. [The curse of the life God is strong and just as I suspected, it''s preventing you from absorbing the world energy around you.] The system spoke up. ''Then what can I do? I can''t continue like this! I can''t grow like this'' Lucien felt extremely frustrated in his mind. [I can help you dispel it, but doing this will mean I can''t perform more miracles for you, I will be forced to sleep for a long time just to recover my energy While the system may work, you will have to live for a while without my guidance] the system said Listening to the system speak, Lucien had a rough understanding of what it was trying to say. It meant he as the creator of the system had more to offer than what the system is giving Leaving alone for a while without the voice in his head guiding him will be difficult, but Lucien felt it is more important that he is able to cultivate. ''Do it I am your host and I am pretty sure that as long as I live, you will recover your energy eventually You don''t have to worry about me I was badass before I got to know you'' Lucien chuckled in his mind while saying thest part. In his mind, he could feel the system chuckle as well. [In that case, I might as well tell you this before I go Beyond the true god realm is a realm called the realm protector and beyond that is the realm of the celestial beings The death and Life gods of that world are only true gods, if they met me in my prime, I would have brought them to their knees with a snap of a finger If you train hard and with a little bit of luck and with the help of this system I created, you will be a celestial being I am Rakuzen] Saying this, Lucien felt a warm energy invade his body and slowly his aura kept rising catching instructor Han''s attention. At this point, Lucien''s eyes were wide open, releasing a strong silver light while golden aura was slowly expelled from his body. Bang! In one go, all the golden aura in his body was expelled and right before Instructor Han''s gaze, he watched the world energy in the cultivation room gather and surge into Lucien''s body greedily. "HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHA!" Lucienughed madly as the familiar feeling returned! A sensation that has eluded him for a long time Crack! Bang! His body soon expelled the excess world energy, releasing a mild shockwave. Behind Lucien was a more life-like image of the Raizen god beast standing while gazing down on the youth in a cross-legged position. "What the hell" Instructor Han couldn''t help but mutter. DING! [Curse of the life god purged] [New achievement Unlocked] [Cultivator: Host has left the realm of mere mortals and achieved the title of cultivator +400exp] [System updateplete Irrelevant stats purged] [Raizen god beat assimtion: 10%] [New ability unlocked] [Crying Creek: The wind creek lets out loud cries that deafen the enemy and stuns them for a brief moment. This ability can be used beforeunching surprise attacks or fleeing] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky, Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [Hp: 30/30] [Mana: 50/50] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 970] [Update alert!] [With the new update it is safe to assume the host has reached the minimum requirement to be called a cultivator and as such the system can no longer strengthen the host through leveling up The host can only rise in strength through the normal conventional means of other cultivators but do not despair! The system has your back! As longs as the host keep upgrading the system with experience points, more features designed to help the host in his goal to be a celestial being will be unlocked!] [System upgrade: 1500exp needed] "Wow" Lucien muttered as he slowly got on his feet. He could feel the mana surging through his body and he couldn''t help but smile. "I am back baby!" Lucien screamed out in joy. Only after that embarrassing action did he realize Instructor Han was still in the room, gazing at him with a nk expression on his face. "I want an exnation of what happened now and the emperor needs to know as well!'' Instructor Han said in a serious tone. __________________________________________________________________ After exining everything that happened and how the system purged the curse and now the voice in his head is gone, the instructor Han let Lucien go and went ahead to report to the emperor. With nothing else to report, Lucien left Instructor Han''s ce and returned to his room. He had the yer ss to attend in a few minutes but after everything that happened today, he decided to return to his original dressing style. The ss was a bit rowdy and the instructor had just arrived and was about to begin the ss but to everyone''s surprise, the teleportation pods are shut down as soon as a ss begins to prevent students who arrivedte from entering lit up, catching everyone''s attention. Xiu! A bright blue light shone and from it, a white-haired youth, dressed in a silver Japanese tradition kimono emerged. His eyes were brimming with power and his body exuded the aura of the Raizen god beast. Instructor Kane, a human he thought the yer ss for freshers couldn''t help but take mental note of this kid. His eyes trembled with emotions as he realized the identity of the kid who became the talk of the month after he lost his powers and family. "You have regained your powers, haven''t you? You have fully recovered!" Instructor Kane said. "You noticed? As expected of a capable instructor" Lucien bowed slightly in response with his zing Silver eyes. "You are at the second sky of the human realm!" the instructor blurted out in shock! DING! [New achievement unlocked] [Return of the beast emperor: The news of your return will spread amongst your people and those who looked down on you will shiver in fear! The emperor is back and his people will jubte! +150exp] From that ss, the news of hisplete recovery spread throughout the school to all corners of the empire. The talented youth who was said to possess more talent than the emperor had returned, regaining his power and directly breaking into the second sky of the human realm! His fame skyrocketed once again just like the system said it will. Chapter 51: First test Chapter 51: First test Lucien''s recovery and advancement to a higher realm was a major blow for all those who dared to cross him during his short period. Back then, they all hoped that he would remain in that condition till he graduates from the academy, or at least most of it. That way they can exert vengeance on him but now Lucien had not only recovered but he had grown stronger by jumping to the second sky of the human realm and considering the rate at which he''s growing these noble families are sure that when he graduates that Lucien will most likely be at a level where they can no longer harm him. His recovery was a major blow to the Raizen n especially and his grandfather Lucas. Since Lucien left after killing off the two most prominent n members only inferior to him. Now he has recovered his power and has gotten even stronger, the n had fallen into despair, ming the n head for their current predicament and also reducing his approval ratings. As for Lucien, he took his sses seriously and also took his time to observe the system properly. After the voice vanished he stopped getting tips and hints making him feel incredibly lonely. One thing he noticed about the system is that when he first got the system, it never considered him a cultivator and that''s why it showcased stats like strength, agility, and so on since they are all considered relevant for normal humans but after the curse of the God of life and creation was dispelled everything changed. His magic circuits that have been suppressed by his injury were healed instantly and as a result of this, it expanded thereby increasing his mana reserves. Right now, Lucien had at least two times the mana reserves of the average mage his age, and his proficiency in casting spells had increased as well. The yer path sses focused on fighting techniques, foot works, and stances for different situations in battle. Just like the mages that were presented with grimoires with basic spells, Fighters were also given scrolls containing records of different types of pre-existing fighting styles, stances and foot works. While people just practiced what was already there, Lucien just touched the scroll and the system instantly recorded everything. With the knowledge acquired, Lucien quickly came up with an original fighting style of his own which he named ''Hayai Ken'', meaning swift fists. This fighting style focused on swift attacks, aimed that pressure points in the body as well as fatal spots in the body. His style was aimed at killing the enemy as quickly as possible without hesitation. As for the war mage ss, Lucien already knew every spell in the book and since he already had spells that focus on increasing his mobility in battle, Lucien decided to focus on creating original destructive spells. While others were focused on mastering spells in the grimoire, Lucien focused on creating a new destructive spell. And finally, the forge master ss had kicked off properly, teaching students the basics. Unlike the wind creek de which Lucien created which had three cores, enough to house three abilities, they were thought how to draw a single pseudo core magic circuit within a weapon. Since Lucien already knew everything he needed to know about this, he didn''t bother attending the ss and since the Instructor in charge is a Fei, she didn''t bother him either. ....................... After his breakthrough, the emperor and Instructor Han concluded he should stop cultivating and focus on what other people in his ss do. They were trying to hide their involvement in Lucien''s life and because of that, they also concluded that he should avoid making contact with any of them unless extremely necessary. Today, everyone was called over to the assembly hall where their first test would be dished out! "Hey, you arete" Brian said as he and Hex watched Lucien approach. In just a month his silver hair had grown longer. He allowed the hair to flow loosely with the front tied in a topknot as seen in ancient Chinese times. He wore his trademark silver kimono which even hid his hands and while he walked forward it looked like his feet barely touched the ground and this was as a result of the Haya Ken style he has been practicing. "Traffic" Lucien lied without remorse, causing a vein to top on Brian''s forehead. Hex could only watch andugh. He could remember when Brian was the one who knew how to piss the hot headed Lucien off but after Lucien''s encounter with the invaders, he had changed drastically into another person entirely! His calm yet nonchnt attitude to life was just the perfect remedy for Brian, pissing him off at every possible moment while Hex ys the spectator as usual. "Wee" Dean Fei Xio''s voice which was amplified by magic coughed everyone''s attention. He was standing on the high podium, looking down on the students, and after he was sure he has gotten everyone''s attention he nodded and continued. "Today will mark the very first day you all will take part in an event that will add to your grades As you expect it will be a team mission and it will also be dangerous You have formed teams and it''s been a month now, I strongly believe you should know enough about yourselves to help you survive this test" He said before waiting for another minute or two for the message to sink in. "This ss will be sent over to the beginner area filled with low-level magic beasts, with the little you know I am sure you can survive if you work together The main goal of this test is to survive, as long as you can survive for a week, your team will receive the passing mark If a member dies, the team is disqualified If a member forfeits the team is disqualified as well Now as for those who wish to know how to get better grades, this is for you In the beginner area, there are four hills upied by beasts considered powerful whenpared to students at your level at those hilltops are acknowledgment badges ced there. Each hill has a different achievement badge and at the top of a hill there are about 10 badges each a team only needs one of each of the ten badges" Dean Xio exined with a straight face. He waited for the message to sink in again and after a short while, the students noticed strange formations appear beneath their feet! The whole hall has the teleportation symbol carved into it. [The Crux is trying to forcefully teleport you to an unknown location Do you wish to resist] Gazing at the notification that appeared, Lucien shot Dean Xio a nce and with the other instructors present he decided to showcase a little bit of strength. ''Dy my teleportation by three seconds'' Lucien replied. [Understood] Xiu! The other students vanished leaving behind only one youth. The light of the teleportation formation beneath his feet shone brightly and it was clear it was activated but Lucien was yet to leave. "Is something wrong with the teleportation formation?" Dean Xio was the first to notice Lucien. "What the hell?" Instructor Kane frowned as he watched Lucien''s body resisting. His body kept losing and regaining its color and judging based on the calm look on his face, everyone was assured that Lucien was resisting this on purpose. "I know this is a surprise test, catching students off guard and all that this I understand but I would appreciate it if you all inform me beforehand You see, I have lots of things to do and I hate it when someone or something interrupts my busy schedule Bye!" Lucien said before he vanished, leaving everyone stunned. "Was he really resisting teleportation, is that even possible? " Instructor Emma asked and all eyes were pinned on Instructor Han who didn''t know how to react. He didn''t know how to exin this since Lucien told him nothing about this ability. "I have seen the emperor do this once Back then I thought this was something that can be done with overwhelming power but after seeing someone at the second sky of the human realm perform do the same, it looks more like a cheap trick now" Dean Xio said thoughtfully. Instructor Han didn''t know if he was trying to cover for him or just expressing his opinion, however, it was enough to take everyone''s attention of Instructor Han, giving him the chance to slip away with his spatial magic. ____________________________________________________________ Xiu! Lucien appeared in a small clearing surrounded by huge trees and bushes. With a nce he could tell they were in some sort of jungle and since only he and the members of his team, he concluded that others could be sent to different locations in the beginner area. A smile appeared on his face appeared as the thought of gathering magic beasts to help boost his beast assimtion progress. Chapter 52: Black Hush Chapter 52: ck Hush "This ce looks like a good ce to set up a camp, when that''s done, I will set up exploding sun array around our camp for extra defense" Hex said and Brian agreed but Lucien had other ns Turning his attention to the duo and giving them a meaningful gaze, he had no intentions of revealing the system to them but he also knew it is necessary for him toe up with an excuse if he truly wants to ditch these people and fight as many magic beasts as he can. "While you guys set up camp, I believe its best I scout the area and know the kind of monsters that reside around here, that way we can n ahead" Lucien said casually. "But" Hex was about to refuse but Lucien cut him short. "But nothing I am the fastest and the strongest here, I promise I won''t venture too far and you have to worry about me finding my way back, I will just leave clues along the way" Lucien said with a stern look on his face. Seeing Lucien had no intentions of backing out, the duo had no other choice but to agree. They watched Lucien effortlessly summon his wind wheels and speed off, entering the thick forest and vanishing from their view. Neither of them felt like they should speak on this issue so they got to work. --------------------------------------------------- Shooting through the forest at an incredible speed, Lucien was like a beacon to all monsters around but even now he was too picky. With the presence of the beast assimtion ability, Lucien had taken his time to touch every beast-rted book in the school library and have the system record them. Apparently, beasts in this world cultivate, and the higher their realm, the greater their power and intelligence. It is said that all the god beasts in this world all started from minor low-level beasts like the wind creek which is the low-level form of the god beast, Raizen. ording to the beastology books in the library, Beasts have three phases, there is the infant phase, the Adolescent phase, and the adult phase. These phases have nothing to do with their levels or cultivation realm, but with each phase, a magic beast gains a new ability, a stronger body, and a certain level of intelligence. In the cultivation realm, there are magic beasts which is the lowest realm for beasts and then there are soldier level magic beasts, General level beasts, King level beasts, Emperor level beasts, God beasts, and thanks to the system he also found out about Celestial beasts. As a human realm cultivator, any beats beyond the magic beast realm is too much for them, a single soldier-level magic beast is enough to kill a good number of human realm warriors and mages. While studying about beasts, Lucien didn''t hesitate to check on the location of the magic beasts he considered unique and one of them is verymon in the beginner area, it is called the ck hush. The ck Hush is a shadow-type creature that excels in the shadow section of dark magic. It is said to be a double-tailed cat magic beast whose body is normally encased in darkness aura. Its mobility is astonishing as well as its attacks which are infused with dark magic and has a weakening effect on all those hit by it. While shooting through the forest, Lucien came in contact with a few magical beasts but he didn''t bother to spare them a single nce since he already knew what he came for. Going deeper and deeper into the forest, Lucien kept moving until he reached what looked like thergest tree he has seen all through his life, and atop the countless branches of the tree were at least ten ck hush magic beasts gazing down at him coldly. "Did I also fail to say that these beasts live in groups That way if I can kill a good number of them, I can improve the assimtion rate of that magic beast to a very high level." Lucien said as he did what the book specifically advised people not to do. Look the magic beast in the eye! Meeeeoooow! The magic beast''s roar was soft and cute but Lucien could sense the intense murderous intentions directed at him. He still stood atop the wind wheels and with his hands ced behind him, coupled with his silver kimono and his long silver hair, Lucien looked like one of those ancient grandmasters or sect leaders who smirk in the face of danger "Come at me, little ones" Lucien chuckled as he saw numerous balls of darkness shooting towards him. "Lightning magic: Surge!" Knowing fully well, the enemies were closebatants, Lucien did not hesitate to cast the tier one lightning spell: Surge! Releasing numerous bolts of electricity around him was enough to discourage the ck Hushs from approaching him, giving him the opportunity to strike first as well. "Wind magic: wind de!" Lucien growled as a wind star pattern appeared beneath his feet. Under the watchful gaze of the ck hush''s five wind des took shape before shooting sporadically. Depending on their quick reflexes, ck hush''s moved quickly, evading the wind des but unknown to them, this was only a decoy. "Many think my greatest strength now is my magic but that''s wrong!" Lucien muttered as his figure blurred and the next second he was shooting towards a ck hush that just evaded a wind de. Hayai-Ken; First form: Lightning Jab! Instantly the ck hush felt like the temperature of the room had dropped by leaps and bounds. It was still in mid-air but it looked like time had stopped for it but Lucien was still perfectly fine. Huuuufffffff! Lucien exhaled heavily as his eyes lit up with power and his hand transformed into a talon while the Raizen god beast figure appeared behind him. The wind de beneath his feet spun crazily as his body jerked forward abruptly and all the ck Hush could see was a bolt of lightning speeding towards it. Before it could even blink, It felt a piercing pain invade its body and the darkness around it vanish instantly, looking up it realized that the invader struck it even before it could fall to the ground. The entire scenario yed out in less than a second but in its mind, Lucien''s preparation and the attack took at least one minute. DING! [ck Hush killed] [First time kill +200exp] [Beast assimtion sessful] [Beast assimted] [Shadow death God beast] [Phase: Infant] [Beast name: ck Hush] [Assimtion progress: 1%] [Assimtion progress low No abilities unlocked yet]. Lucien gazed at the notifications and frowned, not only did he get only a one percent assimtion rate from killing a single ck hush which means that he has to kill at least ten or more to get reasonable results. Also, this confirmed his theory, the stronger the beast or the person wielding the bloodline of the god beast, the more assimtion rate he gains. Meaning, if he wishes to make any real progress, Lucien will have to put aside everything else and search for more powerful variants of the ck Hush. Gazing at the dead feline in his hand he realized that the only reason he is able to beat these monsters easily is not that he is far stronger but it''s because he is superior to them in their main aspect of power. Since they relied on speed and he is much faster, they will find it really hard to put up a fight against him, unless they have the numbers advantage and this also meant that if he fought someone faster than him, he will end up in a simr condition. "Sad" Lucien muttered before he caught something approaching fast from the corner of his eye! Swoosh! Bang! Performing a side flip, Lucien had just evaded a w attacked infused with dark energy. "I need to pay more attention!" Lucien was barely done with his speech when more enemies pounced on him. Whoosh! With the wind wheel making it looked like he''s levitating, Lucien jerked backward with moving a muscle, thanks to his spell he could move without actually moving! Swoosh! Whoosh! One attack after the other, Lucien kept retreating tactfully while intelligently gathering the magic beasts together. "Wow!" Lucien cried as he jerked backward one more time in a bid to escape an attack but then he saw another ck hush right in front of him with its paw raised! "Crap!" Lucien cried as he had no intentions of finding out how powerful their attacks are, so he quickly summoned his Wind creek dagger into his hands. "Charge!" Lucien cried out as his lighting aura surged around the de and he quickly swung the de as the iing paw! Peng! [-3HP] "So strong!" Lucienmented since he didn''t expect the enemy that had such a small and fragile body to be able to release so much power. Meow! The ck hush cried as it followed up another attack but this time with itspanions surrounding Lucien and lunging forward at the same time! "Perfect! Tier two magic: Lightning Rampart!" Chapter 53: A tough battle Chapter 53: A tough battle Tier two magic: Lightning Rampart! Following his vicious cry, powerful bolts of electricity exploded from Lucien''s body, attacking everything within a few meters. He watched the scorched felines dropped to the floor as their shadow cloaks vanished revealing their small and feeble bodies. None of them survived... DING! DING! DING! [10 ck Hushs killed] [+500exp] [Beast assimtion Sessful] [Beast assimted] [Shadow death God beast] [Phase: Infant] [Beast name: ck Hush] [Assimtion progress: 11%] [Ability unlocked] [Shadow cloak: User shrouds himself with darkness, allowing him to blend with the darkness and move around undetected] "Perfect!" Lucien muttered as he gazed at the notifications pilling up. [-10mp] Seeing this Lucien couldn''t help but frown, tier-one spells only cost around 3 mana points but just a single tier two spell consumed an enormous 10 mana points, and with a mana point of just fifty that meant he can only perform five tier two spells before passing out while hoping those five spells are more than enough to kill the enemy. He found it annoying that one tier two spell cost three times more than a tier-one spell but he new "Status" Lucien said with a stern look on his face. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky, Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [Hp: 27/30] [Mana: 34/50] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 1670] [Update alert!] [With the new update it is safe to assume the host has reached the minimum requirement to be called a cultivator and as such the system can no longer strengthen the host through leveling up The host can only rise in strength through the normal conventional means of other cultivators but do not despair! The system has your back! As longs as the host keep upgrading the system with experience points, more features designed to help the host in his goal to be a celestial being will be unlocked!] [System upgrade: 1500exp needed] [Do you wish to update the system?] Since Lucien''s original goal was just to see how much mana he had left, he had long forgotten about the update, so seeing this he was ted and quickly agreed. [System updating] [Congrattions, update sessful] [System shop now avable for Host] [Reminder: The more updates the system receives, the more items avable in the system shop] "Congrattions? Why say that to me when I''m not the one enjoying the benefits" Lucien frowned at the message. He sincerely missed the days where he could just increase stat points and get stronger but it seems those days are over. Lucien was about to check out the shop option when he got a warning message! [Warning!!! Host shadow has been invaded!] "Invaded?" Lucien was a bit confused but he dared not doubt the system. Without any hint of hesitation, he dove forward and only felt a slight pain and numbing effect on his back. Rolling on the floor a couple of times, Lucien''s facial expression turned stern as he felt an overwhelming aura pouring out of his shadow which was left behind. [Threat identified] [Mutant ck Hush spotted] "Mutant?" Lucien wasn''t new to this term. A mutant beast is one at the point of breakthrough and only a step away frompletely undergoingplete evolution. That means that whatever is hiding within his shadow that was left behind is about to push through the magic beast realm and enter the soldier level. [Shadow steal sessful] [The ck devil has forcefully taken away the host''s shadow, boosting its own power even further! Defeat the ck devil to regain your shadow!] [Host has entered a weakened state since shadow has been stolen!] [Physical capabilities reduced] DING! DING! DING! [Threat detected!] [New quest avable!] [Defeat the ck devil] [Rewards unknown] ..................... "The ck devil is the soldier-level form of the ck hush I read about its ability to steal a person''s shadow and how it is the bane of so many fighters but I didn''t think I will end up experiencing it so soon" Lucien said as he felt his body go numb and his grip on the wind creek sword weaken. Grrrrrrr! He heard a growl and he quickly shifted his attention to the shadow and from it, a beast emerged. It was like a ck panter but with very look elf-like ears, bright purple eyes, and purple markings all over its body. The ck devil had a single horn at the center of its forehead and two tails Wiggling about uncontrobly. With no time to waste Lucien let go of the shaky dagger in his hands and charged forward fearlessly. Bam! Leaping into the air, he promptly summoned three wind des andunched them at the ck devil but the beast showed no sign of fear. [-3mp] [Mana: 31/50] Roar! Letting out a vicious roar, the horn at the center of its forehead let out a bright purple light before a semi-transculent purple wave spread from its body, shattering the wind des and smashing into Lucien, sending him flying. [-6hp] [Hp 21/30] Bang! Lucien was knocked off the air and thrown to the ground violently. His body shivered as he spat out a mouthful of blood while holding his belly. ''Fuck my life!'' he muttered in his mind! Grrrrr! Suddenly the sound of the enraged beast reached his ears forcing him to jerk up, only to see the mighty paw of the cat covered in dark aura, descending upon him. "I have no intentions of dying today!" Lucien growled while his eyes let out a bright silver light! Wind magic: Wind burst! Whoosh! Bang! A strong gust of wind appeared around Lucien, taking the shape of a dome but the moment the paw of the ck devil came in contact with it, the dome shattered as its paw smashed into Lucien''s chest while its ws sank into his skin. At this very moment, Lucien felt like all the oxygen in his lungs was sucked out, leaving him gasping for air. His mind was in disarray and even his vision had blurred considerably. ''Am I going to die?'' He couldn''t help but cry out in his mind. [Host''s life is at risk] [Commando mode activated] [Lightning magic: Rampart] Bang! Instantly numerous lightning bolts escaped from Lucien''s body creating a mild shockwave that sent the ck devil flying back. This gave Lucien enough time to catch his breath before slowly getting on his feet. He soon noticed that the ck devil was also rising to its feet, just a slowly as him! Not daring to continue this battle, Lucien quickly utilized the wind rider spell and dashed out. [Hp 11/30] [Mana: 18/50] Whoosh! Shooting through the forest Lucien couldn''t help but look at his stats, upon seeing how low his mana and health points had gone he let out a bitter smile and cursed his bad luck. He was about toin but then another notification blocked his screen. [WARNING!!!] [The ck devil still has your shadow and is using it to track you] Seeing this Lucien''s heart skipped a beat but that didn''t stop him one bit, he kept speeding through the forest, not caring if he was going in the right direction or not! Whoosh! After five minutes or so, Lucien shot out of the thick forest, shooting up what looked like a hill but as he approached he realized it was a dead end, a cliff. "FUCK MY LIFE!" He cried out this time and turned only to see a shadow shoot out of the forest and from it the ck devil emerged. The thought of giving up came to mind but he just couldn''t bring himself to do that to his team! There was no way he was going to let this beast kill him without a fight either. "A mere magic beast dares challenged me! You must be tired of leaving!" Lucien growled as a tattoo which he didn''t notice was on his chest glowed and then his body was engulfed in a cluster of ck clouds as he shot forward. [Shadow cloak activated] Roar! Letting out a roar, the ck devil lunged forward as well, pouncing on the shadow but upon hitting the ck clouds it realized that there was no one in it. SWOOSH! [Wind creek dagger summoned] Lucien who was airborne when this happened promptly summoned his dagger into his hands while utilizing the shift to change his left hand to a talon while the right hand wielded the ck dagger. "Charge, Flow, Roar!" Lucien quickly called out themand words of all the spells stored in the wind creek sword and even went ahead to utilize the only wind creek ability he had unlocked since he assimted it. [Wind creek dive activated!] DING! [WARNING!!!] [Host is utilizing too many abilities that ce a lot of stress on the body Using all at once will definitely have a bacsh!] GRRRRR! The space around Lucien trembled as the dagger in his hand was engulfed by wind and lighting! Whoosh! His body turned into a beam of silver light surrounded by bolts of lightning before shooting down! BOOM! The ck devil was a little bit slow when reacting as the silver beam smashed into its head, killing it at the spot! Chapter 54: Strange changes Chapter 54: Strange changes Lucien''s final attack left the ground and his body trembling. The head of the ck devil was reduced to a bloody paste while the rest of its body remained intact,ying there lifelessly. As much as Lucien would have loved to deny this, his victory was only thanks to the shadow cloak shill. The fact remains that a magic beast like the ck devil has keen senses and it will be very difficult tounch a surprise attack, unfortunately for the magic beast, the shadow cloakpletely masks one''s presence and with the lingering effect still on Lucien after he exited the cluster of ck clouds, he was able tond a decisive blow that made him the winner of the battle but at a cost. "Damn!" Lucien muttered as he tried to get on his feet but his body won''t let him. His body was aching and his eyes were weak and heavy. Lucien felt like death would be better than going through all this pain. "So this is what happens when I go overboard" Lucien muttered. His hands kept trembling and a high-pitched sound kept ringing in his ear, making him wish he could just cover his ears but this is currently impossible since his hands couldn''t stop trembling! His body was just a small push away from shutting down! "Status" he muttered with great effort [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [Hp: 2/30] [Mana: 13/50] [Condition: Critical] [Exp: 170] Seeing this Lucien was sure of two things concerning the abilities of the system. The first had to deal with themando mode that the system used to save his life earlier when he got hit clean by the ck devil. He guessed that this mode allows the system to shortly take over his body and use it to protect him from danger in serious moments when his life is at risk. The condition for this mode to activate is that he must be incapable of controlling his body or just unconscious. The second thing he also took note of is that system skills like the gaze of the emperor and wind creek dive or shadow cloak do not consume his mana. "Ouch" Lucienined as his body ached even more and his vision blurred asionally. Although he would have loved to return to the camp, with only two health points left, he dared not return to the forest filled with dangerous magic beasts at different levels. Unable to bear the pain anymore Lucienid down on his back with numerous notifications popping up and ringing in his head. His silver eyes shifted towards the numerous messages appearing by the side. DING! DING! DING! [Questpleted] [+1000exp] [Penalty formando mode Host loses half of quest experience point reward] [-500exp] [A ck devil was killed +20% Beast assimtion points] [Bonus reward! +10% Beast assimtion point for Shadow death God beast] [Beast assimtion sessful] [Beast assimtion Sessful] [Beast assimted] [Shadow death God beast] [Phase: Adolescent] [Beast name: ck Devil] [Assimtion progress: 41%] [Abilities unlocked] [Shadow cloak: User shrouds himself with darkness, allowing him to blend with the darkness and move around undetected] [Shadow paw: User strikes the enemy with a shadow-infused attack, leaving the enemy with a weakening effect. Effect of this ability can be stacked] [Shadow hop: While using the shadow cloak skill, the user can utilize the shadow hop to move from shadow to shadow without getting detected] [Shadow mark: User can mark an ally or foes shadow, allowing him to track them The effectsts for only an hour] [Shadow steal: The user is able to steal the shadow of those he enters using shadow hop. This boosts the strength of the caster''s shadow skills while weakening the enemy For each shadow the user steals, he gains 1% beats assimtion point as well] "Wow" Lucien said with heavy eyes. "Shop" He muttered. DING! [Shop section activated] [Basic Creation path: 2000exp] [Basic Contractor path: 2000exp] [Basic Illusionist path: 2000exp] [Basic Seeker path: 2000exp] [Basic Guardian path: 2000exp] [Basic Warden path: 2000exp] [Basic Seer path: 2000exp] [Module Q1: This allows the user to keep a spell or a system ability active but at the cost of one mana point per hour! While this is in use, the host will not be able to replenish mana points by resting] [500exp] Seeing this Lucien didn''t even bother to go through other things and he quickly purchased Module Q1. He could feel his consciousness fading and he knew its only a matter of time before he passes out. Even a fool knew that the corpse of the ck devil will attract other predators here so without giving it a second thought, Lucien cast the shadow cloak over him and the corpse and then requested that the system activates module Q1. With that taken care of, Lucien shut his eyes and slept off immediately! ________________________________________________________________ It was already gettingte, leaving Hex and Brian worried. The sun was down and Lucien was yet to return leaving them with so many strange thoughts in their head. Since they were too busy with work they didn''t notice Lucien was gone till it waste already. Did he run into a magical beast? They considered the possibility of him running into a magic beast and getting killed but they quickly shook the thought off their head since they knew Lucien was probably one of the strongest students in their set. Unless he came across a soldier-level magic beast, he shouldn''t have any issues. What if he ran into a soldier-level magic beast? No! The beginner area shouldn''t have soldier-level magic beasts, the only soldier-level magic beasts present can be found at the hilltops where the badges are kept. "Should we go and search for him?" Brian asked but Hex shook his head in disapproval. "It''s alreadyte... Dark If we should meet dark type beasts with affinity to the darkness element like the ck Hush we will be at a serious disadvantage" Hex said after giving the matter some thought. Rustle! Rustle! Rustle! The bushes shook violently, drawing their attention. As students who considered themselves strong, they didn''t panic, instead, they waited for the enemy to approach. Bam! An injured Lucien staggered out of the forest while dragging the corpse of the ck devil. His eyes looked dull, his silver kimono was torn badly. They could see deep w wounds on his exposed chest and his shaky hands covered in blood! "What the hell!" Hex and Brian screamed as they dashed forward to help him. ________________________________________________________________ A stream was located not too far from their campsite and after washing himself and his putting on the spare ck robe, Hex had in his space storage ring, Lucien returned to the campsite and sat on one of the chair-sized rocks ced around the campfire. He narrated all that happened to the rest of the team, stating how he encountered a pack of ck hush magic beasts and how one of them evolved in the middle of the battle. He went ahead to tell them the fight and how he barely won. Hex and Brian listened attentively, hearing all Lucien had gone through in just a few hours. They wouldn''t believe his story if it wasn''t for the fact that they were roasting the corpse of the ck devil and using it as their dinner. What was more shocking was that Lucien is strong enough to beat a soldier-level creature and they all believed this shouldn''t be so for people their age. They couldn''t help but wonder how powerful Lucien is and how much strength he has been hiding from them. "When the hell did you learn a tier two spell!" Hex blurted out in disbelief! Even a genius like him only knows a handful of tier-one spells and this is considered excellent but Lucien already knew a tier-two spell! Like how does he has enough mana to cast a tier two spell and several tier-one spells? "I learned a few tier two spells with my spare time" Lucien answered the question innocently, not knowing how much mental damage he was dealing to the young creation path mage. "A few? It''s not even one? How many!" Hex growled like a mad beast and only then did Lucien understand what''s going on. Thanks to the system he has far surpassed his peers without even knowing. His strength should be on par with the second or third years in the academy, which shouldn''t be so! "Just three" Lucien lied but that was enough to kill what was left of Hex''s pride. He watched his friend calm down while gazing at the mes with a nk face. It looked like his soul was sucked out of his body, leaving behind a pitiful looking Husk. "There shouldn''t be soldier-level beasts here The academy makes sure of that. Unless they decided to make this harder this year but I don''t think this should be so So many people will die because of these strange changes" Brain said with a serious look on his face. Chapter 55: Common paths? Chapter 55: Common paths? "Is it possible that this was done without the academy''s knowledge? Maybe someone or some people added these monsters here for a reason?" Lucien muttered as he considered the possibility of one of the many ns that want him dead doing this. In normal circumstances, he would have given up and returned to the Academy with his team but what if his suspicion was wrong and they end up losing because of mere theories. "Students dying in the Academy is no new thing Once in a while, difficult tasks are given out students die almost on weekly basis that way everyone that graduate from the academy is always at a level.." Hex spoke with a stern look on his face. The other two would have loved to argue but they knew that Hex is right. The moment they stepped into the Academy they knew what they were signing up for. They had the choice of living a long and peaceful life as normal citizens with just a basic grasp over magic but they chose to get stronger. "Hehehe! If we go aroundining we will only end up looking bad" Lucien said with a bitter smile on his face. He was seriously injured and even now he had only a little over ten health points. His mana was also too little to perform a single tier two spell. If they get attacked by another soldier-level magic beast, they might end up dead this time. "We can only get stronger and work on our teamwork if we n to get out of here alive" Brian said after giving the matter some thought. The other two nodded their heads in agreement before feasting on the roasted ck devil. Surprisingly, it tasted nice but they all assumed that this is solely because they are really hungry. With the help of the system, Lucien''s recovery ability is far greater than that of a normal beast-man. Using a clean white piece of clothing to wrap around the wound, Lucien was allowed to sleep first with Brian while Hex kept watch. Activating the exploding sun array he set up earlier, countless red seals appeared all across the campsite before blending in with the environment. After three hours, Hex proceeded to wake Brian and have him watch for another three hours after which it was Lucien''s turn. ____________________________________________________________ "I hate this life" Lucien grumbled when it was his turn to keep watch. He wished he could sleep a bit longer and recover a little bit more but not everything goes as nned. "Status" [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [Hp: 15/30] [Mana: 20/50] [Condition: Stable] [Exp: 170] "It''s not too bad" Lucien felt satisfied with his health points and mana points restored with just six hours of sleep. Although he wasn''t at his peak, he could still take on another soldier-level magic beast with the help of Hex and Brian. "Shop" DING! [Shop section activated] [Basic Creation path: 2000exp] [Basic Contractor path: 2000exp] [Basic Illusionist path: 2000exp] [Basic Seeker path: 2000exp] [Basic Guardian path: 2000exp] [Basic Warden path: 2000exp] [Basic Seer path: 2000exp] [Module Q1: This allows the user to keep a spell or a system ability active but at the cost of one mana point per hour! While this is in use, the host will not be able to replenish mana points by resting] [500exp] Lucien decided to summon this section again because thest time he had the system bring up the shop section, he was too busy looking for a means of saving his life, so he didn''t get to observe everything properly. "Does this mean I can learn the other paths if I have enough experience points? Isn''t that a bit too overpowered?" Lucien couldn''t help butin. [Affirmative The host can acquire the knowledge of the other paths as long as this information is bought with experience points] Seeing the system reply, Lucien was a bit shocked since this was the first time the system has given him a response to a question after the voice faded. He couldn''t help but consider the possibility that upgrading the system is someone strengthening the system. Not the type to trust so easily, Lucien considered the possibility of the system forcefully taking over his body once it reaches a certain level thanks to his upgrades! "Commando mode" Lucien muttered that word with a hint of distress in his eyes. The system is already capable of taking control of his body when he''s incapacitated, what of upgrading it would strengthen it more, giving it more control over him. "I really need to calm down" Lucien said when he felt like exploding. After presenting so many conspiracy theories, he concluded that he''s an idiot for worrying too much without any solid proof. Sitting down, Lucien''s eyes wandered towards the section where he saw the basic seer path and he couldn''t help but wonder what that was. All the paths known to mankind are already avable in various academies. Seeing a new path presented by the system made him wonder if the system is more informed than the peak experts of the world but he soon pushed aside the thought the moment he remembered that the person that created the system was once a celestial being! A being even stronger than the current gods the humans pray to! "Are these all the paths avable?" Lucien asked skeptically. [The paths avable at the moment can be considered basic and consideredmon Upgrade the system for more paths] Seeing this message, Lucien''s body trembled with excitement, and for the first time in a long while he felt the urge to go beyond his limits! ..................................... The next morning, the trio agreed to limb the first hill and search for the first badge, but to do that they had to walk through the thick forests of the beginner area filled with numerous magic beasts of different types. They wouldn''t be so confident to do this if it wasn''t that Lucien gave the go-ahead. He assured them that he had recovered enough strength to take on another soldier-level beast and even though this was a lie he was confident he could do it with their help and he also wished to kill more magic beasts and assimte their powers. "A month as a contractor and you are yet to acquire a magic beast pet you areme" Lucien was blunt with his words, causing Brian''s face to turn red in anger. "One more word from you and I''ll forget you are hurt and beat the crap out of you!" Brian growled, making Lucien and Hexugh to their hearts out. The trio kept heading north, where the first hill is located, and surprisingly, after a journey that took the entire day they failed toe across a single magic beast. While normal people would be excited and happy, Lucien and the other members of their team felt like something is wrong! Why would a forest filled with various magic beasts suddenly turn silent? "If only you had a magic beast that specializes in tracking, just like we agreed we won''t have to deal with this" Lucienmpooned. "Can you just get off my case? Please!" Brian screamed causing Hex and Lucien tough out loud. They gathered enough wood for a campfire before watching Hex set up the scorching sun array around them. Hex brought out the leftovers of the ck devil and some water from his space storage ring. "I really need to get one of those" Lucien said even though his mouth was stuffed with meat. "HahahahaIt costs a lot... I don''t think you can afford it considering your current situation" Brian sneered while unting the silver space ring worn on his pinky finger. [WARNING!!!] [THREE PACKS OF FLAME WHEEL HOUNDS ARE APPROACHING!] [HOST HAS BEEN SURROUNDED!] [New Quest] [Survive!] Lucien was about to retort but then the series of notifications reached his ears and his visage turned cold, stunning everyone. "It''s a joke man" Hex said trying to defend Brian. "Not that we are surrounded" Lucien said in a low tone as he stood on his feet and threw away a ck robe, revealing his bare upper half. ''Did he always have those tattoos?'' Brian asked as he noticed the ck devil was drawn on Lucien''s back and on his chest was an iplete tattoo of the wind creek magic beast. "What do you n to do now?" Hex asked in a hushed tone as he and Brian got on their feet. "What beast is meant to be at the top of that hill?" Lucien who has been silent for a while asked. "Judging based on what I know, the hill located at the northern part of the beginner area should be the me hound, a soldier-level magic beast" Hex answered skeptically. He couldn''t understand why Lucien would ask such a random question. Lucien on his own part remained silent while gazing at thetest notification he just received with a hint of fear in his eyes. [WARNING!!!] [Three soldier level me hounds detected!] Chapter 56: General level Hell hound Chapter 56: General level Hell hound [Three solider-soldier level me hounds detected!] Seeing this Lucien''s facial expression changed from gloomy to fearful. He was about to warn the others but then he saw three bright lights shooting towards them! "Get back!" Lucien screamed as he flew past the Hex and Brian. "Tier 2 magic wind path!" Lucien growled as threw his hand forward creating what looked like a wind tunnel behind him, leading deep into the forest. The wind tunnel, made space for only one fireball to enter while the remaining two were diverted by the spell. [-10mp] [Mana: 20/50] [Shadow paw activated] "Follow the path, I will catch up to you guys soon" Lucien said he took a bold step forward, and with his hands coated in darkness aura, Lucien struck the human-sized fireball heading his way. Boom! [-5hp] "" Lucien feltlike his palm was set aze as the impact forced him to retreat by two steps. "WOW" Brian and Hex muttered while gazing at Lucien''s broad back and his fluttering silver hair. They couldn''t help but notice the glowing devil beats tattoo on his back glow as more darkness aura gathered around his palm. At this point, the duo realized that Lucien was far stronger than them and for some reason, they felt like he was shrouded in mystery! He really does know some tier two spells! How the hell is he able to use the darkness element when his two elements are lightning and wing? Has he been hiding his true power? No! That is not possible, no one can hide their magic from the affinity testing orb! Pushing the thought aside, Brian and Hex ran towards the opposite side of the tunnel, saying the same words to Lucien as they left. "Don''t die" DING [Questpleted] [Your teammates have acknowledged your strength and have subconsciously epted you as their leader Well done!] [+500exp] Seeing this Lucien was stunned because he had already forgotten he was given this mission the very first day the team was created. "I don''t n on dying any time soon!" Lucien replied to his fleeing teammates as he began taking bold steps towards the three soldier realm me hounds. Hearing this Brian and Hex shot him a final nce before they kept running again ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! The three me hounds growled before sprinting forward. These magic beasts had thick orange fur with yellow stripes all over their huge bodies. These beasts were as big as a full-grown lion and their tails, ws, and fangs werepletely made of fire. "Come!" Lucien growled as he dashed forward as well! Whoosh! While dashing forward he was met by three fireballs but even then he showed no signs of fear! "Hayai-Ken second form; Wind steps!" Lucien growled as his body movements changed. Whoosh! From afar it looked like he was performing some sort of ancient dance while walking on his toes but no one could deny the effectiveness of his actions. He moved so freely and swiftly, barely dodging all three fireballs but even then he looked calm! [Wind creek dagger summoned!] "Charge! Roar!" Lucien wasted no time in activating the lighting spell of his magic weapon, after which he activated the wind creek spell as well. His body turned into a silver light as it shot towards the me hounds. Bang! [-3hp] "Argh!" Lucien gritted his teeth in pain as he and one of the me hounds collided, forcing it to retreat but leaving his hands bleeding [WARNING!!!] [zing Wheel activated!] "What?" Lucien was yet to recover but then he was forced to see two massive wheels of me twice his size descending on him. "Kill me? Impossible!" Lucien growled viciously. [Shadow Cloak activated] [Shadow Hop activated!] Upon receiving these two notifications, Lucien was covered by a cloak of darkness after which he sank into the ground and vanished. BOOM! The two me wheels hit the ground, revealing two angered me hounds who seem to have lost their prey! [Shadow hop!] Whoosh! Lucien jumped out of the shadow of the third me hound, piercing its stomach with his hands with was reced with the ws of the ck devil! "Shadow paw" Lucien muttered as the darkness aura surged into the body of the magic beast causing it to stagger while it wailed in pain. Whoosh! Lucien''s figure sank back into the shadow as he repeated these actions on the other two confused magic beasts and when he was done Lucien proceeded to resurface a few meters away from the three injured soldier-level magic beasts. He felt a bit dizzy and his vision was a bit blurry. Without anyone telling him, Lucien already assumed this happened because he used the system''s abilities for too long! [Shadow steal activated!] DING! [+3% Beast assimtion progress] [30mp recovered] [Hosts has stolen the shadows of three soldier-level magic beasts The host haspletely recovered from his previous injuries] [+5 mana points] [+5 health points] DING! [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [Hp: 35/35] [Mana: 55/55] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 670] ___________________________________________________ Whoosh! Reaching the end of the wind tunnel, Hex and Brian couldn''t help but turn back when they noticed that the wind tunnel was already closing. Thanks to the tier two spell, it prevented the other lesser magic beasts from following them. Lucien was much stronger than they expected. He seemed confident when he asked them to leave but they couldn''t help but worry. "Where are you looking?" [Shadow mark skill activated] [Shadow hop skill activated] Lucien''s voice echoed from Brian''s shadow and slowly he emerged from it. His eyes were pitch ck just like that of the devil beast and behind him was the faint figure of the devil beast standing gantly behind him. "What are you?" Hex and Brian said in unison as they took two steps back but their shadows didn''t move from its location until he was done emerging. "What am I? I am Lucien" Lucien answered casually before walking past them. Remembering that the magic beasts were still behind they hastily followed Lucien. "The soldier-level magic beasts are injured they are the leaders of the packs so the weaker beasts under them won''t pursue us" Lucien had no intentions of running and spending his energy recklessly. "Why do you think the empire was invaded? why do you think they remained hidden in the empire for so long?... They were after an artifact that wields a power called beast assimtion which allows the user to im the power of any magic beasts he kills I ended up getting it" Lucien tried to exin without revealing the system and more about it. Listening to him, they soon realized that the abilities Lucien just showcased belong to the ck devil magic beast, making it even more convincing. "I guess the emperor decided to keep this a secret for a reason" Hex said but it sounded more like a question. "Yes only the emperor and Instructor Han know about this" Lucien said. With that said the others remained silent. They silently agreed to keep this power a secret but this couldn''t make them wonder how powerful Lucien would be with the power he has now. Once he kills a thousand magic beasts doesn''t that mean he will have the powers of a thousand magic beasts? Surprisingly, none of them felt afraid of Lucien''s potential because they all considered him a friend and not an enemy. After twenty minutes or so they exited the forest and found themselves at the foot of the northern hill. Lucien was about to take a step forward but he realized something. He noticed that the system was yet to reward him for surviving the encounter with the three soldier-level magic beasts, meaning that the mission was not yet over! "I am sure they weakened me hounds won''t be able to follow me" Lucien muttered thoughtfully as he noticed the mission was far from over. Brian and Hex gazed at him, lost in confusion as they watched him pace around. Suddenly Rumble!!! Lucien, Brian, and Hex stiffened as they felt the air tremble under the aura of the magic beast standing behind them. It was at least two meters tall with zing red eyes and a stench of death hovering all over it. Hiding with the darkness Lucien, Brian and Hex could only see its eyes that were pinned on them, leaving them with no choice but to shudder in fear. "Fuck my life This is a general-level magic beast! The Legendary Hell hound" He muttered timidly. "Something is wrong! How is it possible that a general level beast is here it should be strong enough to wipe out the entire fresher ss!" Hex said with a nk look on his face. As someone who strongly believed in the cruel but effective system set up by his family, he knew it was possible for them to let a few soldier level magic beasts to roam free in the beginner section but he was a hundred percent sure that the academy had nothing to do with the general level beast gazing down at them right now! Chapter 57: A fierce battle (1) Chapter 57: A fierce battle (1) Roar! The hell hound let out a vicious roar as a darkish purple light escaped its eyes. Lucien soon found himself in a world smeared with blood getting ughtered countless times by the hell hound. In just a second he had died over a thousand times. [WARNING!!!] [THE HELL HOUND HAS ACTIVATED THE DEATH GAZE!] [DEATH GAZE DISPELLED] "Huff!" Lucien breathed out heavily as he fell on one knee and quickly noticed his face was covered in sweat. "An illusion A general level beast dares use an illusion on me, I will show you I cannot be easily dealt with!" Lucien growled as his aura exploded and bolts of lightning erupted from his body! "GET BACK!" Lucien growled as three-star patterns appeared around him, revolving around him. Grrr! Grrr! Grrrr! Lightning bolts descended from above, connecting with the star patterns around him as an enormous amount of mana gathered around him. "GET BACK!" Lucien''s voice deepened as his eyes let out a bright blue light. Be it his voice, his aura, or the lightning around, it was enough to snap Hex and Brian out of the illusion. Turning around they saw Lucien assaulted by countless lightning shooting down from the sky. "Tier three magic: Lightning descent!" Lucien growled viciously as the star patterns around him vanished, appearing on the dark clouds above the hell hound! "FALL!" Lucien growled as he smashed the ground with his fist. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! _______________________________________________________ Huff! Huff! Huff! Lucien, Brian, and Hex could be seen running through the wind tunnel, leading towards the hill above. Based on the little he knew, magic beasts are very violent towards those who enter their territories. The magic beasts located at the hilltop would be very pissed to see their domain invaded, this is what Lucien is hoping on. If he can get the two sides to turn on each other, they might even survive the night! "Was that really a tier-three spell?" Hex shot Lucien a nce as he asked. He could also see Brian looking at Lucien as if he was looking at a monster but Lucien didn''t pay attention to that. His body was aching badly and right now he could see light blue marks almost everywhere in his body. ncing at the notification that just appeared Lucien confirmed his suspicion. DING! [WARNING!] [Host has used a tier-three spell but his body and cultivation realm is too weak to withstand the power he is trying to channel] [-20mp] [-10hp] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [Hp: 20/35] [Mana: 25/55] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 670] "Yea my body is unable to withstand the power needed to channel a tier-three spell so I end up getting hurt each time I use it I only use it when absolutely necessary" Lucien answered calmly in a bid to mask his emotions. He knew that he is now recognized as the most powerful in the group and they now recognize him as the leader. If he ends up panicking in a time like this, they will be affected as well. He tried to remain calm and show a level of confidence to help make them more effective in their actions. Hearing his words, the two nodded and shuddered as they remembered the thunderstorm that rained down on the massive general level hell hound. They were sure if Lucien decides to kill them, it won''t be much of a problem. BANG! Suddenly the wind tunnel began trembling violently causing them to pause a bit before running at top speed. From outside the wind tunnel creates different tunnels leading to different paths, making it more like a maze so chasing after the caster in this spell is extremely difficult and a bit time-consuming. The hell hound knew this much and chose not to pursue them through the wind tunnel, instead, it chose to destroy it directly. ROAR! Letting out a roar, mes poured out of the magic beast''s mouth and directly into the fame tunnel, filling each and every path created by Lucien. "What the hell!" The team could suddenly feel the heat and soon bright orange mes slowly made their way towards them. Seeing this Lucien was about to turn around and meet the attack head-on but surprisingly, someone else dashed towards the me without a second thought. It was Brian "You are not the only capable one in this team!" Brian growled as the silver ring in his finger glowed and his entire right arm was covered in a bright golden gauntlet with a green crystal orb located at the back of his palm! "This" Hex muttered as he stopped running to observe the magic weapon in Brian''s possession. "This is the Lucardo family heirloom, Dawn!" Lucien gasped in shock! Who would have thought Brian would be in possession of such an amazing magic weapon! With this, there is a chance of victory! "Dawn: Full guard!" Brian growled as the gauntlet let out a bright glow and quickly took the form of a human-sized golden shield simr to that of the Romans, the green crystal orb at the center of the shield. Pushing the shield forward, arger image of the shield appeared in front of them looking like a massive gate. BOOM! The massive mes smashed into the gate, yet the gate didn''t even tremble! But it was strong enough to shatter the wind tunnel Lucien created. "As expected of a noble family heirloom!" Lucienplemented it honestly. Whoosh! The hell hound could be seen airborne,nding by their side and summoning a massive amount of mes in its mouth again! "I have got this!" Hex growled as dashed towards the hell hound fearlessly. The moment the hell hound released the ball of fire, Hex stopped running and mmed his fist on the ground, creating a star pattern beneath his feet! "Creation magic: Rise Boitata!" Hex growled as he was engulfed by a pir of me. When the fire died down, a fiery human-sized serpent could be seen beside him. "Go!" He ordered as the serpent lunged towards the mes and with its mouth open and suddenly therge ball of me shooting towards them was pulled into the serpent''s mouth by an invisible force and when released it was twice the size of an original attack. BOOM! "wow!" Lucien was momentarily stunned by the disy of strength by his team. He soon realized that until now he never considered these two his teammates, to him they were mere burdens. That''s why whenever a fight broke out he would order them to run. He has been so focused on his strength, he failed to realize he had two of the most capable students on the campus as his allies. ''I am such a fool'' Lucien thought as he took a few steps forward to meet up with Hex and Brian before saying. "I never thought we woulde across a magic beast in this area that will be strong enough to force the three of us to take action together" Lucien decides to take the arrogant genius approach and it worked. "Well, it can''t be helped A general-level magic beast is worth our attention" Brian said with a cocky smile on his face. "I would have loved to deal with this alone but both of you insist I will help you out" Hex chuckled. "It''s settled then!" Lucien said as he took a few steps forward and the faint image of the ck devil appeared behind him. "Just this once, we will team up against an enemy" he added "Just this once!" the other two agreed! [Shadow cloak activated!] [Shadow hop activated!] Lucien''s body was quickly consumed by darkness before vanishingpletely. [Shadow paw activated!] Whoosh! Lucien shot out of the magic beast''s shadow and struck it on the belly but nothing happened! [WARNING!] [THE ENEMY IS TOO STRONG, THE WEAKENING EFFECT HAS BEEN NEGATED!] Receiving that notification from the system, Lucien dared not stay too close to the beast and quickly used the shadow hop skill to return through Brian''s shadow. [Shadow hop activated!] [Shadow steal activated!] "It''s not over! Shadow steal!" Lucien growled but to his greatest surprise a simr notification! [Shadow steal failed] [WARNING!] [THE ENEMY IS TOO STRONG ITS SHADOW CANNOT BE STOLEN BY YOU WHILE IT''S AT ITS STRONGEST!] Seeing this notification, Lucien''s facial expression crumbled since this is the first time he is experiencing something like this. "My shadow abilities are not working It''s too strong!" Lucienined. "Then we will help you weaken it" A voice could be heard from afar and turning back, Lucien, Hex, and Brian saw the three most powerful humans of their generation walking towards them. The first was Lenard, the youth with the time magic, following him were two other humans. The other is Susan the girl who also got the spatial magic with her talent only slightly inferior to that of instructor Han and finally, there is Logan. The ck-haired human youth who is always dressed in ck attires that was blessed with the force magic! Chapter 58: A fierce Battle (2) Chapter 58: A fierce Battle (2) Lucien and the others were stunned when they saw the trio approach. Their clothes and appearance looked rough so Lucien and the others knew these people had gone through a lot like them. What stunned them about the trio is the willingness to join forces. As the three said to possess enough potential to rival Lucien''s crazy talent or even surpass it due to their magic affinity, it is expected that such people would love to be in charge of any team they join so it''s near impossible for them toe together and form a team. Who the hell is leading? "You three actually n on fight a general level beast you are crazy" Logan said with the same dull vibe he is known for. "I am guessing you guys will need our help for your shadow abilities to work?" Lenard said. From Lucien''s point of view it''s more of a question and judging based on the hint of distrust in their eyes, he was sure they were skeptical about his identity now. He could understand their doubt''s about his identity since they couldn''t understand why he has the darkness element. "During my battle with the invaders, alongside the emperor and Instructor Fei, I came across the artifact which the invaders were after it allows me to attain the powers of any magic beast I defeat the shadow abilities are from the soldier level magic beast, the ck devil" Lucien answered calmly after giving it some thought Listening to him, a hint of surprise, fear and finally understanding shed through the faces of the trio. "And I am guessing it''s meant to be a secret since the public doesn''t know" Lenard asked while gazing at the ck devil''s tattoo on his back. Seeing Lucien nod a thought came into his head which made him shiver involuntarily. "That lightning spell was that you?" Lenard asked slowly while silently praying his suspicions are wrong. He and his teammates were attacked by a few soldier-level beasts alongside their pack, forcing the three to fight a flee. When the battle was over, the three realized they were lost and that''s when the powerful lightning spell appeared above the skies. Seeing this they assumed one of the instructors were had arrived to protect the students but on making their way to the location they saw Lucien and his team facing off against the general level magic beast and only after this did they realize something! That spell cast earlier was beyond tier two, if there is no instructor here that means the spell was cast by one of them and the only one capable of using the lightning element here is Lucien! "Yes" Lucien answered absentmindedly as he watched the hell hound jump out of the mes with little or no damage received from the previous attack. It was clear that the beast has strong fire resistance, making Hex''s expression turn sour. With a high resistance towards fire magic, he is as good as useless in this battle. "That was at least a tier-three spell how does he know a tier-three spell? Shouldn''t he be the same as us?" Susie muttered while the others remained tongue-tied by his answer. Doesn''t that make him the most powerful member of their ss? They felt like asking more questions but the condition wasn''t right so they chose to push the questions for now and focus on the HELL HOUND CHARGING TOWARDS THEM! WHOOSH! Lucien suddenly shut towards the hell hound fearlessly as a star pattern appeared beneath his feet. [Wind creek dagger summoned] [Wind creek dive activated!] "Charge! Flow! Roar!" Lucien roared as his body turned into a beam of white light, shooting forward even faster! Boom! Both sides collided and Lucien was seen flying back! [-10 Durability] [Wind creek dagger destroyed] [-10HP] Bang! Lucien smashed the ground hard but he didn''t bother looking at his broken weapon since he could still feel the threat of death hovering over his head. Roar! The magic beast wasn''t pushed back by the attack, instead, it intended to follow up with the attack and put an end to Lucien now. [WARNING!!!] [Death w activated!] Looking up Lucien saw the massive ws of the magic beast shrouded in dark aura descending on him and since there was no space to dodge, Lucien chose to take the attack head-on! ROAR! [Shadow paw activated!] Lucien growled like a vicious beast as both his hands were engulfed by thick darkness aura and he quickly threw both hands forward. BOOM! Both sides collided, creating a mild shockwave but with Lucien flying back violently. Bang! His body hit the ground, rolling a couple of times before stopping. He spat out a mouthful of blood and his hands seem to be dangling loosely but even then he still struggled to get on his feet. [-5HP] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [Hp: 5/35] [Mana: 25/55] [Condition: Critical] [Exp: 670] "Come on boy!" Lucien growled as the faint image of the ck beast appeared behind him and his eyes turned pitch ck! Watching him from the sidelines, the human team, and his own teammates, even though Lucien was getting beaten like a kid, it was still amazing that he could go toe to toe with the general level beast! Unknown to Lucien his actions had touched a lot of hearts and have changed the opinion others had about him. Roar! The magic beast roared and dashed forward again, swiping its ws at Lucien but then a figure dashed past Lucien meeting the hell hound''s attack head-on! "Dawn: Full guard!" Brian growled as the massive projection of the golden shield appeared right before the ws could reach him. Peng! Peng! Peng! Sounds of ws crashing onto the massive shield were enough to send chills down the spine of those watching but Brian showed no fear. Whoosh! The sounds stunned and the hell hound could be seen trying to nk Brian from the side but Hex had already foreseen this and taken action. "Go Boitata!" Hex growled and his serpent who was waiting for the hell hound to appear lunged forward. Seeing the iing serpent, the hell hound brandished its ws at the fire serpent but since the summon was made of fire, it just reformed andtched on to the hell hound''s massive body, sinking its fiery fangs into its eyes. Aooooooo! The hell hound let out a painful howl and shook its body violently but the fire serpenttched on to its body stubbornly. Grrrrrrrr! Catching everyone''s attention was the massive blue star pattern beneath Lucien''s feet and the surging blue bolts of lightning crackling violently around him. "Another tier-three spell?" Hex and the human team gasped in shock. With Hex losing focus for a short time, the hell hound took the opportunity to shake the fire serpent off its body before dashing towards the person it considered a threat here! Lucien! "No, you don''t!" Brian''s voice attracted everyone''s attention and only then did they notice the hell hound had broken past their line of defense, brandishing its ws at Lucien who was still connecting the star points in the star pattern. Its ws were engulfed in me and darkness but even then Lucien showed no fear! With an unflinching will he watched the ws descending on him but even then he showed no fear. He stood there and focused onpleting his tier three lightning spell. Whoosh! Just before the w could reach Lucien, Brian''s figure could be seen blocking Lucien''s body with the shield in his hands and an extremely pale face! ''Using a family heirloom once a day is already amazing but you have managed to use it twice you are truly a genius'' Lucien said while gazing at Brian''s back. For the first time, he wasplimenting the youth with all his heart! "Dawn: Full Guard!" Brian spat out a mouthful of blood as he said those words. Whoosh! The golden shield appeared once again but this time before it could fully manifest, the hell hound''s ws smashed into it damaging it and Brian badly! Puti! Brian spat out more blood as he summoned another golden shield to block the next strikes of the hell hound. With each strike, the golden shield lost its glow and Brian''s face turned even paler! Grrrrr! The ground beneath his feet began trembling and his vision blurred. He has used the family heirloom like four times today, far surpassing his original two times limit. Bang! Thest strike delivered by the hell hound made him lose his footing and falling on his back. With the golden shield gone, all Brian could see was the huge ws covered in darkness and me descending on him like a punishment from the depths of the abyss. "You have done enough, my friend!" Lucien''s voice reached his ears as he felt someone catching gently. Looking up, he saw Lucien''s hairs fluttering wildly as a massive thunder spear could be seen floating over his right hand! "Tier three Lightning magic: Zeus!" Lucien growled viciously. Chapter 59: Killing the hell hound! Chapter 59: Killing the hell hound! Tier three lightning magic: Zeus! Lucien pulled Brian back as he met the Hell hounds attack with the massive lightning spear! Wooooooooooo! A powerful shockwave urred, brightening the dark night as three figures alone stood out! It was Lucien, Brian, and the Hell hound! BANG! The ground beneath their feet began sinking as the explosive force of the two attacks reached its peak causing the hell hound to let out a loud wail before getting thrown back like a piece of rag by the lightning spell! BOOM! Everyone watched as the hell hound struggled with the lightning spear as it was thrown back several hundred meters away! This is the power of the strongest recorded lightning spell! Tier three lightning spell; Zeus! Huff! Huff! Huff! Lucien kept breathing heavily with the terribly pale Brian in his arms. His right hand which was used to channel the lightning spell was burnt beyond recognition, filled with blisters deep wounds. "I messed up" Hex muttered as he gazed at the condition of his two teammates! While he was too bothered with Lucien''s strength, he lost focus in their battle and because of that, the duo got hurt badly because of him. Lenard, Susie, and Logan stood there in shock, gazing at Lucien with a hint of fear in his eyes. Looking at him, they sincerely doubted that anyone amongst the first years will be able to stand a chance against him. They finally understood why the emperor and instructor Han dared to take him along when dealing with the invaders. BAM! The Hell hound let out a weakened growl as it struggled to get on its feet. The general-level beast wascking a limb where the lightning spell struck. ck blood poured out of its injuries as its body trembled greatly and its glowing orange eyes deemed considerably. It kept limping pathetically while gazing at Lucien with its murderous eyes. "You, bastard dog refuses to die?" Lucien muttered weakly as he nced at his stats. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [HP: 2/35] [MP: 5/55] [Condition: Dire!] [Exp: 670] ''Just as I predicted the tier three spell hurt me even more I barely have enough mana and tier-one spells are not enough to deal with the enemy even in its weakened state, it should be stronger than soldier realm magic beasts'' Lucien thought as he gently ced Brian on the ground. "L-Lucien?" Brian muttered weakly. He too could see how hurt Lucien had gotten! His condition was only slightly better than his, yet he still wants to fight the magic beast? Seeing the condition of his best friend, Lucien felt annoyed beyond reason. Rising to his feet, he ignored everyone around him and started walking towards the hell hound at a moderate pace. Seeing its arch-enemy approach, the Hell hound began limping towards him. No one of them wanted to back out! ROAR! The hell hound''s neck lit up and expanded as it began gathering mes for its next attack! "Not so fast! Shadow steal!" Lucien growled as his eyes turned pitch ck and the image of the ck devil appeared behind him. [Shadow steal activated] [Shadow steal sessful!] DING! DING! DING! [+1% Beast assimtion point] [New ability unlocked] [Beast assimtion Sessful] [Beast assimted] [Shadow death God beast] [Phase: Adolescent] [Beast name: ck Devil] [Assimtion progress: 45%] [Abilities unlocked] [Shadow cloak: User shrouds himself with darkness, allowing him to blend with the darkness and move around undetected] [Shadow paw: User strikes the enemy with a shadow-infused attack, leaving the enemy with a weakening effect. Effect of this ability can be stacked] [Shadow hop: While using the shadow cloak skill, the user can utilize the shadow hop to move from shadow to shadow without getting detected] [Shadow mark: User can mark an ally or foes shadow, allowing him to track them The effectsts for only an hour] [Shadow steal: The user is able to steal the shadow of those he enters using shadow hop. This boosts the strength of the caster''s shadow skills while weakening the enemy For each shadow the user steals, he gains 1% beats assimtion point as well] [Force wall: The user releases powerful force energy all around himself, defending him from attacks while knocking away enemies] [Host has recovered] [+10HP] [+10MP] [Hell hound weakened] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [HP: 45/45] [MP: 65/65] [Condition: Dire!] [Exp: 670] Instantly the glow in the hell hound''s neck vanished and its shadow was forcefully dragged towards Lucien. The moment the Hell hound''s shadow sank into Lucien''s his injuries magically vanished and he regained his original look. "Now you are weakened, my abilities will work" Lucien said with glowing silver eyes as he took bold strides forward. With its shadow stolen and its body weakened even further, the Hell hound could barely stand. Its eyes dimmed even more and it was obvious to all that the magic beast has weakened. "Let''s end this!" Lucien growled as the threefold silver star pattern appeared beneath his feet and his already glowing eyes glowed even brighter, to end the life of a powerful magic beast he had no intentions of holding back! "Tier three wind magic: Hurricane!" Lucien growled. This is the tier three variant of the tier two spell hurricane! Upon release, an enormous hurricane that could almost kiss the skies formed around the magic beast, sweeping it off its feet. Lucien watched with an annoyed look on his face as the magic beast struggled within the hurricane but it still couldn''t break free. "It ends here" Lucien growled as another threefold blue star pattern appeared beneath his feet. His eyes let out a blue glow as lightning surged around him viciously! "Tier three lightning magic: Lightning descent!" Lucien growled as he punched the ground as ck clouds gathered above the hurricane. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Everyone watched in horror as series of thunderbolts struck the magic beast within the hurricane! With each strike, a good portion of its body got blown away and after five strikes, all that was left behind was a miserable hell hound in a miserable state. DING! DING! DING! Ignoring the series of notifications, Lucien decided to take the most valuable part of the hellhound he could collect now. This is a part he forget to collect from the ck devil since he was too focused on how to survive. It was the beast core of the hell hound! A beast core is considered the remnants of a dead magic beast containing its power. These beast cores can be used for cultivation, to forge magic weapons, and can even be used as a power source or an ingredient for alchemy. His eyes let out a silver light as his hands turned into a talon! Without wasting much time, Lucien proceeded to smash his fist into the dead magic beast''s chest and after some second he pulled out a fist-sized glowing orange crystal. It was a general-level magic core possessing the fire element! Any fire mage who uses this to cultivate will definitely have their firepower increased and their soul me changed. Hex gazed at this greedily, silently praying that Lucien would gift this to him but that never happened. With the core in his hand, Lucien finally turned his attention to the notifications received. [Questpleted] [Host has outdone himself, not just by surviving but by also seeding in killing the hell hound The system apologizes for doubting your capabilities Please ept its apology] [+3000exp] [Omini Zone acquired] [This is a customized space where the host can store things, simr to a space ring but with much more space and unique features] Seeing this Lucien felt ted, he was wondering how to store all this and he didn''t n on asking Hex for help. With this, he felt relieved that he wouldn''t have to ask for help again. "Store" He shut his eyes and concentrated as he spoke. [General level fire beast core stored] Suddenly he felt the crystal in his hands vanished and only after seeing the notification did he rest easy. He proceeded to ce his hand on the huge body of the hell hound and repeat the same word. "Store!" Saying this, everyone watched as the huge corpse of the hell hound getting pulled in by what seemed like a ck hole! Seeing this they instantly knew that this was not something a storage ring can do but no one spoke since Lucien kept using the identity emperor to defend his new abilities. They knew the importance of a magic beast''s body and its core and how much its worth but no one dared to bargain with Lucien for the loot, since they already knew how strong he is! He would most likely wipe them out with one tier three spell if they fight him [Hell Hound killed] [First time kill +100exp] [Beast assimtion sessful] [Beast assimted] [Ceberus God beast] [Phase: Adolescent] [Beast name: Hell Hound] [Assimtion progress: 40%] [Abilities unlocked] [zing me wheel: Spinning, the user is shrouded in mes as he smashes into the enemy] [Fire ball: The user is able to summon balls of fire at will] [Death gaze: Gazing upon a weaker foe, the user is able to trap the target in a world of illusions where he or she is experienced death at least a thousand times, every second] [Fiery death: User is able to infuse the darkness and fire elements in his physical attacks] Chapter 60: Pack alpha! Chapter 60: Pack alpha! "" Lucien''s gaze was fixed on the list of abilities he had obtained in just a short while forcing him to smile sheepishly. His eyes seemed twitched and he felt the urge to go through the other notifications he received but now is not the time. "We need to find somewhere safe to sleep This ce is too open It''s not safe" Lucien asked Lenard. The trio shut each other nce before they shook their head in response. They too were ambushed by magic beasts of various levels and they were forced to retreat but unlike Lucien, they had left clues as they retreated just to make sure they can find their way back. It turns out that the spawn spot for everything has a flowing stream for bathing and spring water for drinking. Anywhere outside those spawn spotsck these things. "We can head back but those monsters that attacked us may still be there we could only kill a few before we escaped" Lenard exined. The days where he would look at Lucien with disdain has passed. Back then he only felt that Lucien was just an extremely talented noble who looked down on others, especially humans but right now he realized that Lucien is not extremely talented! He is a monster! Also taking into ount the way he treated Brian, a human with so much care and love, Lenard could tell that Lucien wasn''t the same cocky brat he used to be anymore. Finally, they also realized that something had gone wrong with the test, high level magic beasts are roaming around the area and students are dying every hour! It would be a miracle if half of the fresher students survive this event. "Why do you want to go back with us?" Logan remained calm and maintained his dull tone when speaking to Lucien. Even though he had seen Lucien''s strength upfront it didn''t mean he would treat him any differently. "This test is messed up we will be killed if we split up our chances of survival are higher if we stick together" Lucien said while he gently picked Brian up. "And you don''t mind teaming up with we, Humans?" Logan asked with a hint of disgust in his voice. Hearing this Lucien only shot the youth a nce for a short while before turning his attention to the unconscious Brian. "I was saved by a human, twice now Comparing how I have been treated by your people and how my people have treated me I believe the humans are way better than we beast-men in terms of morale standards So yes, I believe my chances of survival are higher if I go with three of you" Lucien said softly while carrying Brian in his arms. Seeing him handle Brian with so much care was enough to shatter thest doubts in Lenard''s mind, as well as that of his team mates. They shot a nce at each other before they started heading back from where they came and Lucien followed closely. "Let me help" Hex hastily tried to take Brian away from Lucien''s hand but he took a step back and shook his head in disapproval, before following Lenard''s team. ___________________________________________________________________ The two teams walked through the thick forest in the dark night and the area filled with magic beasts but surprisingly thesemon magic beasts couldn''t sense their presence at all. They would walk past these magic beasts and none was able to detect them. "What do you call this ability again?" Susie and her teammates were greatly impressed by Lucien''s wide array of abilities gotten from magic beasts. "This is one of the ck Devil''s abilities shadow cloak" Lucien answered calmly. His eyes were pitch ck and the tattoo on his back kept glowing. asionally, they would nce at the new tattoo on his right shoulder which looked like the hell hound, wondering what abilities Lucien got by defeating the general level magic beast, but they didn''t ask since he didn''t look like he was in the mood to talk. "Hey. Did we win?" Lucien heard a voice only to look down and notice Brian was awake. He shot the youth a casual smile and nodded firmly. "I got a new tattoo and some sweet new fire abilities You will never catch up to me at this rate" Lucienughed dryly. "Hehehe! Even with a thousand abilities from a thousand magic beasts, you will never be able to take me on" Brian joked as a sweet smile appeared on his pale face. Using the Lucardo family heirloom for too long left him drained and weakened, Lucien had gone through this too so he knew all Brian needed was enough time to rest and he will be alright. "Hey guys I''m sorry about earlier I couldn''t react, I was too distracted by Lucien''s strength and newfound powers that I ended up messing up It won''t happen again" Hex finally broke the silence between them and said those words while bowing slightly. Seeing this, Lucien and Brian shot each other a nce and sighed. "We don''t have issues with you or what you did what annoys me is why you did it we are friends, teammates andrades! We fight together and die together we are not rivals not enemies! The growth of a teammate is should serve as a motivation and not a threat" Lucien said casually while Brian nodded in agreement. "We are here!" Lenard said while hiding behind a tree and looking the camp which was just ahead of them. Just as they expected there were still about two soldier level mes hounds and close two ten fiery pups. "Hold on to him a little bit" Lenard heard Lucien speak but before he could turn Lucien had already walked past him towards the camp. His silver eyes suddenly turned orange as his aura turned orange, creating a fiery image of the hell hound behind him. His steps turned heavy as his finger nails turned into ws. His muscles kept bulging and his breathing got heavy. Seeing him approach the soldier level magic beasts took numerous steps back with their heads lowered. Chapter 61: Contractor path! Chapter 61: Contractor path! Grrrrr! Lucien let out a low growl as he approached the magic beasts, expecting to engage them in a heated death Marc but to his greatest surprise, these magic beasts lowered their heads in respect. Although he couldn''t tell what they are saying exactly but he could feel it. "This?" Lucien turned his gaze to those hiding behind the bushes behind but they too wore astonished expressions on their faces. "What''s going on?" He muttered but this time the question is directed to the system with hopes of getting a reasonable exnation. [Host has defeated the leader of the pack and with the host bearing the aura of their former leader, its only natural the sumb to your will] Seeing this Lucien found this reasonable. Since the strongest beast amongst this pack. Is only soldier level and he bears the aura of a general level beast of the same bloodline, it''s only natural they obey him. But the problem now is that he has no way ofmunicating with these beasts. ording to the books he studied in the past, magic beasts begin developing a certain level of intelligence only when they reach the general level. At this point, they start experiencing emotions like hate, fear, anger, and all that. Lucien confirmed this when he battled the hell hound, he could tell it had deep resentment for them for harming beasts under its Care and that''s why it chased them far and wide. "Shop!" Lucien muttered as a n popped up in his mind. It is said that those who follow the contractor path are bestowed with the ability to interact with magic beasts and many more. Even though he had no intentions of signing a soul-binding contract with magic beasts asmon as the me hounds he could still use the ability to interact with them and have them do his bidding. DING! [Shop section activated] [Basic Creation path: 2000exp] [Basic Contractor path: 2000exp] [Basic Illusionist path: 2000exp] [Basic Seeker path: 2000exp] [Basic Guardian path: 2000exp] [Basic Warden path: 2000exp] [Basic Seer path: 2000exp] "Purchase basic contractor path" Lucien muttered calmly and waited for the system to respond. DING! [Purchase sessful..] [-2000exp] Bam! Lucien staggered back as his eyes turned dull and his bulging muscles loosened. It felt like he was thrown into another space with thousands of images passing through his head. He could feel lots of information, forcefully getting registered in his mind. He could feel qualitative changes take ce in his body as if something new was getting added. When the process wasplete, Lucien couldn''t help but stagger back a bit with a face covered in sweat. His eyes looked dull but he was sure something has changed. "Spread out, make sure no beast gets close to this camp!" Lucien ordered and surprisingly he watched them disperse, ignoring Lenard and the rest. "Isn''t that a contractor ability? I know he can intimidate the magic beasts with the hell hounds aura butmunicating with magic beasts is a path only avable for those in the contractor path!" Lenard said firmly and the others couldn''t help but agree. With his enhanced hearing and physique granted by the hell hound, Lucien heard this and only shot them a smile before waving them over. Reluctantly both teams returned to their camp while gazing at the numerous orange glowing eyes in the dark forest around. __________________________________________________ "Does this mean you have the fire magic?" Susie asked as he gazed at the fist-sized ball of fire in Lucien''s hand. Even though she has seen Lucien in action and she has seen what he can do on numerous asions, everything is still fresh and stunning in their minds. To think Lucien would possess the fire element just because he killed a fire-type beast. "Don''t get this wrong I don''t gain an affinity to an element because I killed a magic beast with that affinity instead, I gain their skill sets and that''s all nothing new, nothing special" Lucien said with a frown on his face. "Even if that''s the case it''s still overpowered man. Judging based on the tattoos on your body I can guess you have the powers of only three magic beasts the wind creek, the ck devil, and now the hell hound yet you are already super strong.relying on your magic beast powers alone you can hold out against stronger foes and even win! I don''t think the second year will be a match for you!" Lenard said. Listening to this, Lucien knew they weren''t wrong. He felt incredibly stronger when he summoned the power of the hell hound. Right now the thought of facing another general-level beast is not that terrifying. He turned his attention to the purple eyes outside and chuckled softly. To maintain their obedience Lucien use the module Q1 to retain the aura of the hell hound around him, even if he should fall asleep. That way he was sure they won''t attack in his sleep. "Do you gain a person''s strength if you kill them? I mean humans and Beast-men" Logan finally spoke after observing Lucien for a while in silence. ''This dude is more observant than that others I should watch out for him'' Lucien muttered in his mind. ''But that was a good question though Hey, do u assimte the essence of humans if killed by me?'' Lucien asked. [Negative This ability is limited to beast men and magic beasts] The system replied quickly. "No don''t think I can do that I haven''t confirmed yet since I am yet to kill a human since I acquired the artifact as for beast-men, it''s the same as that of the magic beasts I acquire their god Beast blessing by killing them" Lucien said leaving them stunned. His words sold him out since it made others understand that he has killed both humans and beast-men in less than two months since they joined the academy. Rumor has that Lucien killed eight of the weaker invaders alone while the emperor and instructor Han killed the two stronger invaders Clovis and Blink! Chapter 62: Incest? What the hell! Chapter 62: Incest? What the hell! Lucien tried to persuade everyone to sleep but they all refused and decided to take turns sleeping. Apparently, no one was willing to put their hands in the life of magic beasts Lucien ims he can control. Brian was allowed to sleep all through the night in hopes that he would recover while Lucien used this opportunity to go through the rest of the notifications he is yet to check. [New achievement unlocked] [Path to bing an emperor: The host has gained the respect and admiration of people outside his squad. The tales of your achievement will spread across thend! +500exp] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [HP: 35/45] [MP: 25/65] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 3170] [Host has enough experience points to upgrade the system. Does the host wish to upgrade?] Seeing this message, Lucien frowned. He considered upgrading the system but he also wanted to take things slow. Master each and every ability avable before the upgrade. He did not wish to rush things but take them slow and steady instead. "I refuse" Lucien muttered as the notification vanished. Gazing at his exp points, he considered what path to buy. He has already purchased the contractor path so he''s sure it works. The other basic paths are of no use to him except for one! "Purchase Seer pathway!" Lucien said and he was soon assaulted by a piercing headache. This time, what he saw were minor settlements outside the three great empires. There he saw elderly men dressed in strange attires interpreting dreams, prophesying doom, holding rituals, and more. He strangely understood the ancient tongue they spoke and he had a fair understanding of how they did it. In the Fotia empire, there are people like that who call themselves fortune tellers but most if not all are fraudsters, con-artists, and scams. The seer pathway was deeper than all that, so deep that Lucien couldn''t tell its true form and purpose. With the images and knowledge transferred to his mind, he could tell that divinations were just the basic powers of a seer. "The more I think about it the more I get confused Yet the system calls these pathsmon How badass are the other paths which it is yet to reveal?" Lucien muttered to himself. DING! [New ability acquired] [Divination: Using a possession of a target or an artifact rted to anything in particr as a catalyst, the user can attempt to attain more information through divination, just by repeatedly asking. Divinations reveal the past, present, and possible future, it is left for the user to interpret what he sees] He was about to go to ask the system a few questions but then he heard strange sounds, more like moans! He''s the person on guard now, so it felt strange. Tiptoeing towards the source of the sound to a part of the camp farthest from the campfire but closest to the stream. Silently and skillfully blending with the tall grasses around Lucien peeped only to see Lenardying on his back while Susie kept hoping vigorously! ''What the hell? Aren''t they siblings?'' Lucien screamed in his mind as his face reddened but he just couldn''t pull his eyes off them. He could understand incest amongst beast-men since it was done to help maintain the strong family bloodline but to humans in this era, this is more like a taboo. He watched as Lenard promptly sat up and violently grabbed his sister''s bosom and ced his lips on her nipples gently. He watched as the duo got entangled, twisting and turning vigorously! [Shadow cloak activated] [Shadow hop] ''Damn it!'' Lucien cried out in his mind as his body was covered in a ck shadow cloak and he suddenly vanished. On his way back he came across a me pup, the magic beast form of the soldier-level me hound. These beasts were like baby tigers with bright red eyes and ming tails, giving them a cute look. Wanting to get the recent images stuck in his mind off, he picked up the magic beast and carried it back to his campfire. There he sat in silence while rubbing its warm fur. He could feel the emotions of these magic beasts thanks to the contractor pathway. At first, he could tell that the beats were a bit too restless and scared because of the Hell hound aura around him but when after rubbing its fur for an extended amount of time, it finally calmed down and rxed in his arms. He watched the little fire beast try to breathe fire or summon a tiny ball of fire, seeing it struggle while putting on a weird expression on his face made himugh. He could feel the pure nature of the magic beast and felt a bit attached to it after ying with it for a while. Amongst the abilities, he obtained after buying the contractor path was the soul bind contract. He could form a binding contract with this magic beast right now and make it his but he already had ns. Lucien never wanted to have amon beast as his partner, he wanted something more spectacr! Something of a higher bloodline. Yes, the me pup, has a god beast ancestor called the Ceberus but then a fire dragon god beast will always be stronger than it due to the bloodline difference. Gazing at this beast calmly, Lucien couldn''t help but consider the possibility of having more than one beast partner. "Is it possible for me to have more than one magic beast under the soul bind contract?" Lucien asked calmly. [Affirimative Once the host acquires higher levels of the contractor path, he will be able to sign more contracts with more magic beasts] "That''s all I needed to know" Lucien muttered as he shut his eyes while cing his fingertip at the forehead of the me pup. [Soul binding contract activated!] Lucien felt his body trembled as his mind and that of the me pup''s merged and all their secrets were revealed to each other Chapter 63: Soul Bind contract! Chapter 63: Soul Bind contract! [Soul binding contract activated!] Lucien felt his body trembled as his mind and that of the me pup''s merged and all their secrets were revealed to each other He watched the magic beast''s entire memory and couldn''t help but notice how dumb these me pups are. They are no different from domestic animals who just go with the flow and live life. They attacked Lenard''s camp just because the hell hound was doing the same and the other soldier-level me hounds join in. Right now the magic beast was still at its purest form and even now it doesn''t feed on flesh, rather it feeds on fire root seed, me orange seeds the size of a thumb. The seeds grow to be fire root grasses, an important ingredient for alchemists and cultivators. [Soul Bind contract Sessful!] DING! [Congrattions, the Host has gotten his first partner! +500exp] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the Human realm] [Charisma: 20] [HP: 35/45] [MP: 25/65] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 1670] "Having a magic beast partner goes both ways You can summon it over when in need of its help and it gets to summon you over when it''s in need of help On normal asions, when creating a soul bind contract with a high-level magic beast with high intelligence, both sides list terms and conditions for their cooperation and as long as no one breaks the condition, the contract will remain valid It is said the conditions for magic beasts are quite expensive and tasking, so it''s safe to say I got this little guy while it still dumb and makes decisions purely based on its emotions" Lucien felt like he exploited the little guy but he didn''t feel guilty instead he felt amused by the priceless expression on the fire pup''s head. The images shing across its mind gave it a piercing headache so it grimaced in a cute way while gazing into Lucien''s eyes. "There is one problem nowLeaving it behind here is not safe It can summon me when it needs help but that also means that it''s definitely not safe leaving it here ording to Lenard''s team, the hell hound it''s the beast we were meant to fight against at the peak of the northern hill so it''s currently undefended and with their leader dead, it means these me beasts are the weakest pack in this area they will surely get bullied by the other groups present. "I guess you will be staying with me then" Lucien decided to keep the me pup with him at all times to avoid a situation where he would be summoned to face a general level beast alone and end up dying before his time. Thud! Hearing footsteps, Lucien saw Lenard and Susie approaching. The hot scene reyed in his mind but he has already gotten over it so he wasn''t flustered by their presence. ''It''s none of my business!'' Lucien reminded himself over and over again. "I think you need to get some rest We will take over" Lenard said calmly as he gazed at the me pup in Lucien''s hands. Judging by the way it was gazing at Lucien, he could tell the magic beast was fond of him already. "I won''t be sleeping tonight, instead I intend to go over to the northern hill and acquire the me badges and enough fire root seeds for this little guy Don''t worry, I will get rid of the magic beasts as I leave" Lucien said casually. While Lenard was against this n but judging from Lucien''s tone, he could tell the youth was not trying to negotiate Instead, he was just telling him what he ns to do. Before leaving, Lucien frowned after a thought surfaced in his mind. He wasn''t the type to trust others easily so he decided to try his divination powers for the first time. "Will anything happen to them while I am gone?" Lucien muttered as he ced his hands on Hex and Brian who were still asleep. "Will anything happen to them while I am gone?" "Will anything happen to them while I am gone?" "Will anything happen to them while I am gone?" "Will anything happen to them while I am gone?" After muttering those words several times Lucien''s eyes turned pitch ck as he was forcefully pulled into a dream. He saw himself returning from the northern hill, with the me pup in his hands. By the time he returned Hex was the one keeping watch. As soon as the vision finished he felt a pair of eyes yank open in the darkness above and locking its gaze on him, making him shiver in fear. "Quite effective but dangerous" Lucien was pleased with the result of his divination but wary of the being behind the seer path. With the new path acquired he realized that this path is practically making him take part in supernatural activities. There are things people at his level shouldn''t be able to do, yet the seer path is just a shortcut! From outside it looked like Lucien was just looking at the two for a short while but he was actually seeing a vision. After confirming they will be okay, Lucien stood up and left with the small me pup following him closely behind while wiggling its tail as it moved. Walking deeper into the forest, Lucien met the three soldier-level me hounds and a couple of me pups. They all lowered their heads in respect when they were faced with Lucien''s bright red eyes and ferocious hellhound aura. Gather everyone we are going home" Lucien said as he summoned the wind wheels under his feet and let his partner climb his body and sit on his head. Awooooooo! The hell hounds let out a loud growl and all they had to do was wait. In less than five minutes, all the magic beasts surrounding their camp appeared. Whoosh! Under the lead of the three soldier level magic beasts, Lucien followed the magic beasts back to the ce they called home, the northern mountain Chapter 64: The nightmare Chapter 64: The nightmare Upon reaching the hill, Lucien was stunned to see so many fire root grass and countless fire root seeds littered around. This was like a paradise for fire magic beasts. With the help of his win element, Lucien was able to gather a huge pile of fire root nts and fire root seeds after which he proceeded to store them in his pocket dimension and quickly returned to the camp, Leaving the fire hounds and the other fire pups in their territory. Upon return, Lucien ended up meeting Hex just like he had seen in his vision, Lucien checked on Brian, and only after confirming he was recovering did he calm down. He then spent some time with Hex and talked on general topics while feeding his me pup, after which he fell asleep to recover his energy. ---------------------------------------------- Lucien was forced to wake up by the grumbling sound of his stomach and the constant barking of the me pup woke him up. His body shivered due to hunger and when he met the expectant eyes of everyone around he couldn''t help but hiss like a snake! Everyone present is hungry and the only edible around is the corpse of the hell hound which should be worth up to a gold coin if he meets the right people. "I am not giving it up!" Lucien said as he jumped on his feet with his arms raised. His cold gaze shed with the murderous gaze of everyone present including Brian and his new partner? "Come at me all of you!" Lucien growled as he lunged at them viciously! Time skip A sizeable portion of the hell hound was getting roasted by the fire while the me pup kept feeding on the small stack of fire root seeds. He greedily stuffed more roasted meat in his mouth while thinking of how much money he must have lost with each piece of meat everyone ate. "Cheer up man, you still have the General level beast core containing the devil mes! A soul me many will die for!" Hex eximed with a hint of sadness in his tone. He wished he could have this. "You are wrong" Lucien said with a frown on his face. "The devil mes is nothing more than a mixture of dark and fire elements which the hell hounds use and in my opinion, it''s quitemon there are higher grade soul mes that can push your power to the next level, so I suggest you stop aiming too low for yourself By the way, it will be difficult if not impossible to change soul mes when you have one already." Lucien said sternly. For now, he had two ns for the beast core he acquired from the hell hound. He can use it to nurture the me pup to hasten its growth or use it as the power core of his new magic weapon since the wind creek weapon was destroyed in the battle. "What now?" Brian asked after remaining silent for a while. They could choose to remain here and wait for the remaining four days to pse while hoping they don''t get attacked by another General level magic beast or a horde of magic beasts. The fire badges they have acquired are enough to give them a good passing grade. "I intend to go west and get the next badge I don''t know about you guys but I don''t n on sitting and waiting for something toe and kill me. The northern part of this area was under the control of the hell hound and now it''s dead and doesn''t have any capable leader at the same level, I believe other magical beasts will invade and try to im this territory for themselves. This ce will soon be a battleground! More dangerous than it ever was I will not be hunted, instead, I will be the one doing the hunting!" Lucien said while thinking deeply. "I can feel it with every battle I fight, I get stronger and closer to breaking into a higher realm" Lucien said calmly. Seeing that Brian and Hex nned on going with him, Lenard chose to join in as well. They all considered it safe fighting a general level magic beast by Lucien''s side than fight numerous soldier level beasts alone. With that settled the two teams decided to head west together. Along the way, they came across so many magic beasts of different levels but since those beasts were nowhere near the general level they were easily dispatched of, even without Lucien raising a finger. During this time, Lucien had the opportunity to observe Lenard''s team and judge their strength based on their performance in battle. One thing he noticed was that these three put in so much effort in polishing their physicalbat prowess even though they were didn''t bother to join the yer or guardian sses for meleebatants. Observing them fight, Lucien could swear on his life that these three had someone backing them up in the shadows. A tutor who excelled in physicalbat and magic. Lucien was also fortunate enough to notice the w in their strength as mages. Even though they possessed strong affinities to their special and extremely rare magic, they werecking versatility in casting a spell. Since finding people with their magic affinity is rare, these people have no grimoire to rely on, so they have relied on original spells created by them. Only now did Lucien understand why Instructor Emma insisted on him learning normal spells. -------------------------------------------- After a journey that took a day and a half, Lucien and the others concluded that students are not meant to collect all four badges, judging based on the massive distance between the hills. They had reached the foot of the western hill only to be greeted by a strong ck cloud at the peak of the hill and bodies of students littered all over the ce! "What the hell?" Lucien covered his nose as the foul odor invaded his body. Taking two steps back he wanted to throw up but he fought hard to hold it back. Turning around he noticed the others were already pouring out their breakfast without remorse. "You guys are in no condition to fight stay here" Lucien said dryly as he summoned the wind wheels and sped off before they could respond. Leaving the little me pup with them. [New quest acquired!] [The general level magic beast; The Nightmare is currently battling some students, save their lives, Kill the nightmare and have them acknowledge you!] His eyes narrowed as he threw the new quest a nce and frowned. He could guess that the other students all around the beginner rea, realized how hard things are so they joined forces. Judging based on the number of dead students out there he could tell this team was rtivelyrge whenpared to theirs since it must haveprised of at least five teams. To think that four teams will die in battle and only one will be left. This made Lucien wonder; Am I not supposed to be the most powerful member of my set or are there people more capable than I am even with the help of the system? "I refuse to believe that!" Lucien dered as his eyes let out a bright silver light. Finally calming down, he tried to recollect all he knew about the general level beats nightmare, the third form of the ck Hush. This magic beast feeds from the negative emotions of those around it. Emotions like fear, doubt, uncertainty, all that strengthen the beast and gives it ess to enemies mind directly. Recalling the bodies they saw earlier none had any physical wound on them and they were still fresh yet had this rotting odor. Lucien guessed these people had no experience in fighting a general level beast and they experienced those emotions and that''s why they were killed so easily. This train of thought also brought Lucien back to the same question in his mind! "Just who the hell are these students who can stand their ground against these terrifying beasts and why haven''t I heard of them!" --------------------------------------------------------- At the top of the dark hill, with the great darkness were three youths who radiated of golden aura. Hiding behind a golden sphere they watched as the Nightmare circled them, too reluctant to make contact with the holy aura of the golden barrier. And yet even when forced to face this magic beast that looked like a ck storm with a pair of blood-red eyes, they showed no fear, instead, they looked rather calm. "Are you done, William?" A golden-haireddy with sharp blue eyes and thin red lips asked calmly but there was a hint of impatience in her tone. It wasn''t that she was scared of the enemy and wanted to leave, instead, she was just disgusted by the tainted environment the magic beast was creating and strongly wished to get rid of it. Her massive bosomplimented the white robe which failed to hide her alluring hourss shape! Chapter 65: Lightborn Family Chapter 65: Lightborn Family "I apologize but I may not be able to get rid of this monster quickly after all, it is a general level magic beast it should be slightly difficult to defeat" the youth called William said calmly. His words weren''t lead by fear or doubt, but he was just stating a well-known fact confidently. While conjuring a golden sword that is roughly about two meters tall, his sky blue eyes followed the movements of the nightmare. He could tell that the darkness gathering above them was getting thicker and for some reason, the glow of their golden sphere barrier was slowly dimming. "We do have to get rid of this soon" William nodded in agreement before turning his attention to his siblings. "I lead the attack, Alice, You support and Kyle is in charge I''d our defense... Is that okay?" William asked with a sweet smile and the other two nodded in response. "Purge! Balmung!" William cried. Instantly the golden barrier around them fell and the darkness, alongside the nightmare surged forward but the golden sword let out a loud shriek, following a bright golden light that forced the nightmare to retreat once again. Xiu! The golden sword shot forward like an arrow but as a magical beast with great mobility, the nightmare promptly drifted to the side to evade only to hit an invisible seal. Brrrrr! "God descent seal, activate!" Alice said calmly as a golden seal appeared where the nightmare stop, following it were several other seals at several hidden locations around, activating! Boom! Instantly, numerous golden lights shot out of these seals, all aimed at the nightmare. Grrrrr! Letting out a growl the nightmare whose figure is hidden within the cluster of dark mist released a powerful wave of purple aura which blocked all the golden rays. "Force element?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow. "The ck Hush, The ck Devil and Finally the nightmare it gains control over the force element at its soldier level its only natural it can use it at general level I keep asking you to take time and research on magic beasts knowing the strengths and weakness of an enemy will always give you an edge in battle" Kyle said with a nk expression on his face but his voice revealed his annoyance. Alice on the other hand snorted in response while rolling her eyes. "All that matters is absolute strength!" Williams roared as he grabbed the empty air and pulled back! Whoosh! Suddenly the golden de which the nightmare dodged pierced through the cluster of darkness and returned to Williams''s side. "It''s not yet over!" William roared as he threw his hands forward and the hold sword shot towards the nightmare again. Roar! This time the magic beast had no intentions of dodging, instead, it let out a roar which was apanied by its force magic, deflecting the golden sword and giving the magic beast enough time to close in. "Want to get close? You are a Joke!" Kyle growled as he sped his hands together and a golden star pattern appeared beneath his feet. "Tire two light magic; Guardian!" He screamed as a pair of massive golden wings appeared behind the trio. Bang! Just before it could hit them, the trio was already covered by the golden wings, causing the nightmare to crash into the golden wings and let out a painful screech while it retreated. "You are not getting away!" William growled as he grabbed the empty air once again and pulled back, but the golden sword sessfully hit the nightmare! Piercing deep into its body, Williams roared while forcefully pulling his hands down and watching the golden de drag the general level ground. BANG! Hitting the ground the general level nightmare let out a painful screech and struggled fiercely in a bid to break free from the golden sword but raising its head the magic beasts soon realized that it was surrounded by the three humans. "We the lightborn family has dedicated our lives to purging evil beings such as yourself You won''t be the first, neither will you be thest!" William''s eyes let out a golden glow as a star pattern appeared beneath his feet. Wooooo! Following a strong wind, the magic beast soon realized that it wasn''t only Williams that was nning to attack. Alice and Kyle were also casting the same spell! "TIER TWO LIGHT MAGIC: DIVINE RADIANCE!" All three youths screamed as their body released a bright golden light that quickly consumed the nightmare, leaving behind the endless painful screech and cries. ....................................... Whoosh! Lucien had finally reached the hilltop only to see what looked like a golden light glob and within it, painful screams and cries could be heard. Deciding not to act rashly, Lucien was able to tell that this was the cry of a magic beast and not a human. "This should be a tier two spell!" Lucien muttered in shock as he guessed through the intense mana flowing into the spell. He found it hard to believe that there are students who are able to learn tier two spells without the help of the system, in a short time as well! Doesn''t it mean that these people have more talent? Doesn''t that mean I would have been inferior to them without the help of the system? [Affirmatve!] The system agreed to his suspicion! "Bastard, I didn''t ask you!" Lucien hissed Roar! Suddenly the painful cry turned into a vicious roar and a powerful force aura exploded, throwing all three youths flying meters back in different directions. With its shadow cloak removed the true figure of the nightmare could be seen. This magic beast looked hideous, making Lucien wonder how a cute cat-like ck hush evolves into something so disgusting. The magic beast was at least two meters tall with extremely long limbs that gave it a weird look. It wasnky, with the face of an ugly cat and extremely long limbs, allowing its hands to drag on the floor without it crouching! Bang! The nightmare had no intentions of letting this opportunity slide. It quickly shot towards Kyle, who is considered the main threat in the group because of his defensive spells, preventing it from reaching them! "Kyle!" "KYLE!" Alice and William saw the lightning-fast nightmare reach their youth in mere seconds, but to their greatest surprise, someone else could follow its extremely fast movements. Peng! The nightmare threw its darkness-enhanced ws at Kyle but before it could reach, a youth, with flowing silver hair was already standing in front of Kyle with his hands covered in zing darkness aura. Roar! Lucien''s aura exploded, revealing a strengthparable to that of general magic beasts. His hands shot forward colliding with that of the general level nightmare, releasing a mild shockwave that forced both sides to retreat by a few steps! "He stopped it, with an attack of his own?" William''s blinked twice in shock while gazing at Lucien. "Is he even human?" Alice was shocked as well as she gazed at the extremely handsome youth with strange ck tattoos who should be her age. Whoosh! "Haya-ken; first form, Lightning fists!" Lucien growled as he lunged forward. His fists that were already covered in fire and darkness aura was soon shrouded in lightning as well! He dashed towards the magic beast, releasing a flurry of blows but to his greatest surprise the magic the Nightmare could keep up with his attacks and proceeded to block each and every single attack thrown at it. Bam! Bam! Bam! "How can they move so fast!" Alice watched the exchange in disbelief! She never thought someone her age would be able to face an incredibly fast magic beast head like the nightmare and still not enter a disadvantaged situation! "How many elements can this guy use? Lightning, fire, darkness? He''s a monster!" Williamined as he watched the incredible disy of speed and strength! He couldn''t even see the hands of the twobatants! ''I can''t get close!'' Lucien muttered in his mind as he silently cursed the nightmare for having unusually long arms. "IF THAT''S THE CASE, I WILL JUST HAVE TO OVERPOWER YOU!" Lucien''s eyes suddenly let out a silver glow as he growled. "Wind magic: Wind burst!" Lucien growled as a ball of wind formed in between him and the nightmare, exploding and sending the magic beast flying back! "It''s not yet over!" Lucien growled viciously as his eyes turned orange and the faint image of the hell hound appeared behind him! [Fire ball skill used!] Lucien took in a deep breath as his chest let out a bright orange light. Everyone watched his neck expand like that of a magical beast as the orange light reached his neck and the next moment he was seen spitting out a massive ball of orange mes! Roar! Yet to stabilize itself, the nightmare had no other choice but to use its force wave to block the fire attack but then Lucien was nowhere to be seen! ABOVE! Depending on its sharp senses, the nightmare looked up only to see Lucien spinning recklessly while descending. Soon Lucien''s body was consumed by bright red mes, so bright that it looked like a massive sun was about to crash down on it! [zing me wheel skill activated] Chapter 66: Battle of monsters Chapter 66: Battle of monsters DING! [zing me wheel skill activated!] Brrrrr! Spinning fiercely the massive wheel of mes descended from above lol a meteorite! It was obvious Lucien didn''t n on giving the magic beast the chance to reactivate its shadow cloak! [WARNING!!!] [THE NIGHTMARE HAS ACTIVATED SHADOW STORM!] Just before the zing me wheel could reach the nightmare, it let out a furious cry and a powerful shadow storm exploded from its body, shing with the me wheel. BOOM!! The ground beneath the nightmare''s feet shattered and sank as a powerful shockwave exploded, sending Kyle Ligthborn rolling back violently. Bang! Bang! Bang! The two powerful forces kept shing since no side refused to retreat, forcing the ground to sink even deeper! "This is not a fight between a student and a magic beast, this is a fight between two general-level magic beasts!" Williams said with a frown on his face as he watched the mes and shadow shing violently. "Who the hell is that?" Alice said as she felt her heart flutter while watching the intense battle. Her family has been the type that prioritizes strength over everything and on this very day she was opportune to witness the battle of someone who is arguably the most powerful student of their set. All she needed to know now was his identity since she didn''t care if it''s a human or a beast-man, she is determined to conquer this person and make him hers. "I believe this person is the Infamous Lucien Raizen!" Kyle said as he walked over to their side while patting off the dust on his clothes. While others may not have seen Lucien properly since he has been moving throughout the battle, Kyle who was the person opportuned to see him up close instantly recognized him! He''s practically a celebrity! "Lucien?" Both Alice and William said with a hint of surprise in their voices. The Lucien Raizen they could remember was the incredibly handsome youth who always wore a silver kimono thatplimented his silver hair and eyes that could make thedy''s heart skip a beat. He showcased extraordinary talent just days after the session started and he even shed with the invaders on two different asions. For a short, while he lost his abilities and his position as the heir of the Raizen n after kill the two prodigies of the n, La and Raziel. Suddenly he regained his powers and everyone expected him to join a faction but even then he didn''t and chose to continue depending on no one but himself. Considering the fact that any noble family, both humans, and beast-men will be willing to have him and he still refuses is something they considered stupid. They all assumed that his growth will be stunted, eventually falling behind especially since he has no means of acquiring cultivation resources. "Were we wrong?" Alice muttered as she watched the two intense powers sh. She felt disappointed and ted that Lucien is the one here. In her opinion, it would be a big hit for her family if she is able to seduce Lucien into joining their noble family. "But isn''t he supposed to have just the blessingof the Raizen god beast Isn''t he supposed to have just the wind and lightning element?" William asked with a great level of difort visible in his facial expression. It was obvious he hated the fact that a prodigy like himself ispletely inferior to a beast-man who was rejected by his own people. Bang! Lucien was sent flying backward by the shockwave caused by their earlier attacks. Landing on his feet, he sped his hands while sliding backward and watching the nightmare dash towards him like a mindless beast. "Don''t you dare look down on me!" Lucien growled as his eyes let out a bright glow and a three-fold star pattern appeared beneath his feet. "A Tier three spell!" Alice, Kyle, and William screamed in shock the moment they saw the threefold star patterns. This trio were no strangers to magic tiers and since they were born into magical noble families, their understanding of the magical world I considered vast and terrifying for people their age. Even without seeing the spell, they instantly knew that Lucien was about to cast a tier-three spell! Something that has never been done by anyone their age. "Tier 3 wind magic; Hurricane!" Lucien growled as he summoned a massive hurricane around the approaching magic beast, sessfully pulling it off the ground and throwing it into the air. The size of the spell was so massive that even those at the foot of the hill could see the massive hurricane spinning violently! In a bid not to get caught by the attack, Williams and other members of his Lightborn family hastily retreated while watching Lucien jump into the hurricane fearlessly! [-20mp] Stepping into the mighty hurricane, Lucien was not affected by its effects due to the fact that this spell was created by his mana, His eyes let out a silver glow as he watched the nightmare creature struggle fiercely within the hurricane and a senile smile appeared on his face. "I can only say your bloodline is stronger than that of the hell hound, that''s probably why you can struggle against a tier-three spell this much, but this is where it ends!" Lucien said as his eyes let out a silver sh and the Raizen god beast image appeared behind him. [The shift activated] Whoosh! A pair of mighty silver eagle wings sprouted from his back and he instantunched into the air, flying towards the nightmare magic beast. [WARNING!!!] [Host utilizing the abilities of two different god beasts at the same time will put a lot of strain on the host''s bodyYou can only maintain this for a limited amount of time] "That''s more than enough!" Lucien growled as his hands were covered with fire, darkness, and lighting aura! [Fiery death skill activated] Roar! Seeing the approaching human, the nightmare magic beast seemed more annoyed than afraid. Mustering as much energy as it could, it covered itself in darkness aura before diving towards Lucien! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! RUMBLE! The entire hill trembled as both sides shed repeatedly within the powerful hurricane. The power exuding from these twobatants was so much that Lightborn family members were forced to run down the hill in a bid not to get caught in the battle between these two monsters. Meanwhile, those at the foot of the hill watched in awe as the bright orange and silver light within the hurricane shed countless times with the ck light. With each hit, they created massive shockwaves that sent chills down the spine of all those who watched. "This looks like a battle between monsters!" Susie muttered as she gripped her chest while gazing at the three youths hidden in a golden sphere and standing atop a two-meter-long golden sword, sliding down the hill. "Only the instructors can casually reveal this level of strength For someone his age to reach this level, it''s really amazing" Logan said dully while watching the battle. "He wasn''t joking when he said he gets stronger with each battle At this rate he may even be qualified topete for the throne and be the new beast emperor" Lenard added. Hex frowned upon hearing thest part but he chose to suppress his emotions and focus on the battle going on. He couldn''t help but wonder what kind of battle was going on inside the hurricane! -------------------------------------- Bang! Lucien felt his hands going numb the moment he collided with the nightmare creature. Its shadow was quickly spreading, all over the hurricane sessfully blocking Lucien''s sight to a certain extent! "You think you can have your way in here? This is my magic! In here I am a god!" Lucien growled as he sped hands together! Whoosh! Suddenly the hurricane began expanding while getting fiercer! The darkness within the hurricane began to spread, bing scarce and revealing the Nightmare''s location. With the nightmare creature in sight, Lucien''s eyes widened while revealing a blue light as ck clouds began gathering above the hurricane. Ding! Ding! Ding! The loud bell-like sounds caught the attention of the fleeing Lightborns, forcing them to turn their attention to the threefold star pattern formed on the ck clouds above! "Another tier-three spell?" Alice screamed in disbelief! "This guy must be a monster!" William cried out while Kyle just watched silently. Hex, Brian, Lenard, Logan, and Susie were already used to this so they were not too surprised but that didn''t mean they weren''t enduring so many emotions. Bang! Suddenly a figurended beside them, catching them by surprise, it was a person they never thought they would see in a week or so. No, it wasn''t just a person but a group of people! It was the dean Fei Xio and the other instructors standing behind him. The dean gazed at the corpses of students littered all over the ce. Their gaze shifted the golden trio from the Lightborn family approaching before shifting to the massive hurricane at the top of the hill. "Who?" The Dean asked. "Lucien and the general level Nightmare demon!" Hex responded with a respectful bow! Chapter 67: 3rd sky of the human realm Chapter 67: 3rd sky of the human realm "Lucien?" Dean Fei Xio asked with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He turned to meet the gaze of the other surprised instructors and even instructor Han was shocked by this. He expected to grow really fast and get stronger at a rate where his peers can neverpare but he didn''t expect it to be this fast. Gazing at the two figures constantly shing within the expanding hurricane anyone would think two general-level magic beasts were shing! To think this is a battle between a first year and a general level magic beast. "How did he get so strong?" Instructor Emma asked with an astonished look on her face. Instructor Han was reluctant to speak but thankfully, Hex exined ording to what Lucien had told them. He told them Lucien had gotten an artifact that allowed him to assimte the powers of magic beasts he kills and exined that Lucien had already killed a devil demon and a general level hell hound and with the knowledge of his tier three spells, it is not too shocking he is able to take on a general level beast alone. Listening to Hex speak, the dean and the other instructors felt like their heads were spinning. Not only does he have the strength of a soldier and general level magic beast, but he also learned how to cast a handful of tier two and tier three spells in a matter of weeks after he got the grimoire from Instructor Emma! Isn''t this level of talent too terrifying and unbelievable? With the Lightborn family trio arriving and exining what happened above and Instructor Han confirming Hex''s story about Lucien having the power to assimte the abilities of magic beasts killed by him, they quickly shut their mouths and watched. "Should we help him?" Instructor Emma asked with a hint of concern on her face. "Pay attention to his aura and you will realize that he is about to break through into a higher realm with this battle I believe it''s best we only observe for now and only get involved when his life is at risk. "Tier 3 lightning magic: Lightning descent!" Lucien''s voice boomed like thunderps as countless thunderbolts shot into the hurricane, creating a powerful explosion that sent both the magic beasts and humans flying off the hilltop. ''Crap!'' Lucien screamed in his mind as he struggled to regain control of his body but to no avail. BOOM! He and the nightmare crashed just a few hundred meters away from the Dean and the instructors. They watched Lucien who was covered in deep w wounds rise to his feet, alongside the nightmare demon who was equally badly injured as well. Seeing the faint hell hound figure standing behind Lucien everyone could guess he only managed to survive the fall because he was already using the shift, granting him the physical prowess of the hell hound. They gazed at his body and saw the three tattoos on his body and they couldn''t help but nod in approval. All that Hex had told them was true. Lucien, on the other hand, noticed the instructors and the dean but since they didn''t show any sign of interfering, coupled with the strange look on their faces, he could tell they already knew about the beast assimtion and everything so he had no intentions of holding back. Thud! Thud! Thud! He began walking toward the nightmare at a controlled pace. His eyes showed no signs of emotions, not fear, not, anger, not anxiety, nothing! "Let us put an end to this!" Lucien said as he shot his stats a quick nce. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 20] [HP: 25/45] [MP: 25/65] [Condition: About to breakthrough into the 3rd sky of the human realm] [Exp: 1670] "Let''s go!" Lucien growled as his eyes turned ck and the image of the ck devil appeared behind him! [Shadow cloak activated] With his figure shrouded in his ck aura, Lucien shot towards the nightmare demon with all his might. Before he could even close, the nightmare demon swung its ws at the shadow, splitting it into three parts but Lucien was no longer in the shadow. ABOVE! Everyone watched as the youth spun violently as his eyes turned orange and surging mes began appearing around him. [zing me wheel skill activated] Soon the surging yellow mes took the shape of a massive fire wheel, descending from the heavens. Face with this, the nightmare creature released a shriek before releasing a shadow storm around it! BOOM! The ground trembled as both abilities shed violently! Watching the battle closely, Dean Fei Xio and the instructors couldn''t help but feel astonished by Lucien''s skill and talent as a fighter. They watched as escaped the fire wheel which was shing with the ck storm, and a pair of pitch-ck eyes, Lucien sank into the nightmare demon''s shadow only to spring out momentster with a triumphant smile on his face as he said; [Shadow hop skill activated] "I win!" [Shadow steal skill activated] [Shadow steal sessful!] DING! DING! DING! [+5% Beast assimtion point] [New ability unlocked] [Beast assimtion Sessful] [Beast assimted] [Shadow death God beast] [Phase: Adolescent] [Beast name: Nightmare demon] [Assimtion progress: 50%] [Abilities unlocked] [Shadow cloak: User shrouds himself with darkness, allowing him to blend with the darkness and move around undetected] [Shadow paw: User strikes the enemy with a shadow-infused attack, leaving the enemy with a weakening effect. Effect of this ability can be stacked] [Shadow hop: While using the shadow cloak skill, the user can utilize the shadow hop to move from shadow to shadow without getting detected] [Shadow mark: User can mark an ally or foes shadow, allowing him to track them The effectsts for only an hour] [Shadow steal: The user is able to steal the shadow of those he enters using shadow hop. This boosts the strength of the caster''s shadow skills while weakening the enemy For each shadow the user steals, he gains 1% beats assimtion point as well] [Force wall: The user releases powerful force energy all around himself, defending him from attacks while knocking away enemies] [Shadow storm: The user releases a chaotic storm of darkness around him. This spell is mostly used for defensive purposes] [Host has recovered] [+10HP] [+10MP] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 2nd sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 20] [HP: 55/55] [MP: 75/75] [Condition: About to breakthrough into the 3rd sky of the human realm] [Exp: 1670] Xiu! Everyone watched as the shadow of the nightmare shadow sank into his own and instantly, all his injuries got healed and his aura suddenly exploded! [WARNING!!!] [Host is breaking into the 3rd sky of the human realm and needs some time to absorb the world energy to stabilize his realm It is strongly rmended that host leaves battle!] Seeing this a smile appeared on Lucien''s face as his eyes turned silver and a threefold magic array appeared around him. "Tier 3 wind magic: Wind bind!" Lucien said softly as a wind storm formed around the weakened nightmare demon, effortlessly lifting it off the ground. [-20mp] He watched as the wind storm slowly changed form and became a ferocious wind cocoon, sealing the magic beast within it while remaining suspended in mid. Thud! Suddenly Lucien felt a pain in his chest and he knew he had little time left so he proceeded on using the module Q1 effects to keep the wind bind active while he focused on breakthrough into a higher realm. [WARNING!!!] [Breakthrough has begun, host must not be interrupted or may suffer a terrifying bacsh!] WOOOOO! Everyone on the sidenes watched as the mana across the area began surging towards Lucien and entering his body forcefully. The instructors and Dean were stunned since they have never experienced something this shy during breakthrough, leaving only Instructor Han who was too stunned because has seen this before. They watched as the mana in the area kept getting thinner as Lucien''s body greedily consumed it, while this happened his wind bind spell was still active and they couldn''t help but wonder how he is undergoing a breakthrough and is still able to maintain a tier three spell! "This kid is a monster!" The beast-man instructor, Cain roared as he watched Lucien''s body slowly levitate off the ground. "I agree" Instructor Kane of the yer path nodded in agreement. He could remember when Lucien regained his powers and attended his ss for the first time, he didn''t know why but he felt like he was looking at a monster. Soon after, Lucien refused to practice any one of the countless martial arts recorded and insisted on creating his own and that''s how the powerful and fast Haya-ken fighting style was created. BOOM! When Lucien''s body reached its saturation point, the excess mana he consumed was quickly repelled and his eyes yanked open. [Congrattions on sessfully advancing to the 3rd sky of the human realm!] "Interesting" Lucien muttered as he gazed at his body. Chapter 68: Fame or Danger? Chapter 68: Fame or Danger? DING! DING! DING! [Congrattions! The host has reached the 3rd sky of the human realm] [+10HP] [+10MP] [+5% Raizen God beast assimtion points] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 20] [HP: 65/65] [MP: 85/85] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 1670] [Beast Assimted] [Raizen God beast] [Phase: Infant] [Beast Name: Wind creek] [Assimtion progress: 10%] [Abilities Unlocked] [The Shift: At the beginner level, Host can choose to borrow a few physical properties from either the Raizen God beast or the Wind creek] [Wind Creek Dive: The wind creek has always been known as a cowardly creature at its infant phase which preys on smaller aquatic beasts. It flies to a high point before diving at a terrifying speed. The wind creek gathers enough momentum to kill evenrger creatures with a hit but from severe recoil damage after collision] Gazing at the notifications, Lucien felt thrilled since he realized two things from the current upgrades. The first was the strength gap between people in the same realm. Each time he increased in the realm, he could feel himself get stronger but the increase may be considered insignificant but whenplied as he rises through the five levels of the human realm, it can be considered reasonable. In his opinion, only when upgrading from one realm to another does a person undergo qualitative changes. The second interesting update was the increase in his Raizen god beast assimtion rate. Based on a mere hypothesis he guessed that his assimtion rate with the Raizen god beast will keep rising as he grows because this is an inherited bloodline. If he wishes to speed things up he can go ahead and look for Raizen n members to kill or just magic beasts from the Raizen bloodline. "We will deal with that once I am done with you" Lucien said coldly as the Raizen god beast figure appeared behind him with that of the hell hound giving him a mixed ferocious aura. A pair of eagle silver wings sprouted on his back while ws appeared on his hands and his skin darkened slightly. Everyone watched him levitate off the ground as he slowly moved towards the wind dome. "Thanks to this spell You no longer have the advantage since I can get close to you now" Lucien said as he plunged his hand into the wind dome causing it to disperse, revealing the nightmare demon. The magic beast was covered in bruises, cuts, and bleeding wounds caused by the razor-sharp deep wounds littered all over its body. The general-level magic beast was suspended in mid-air as it grabbed Lucien''s hand, trying to break free from his firm grip on its neck. While the nightmare demon may be of a higher bloodline due to its magic and all that, it was obvious that the hell hound had more physical endowment. Seeing Lucien hold on to a general level beast like that caused something to stir in the hearts of all those watching. Even though the instructors are far stronger but judging purely based on Lucien''s age and his achievements, they felt like they were looking up to a superior being. Instructor Han was annoyed that Lucien revealed the beast''s assimtion ability to so many people but considering his situation, he knew the kid had no choice but to go all out when going against beasts like this. But this didn''t mean that he was excited by the fact that he was able to see the full extent of Lucien''s capabilities and just like the emperor said, he was not disappointed. Crack! DING! [Nightmare in!] [+1000exp for first time kill] [Beast assimtion sessful] [+15% Beast assimtion point] [New ability unlocked] [Beast assimtion Sessful] [Beast assimted] [Shadow death God beast] [Phase: Adolescent] [Beast name: Nightmare Demon] [Assimtion progress: 65%] [Abilities unlocked] [Shadow cloak: User shrouds himself with darkness, allowing him to blend with the darkness and move around undetected] [Shadow paw: User strikes the enemy with a shadow-infused attack, leaving the enemy with a weakening effect. Effect of this ability can be stacked] [Shadow hop: While using the shadow cloak skill, the user can utilize the shadow hop to move from shadow to shadow without getting detected] [Shadow mark: User can mark an ally or foes shadow, allowing him to track them The effectsts for only an hour] [Shadow steal: The user is able to steal the shadow of those he enters using shadow hop. This boosts the strength of the caster''s shadow skills while weakening the enemy For each shadow the user steals, he gains 1% beats assimtion point as well] [Force wall: The user releases powerful force energy all around himself, defending him from attacks while knocking away enemies] [Shadow storm: The user releases a chaotic storm of darkness around him. This spell is mostly used for defensive purposes] DING! [Due to Update a few abilities have been upgraded] [Beast assimtion Sessful] [Beast assimted] [Shadow death God beast] [Phase: Adolescent] [Beast name: Nightmare Demon] [Assimtion progress: 65%] [Abilities unlocked] [Shadow cloak: User shrouds himself with darkness, allowing him to blend with the darkness and move around undetected] [Shadow w: User strikes the enemy with a shadow-infused attack, leaving the enemy with a weakening effect. Effect of this ability can be stacked] [Shadow hop: While using the shadow cloak skill, the user can utilize the shadow hop to move from shadow to shadow without getting detected] [Shadow mark: User can mark an ally or foes shadow, allowing him to track them The effectsts for only an hour] [Shadow steal: The user is able to steal the shadow of those he enters using shadow hop. This boosts the strength of the caster''s shadow skills while weakening the enemy For each shadow the user steals, he gains 1% beats assimtion point as well] [Force wall: The user releases powerful force energy all around himself, defending him from attacks while knocking away enemies] [Shadow storm: The user releases a chaotic storm of darkness around him. This spell is mostly used for defensive purposes] [Shadow Zone: A domain ability for the shadow element that grants user, greater control over the shadow element and a temporary stat buff] [Nightmare eater: When facing an opponent riddled with doubts and uncertainty, the user can directly consume their soul using the nightmare eater This helps strengthen the user permanently!] Looking at thest ability Lucien couldn''t help but reveal a sinister smile. Right before everyone''s eyes, the tattoo on his back changed form and took the shape of the ugly nightmare demon. "I almost died twice You all have a lot of exining to do" Lucien said as he finally turned his attention towards the Dean and the various instructors present. His eyes turned pitch-ck as the terrifying image of the nightmare demon appeared behind him. ---------------------------------------------------- Upon return, every student was sent to the academies healers for a quick check-up before they were fed with all the delicacies that can be found in the empire but even then many ate too little since most of the students were scared by the event that just took ce. More than half of the freshers were killed with a handful of theming from notable families and quite famous ns in the empire. ording to the Dean, the presence of so many more solid level and general level magic beasts was a result of someone with evil intentions for the empire. They stated that as soon as the students were sent to the beginner zone which is located outside the empire and can only be essed quickly through the teleportation runes and tforms set up there, they lostmunication with the students and couldn''t even watch their progress. The interference made it impossible for them to reach the beginner area on time to save the students and with the help of the emperor, many poor families who lost their kids werepensated. Many believed that this could have been done by one of the two other empires. Meanwhile, the news of the beast''s assimtion ability was quickly leaked and it soon spread across the continent leaving many terrified and a few amazed. The ability to replicate the abilities of any magic beast killed cannot be underestimated and many knew that. Lucien suspected the information was leaked by the Lightborn family but with no proof, the emperor couldn''t do anything to them. With the new fame, Lucien almost became a household name for many beast-men and human families. While the beast-men saw him as their savior and the next candidate to be the new beast emperor, the humans saw him as a danger that needs to be exterminated. Without his knowledge, Lucien''s existence worsened the rtionship between humans and beast-men. Their fear of the unknown clouded their judgment, making Lucien wonder if his fame is a blessing or a cause. ------------------------------------------- A week had passed since the event and since the freshers were given a two-week break, Lucien decided to stay back in the academy since he had nowhere to go. While many may think he was lonely, he actually enjoyed the solitude since it gave him more time to work on himself and improve. Knock! Knock! Knock! For the first time in a week, someone knocked on his door Chapter 69: A night to remember Chapter 69: A night to remember Lucien gazed at the door with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. He has been used to solitude, spending time alone, asionally visiting Instructor Han only when necessary, and spending most of his time perfecting his skills and fighting techniques. "Unlock the door" Lucien ordered. Bam! Instructor Emma worked in to see the silver-haired youth seated in a cross-legged position, with his eyes giving out too many colors all at once. Above his head were the images of the Raizen god beast, the general level hell hound, and the general level Nightmare demon. See could see beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as his breathing slowly kept getting heavier. The room was filled with the strange but chaotic aura of three magic beastsbined, making the instructor feel ufortable. Huff! Lucien''s eyes suddenly returned to their natural silver color as he breathes out and the images of the magic beasts faded. Turning his attention to Instructor Emma he soon realized that thedy was still at the doorpost, wearing a skimpy gray skirt and a tight fit marine blue shirt revealing her massive bosom heaving up and down as she breathed. His face flushed red but he struggled to keep a straight face while he said; "I have to clean myself first then we talk" Upon saying that, Lucien dared not to look her in the face as images of Susie and Lenard having a go at it surfaced in his mind as he quickened the pace, almost busting into a sprint before running into the bathroom. ........................................... After taking a shower Lucien walked out of the bathroom with a long white towel wrapped around his waist. After bathing, he had regained hisposure, even when he saw instructor Emma lying on his bed, he only sighed and looked away. Moving into the next room filled with his clothes, Lucien wore in white trousers and a long-sleeved top. He let his long shoulder-length silver hair with a small white towel be ced on it. "So, tell me why you are here" Lucien sat on the couch opposite the bed with his legs crossed and his hands working on drying his hair with the towel. "Hmmm? I''m not allowed to visit my best student?" Instructor Emma said with a soft and alluring voice but Lucien wasn''t moved. His visage remained cold as he dropped the towel beside him and sighed once again before speaking. "It''s strange for an instructor to visit a student, so yes I believe it''s nothing strange for me to ask such questions also Your choice of clothes whileing here will send the wrong impression I am sure you don''t want to do that" Lucien said with a stern look on his face. Thud! Not saying anything, instructor Emma stepped down from the bed and walked towards him. She proceeded to climb the seated youth and shoved her breasts right on his face while holding his head tight and firmly. ''This'' Lucien screamed in his mind as he tried to push her away but his body was not responding to hismands. Without warning, he felt the instructor pulls his trousers down, and even before he could act she sat on ''it'' "Ah!" Emma moaned softly as she began hopping. Her soft moans broke down any form of resistance left in him and the next moment, Lucien felt his body get revitalized, booming with energy and strength as he sat carried the instructor, and stood up, spreader her legs even further while thrusting relentlessly. Thanks to the soundproof nature of the room, no one outside could hear their moans and screams of pleasure. __________________________________________________ An Hour Later "That was amazing I can''t believe you are still hard after all that" Instructor Emma muttered into his ears softly while lying beside his stack naked body. Her hand gripped it firmly, rubbing it asionally, unfortunately, Lucien wasn''t focused on that. He wore an annoyed expression as he gazed at the notification he just received from the system. [WARNING] [The beast assimtion system gives the user a wider range of possibilities while also granting you greater sexual stamina but makes the user impotent... The Host has no reason to fear] Seeing this Lucien didn''t know whether tough or cry. He was worried because he did release inside the instructor and since the system assured that he is impotent. What he found disturbing is that he may not be able to have a child of his own. "Now we are done with this, do you mind telling me why you are here and why we did this" Lucien asked casually as he slid off the bed and put on his silver trouser. He returned to the couch and only then did he feel more relieved and rxed. He flexed his muscles and realized it has loosened! With a hint of astonishment in his eyes, he asked the system. ''Does sexual intercourse improve my strength or does it have any special effect on me in any way?'' Lucien muttered in his mind. [No] The system gave him a straight answer, causing him to feel ashamed. "If you are worried about me having a child do you You don''t have to worry, we have ways of preventing it" Emma said after seductively licking her lips but Lucien didn''t feel disturbed by that. He shut her naked body a nce before returning his gaze to her face and speaking. "You haven''t answered my question" Lucien said calmly while tossing his shirt to the side. Seeing Lucien wasn''t moved by her actions, Instructor Emma gave up and covered her body withthe bedsheet before speaking. "Why we had sex? Because I find you attractive As for my reason to be here I wish to invite you to an expedition led by me" Instructor Emma said. "A grade two artifact has been spotted in a small vige outside the empire They called themselves the Talis tribe and ording to them" Instructor Emma wanted to say more but she was cut off short by Lucien. "First of all I am still a first-year student and I don''t know artifacts and their grades I may possess the power to rival second-year students here but I can assure you, I amcking the experience aspect so I don''t think it''s wise to pick me and I believe you know that so we are back to the same question Why me?" Lucien said calmly. Hearing this, Instructor Emma struck her face lightly with her palm while asking herself why she forgot Lucien''s identity. She understood that Lucien''s brilliant battle with the nightmare creature left a deep impression on anyone that watched this and that''s why so many ns both amongst beast men and humans have been flooding in, with all trying to recruit him. "In this world, people don''t only rely on their strengths and that''s why we use things we call sealed artifacts These ancient items usually possess amazing abilities but the stronger than ability, the stronger the artifact''s ability the more powerful the bacsh is As for the grades, there are the fifth-grade artifacts which are the weakest, all the to grade 1 artifact which is the strongest, just like your own The emperor said you are in possession of a grade 1 artifact that merged with your soul upon contact so it''s impossible for the empire to take it is that true?" Instructor Emma asked. Hearing her speak, Lucien remembered that people already know about his abilities and he never asked how the emperor managed to cover up for him. He felt amused that they imed its an artifact but he also found it reasonable since he didn''t know how to exin what they say down there too. "Yea After sinking into my body I gained the first tattoo belonging to the Raizen god beast" Lucien controlled his emotions and facial expressions as he lied about it. "So what''s the drawback?" Instructor Emma asked, causing Lucien to grow. Saying too little will arouse interest and cause her to dig deeper and thest thing he and the emperor wants is someone returning to the ck pool. ''What I do today, I do it for the empire'' Lucien muttered in his head before trying to respond to her question. "I am impotent... I can''t have a child of my own" Lucien said with great effort. "." Then there was silence. The Duo kept gazing at each other from a distance answer and judging based on the expression on her face, everyone knows she''s trying to stop herself fromughing. "That''s a cruel thing to do to someone" Instructor Emma said. " But it''s also an advantage since it allows you to do things longer and freely without having to bother about the consequences" Instructor Emma said as she slid off the bed and walked towards him. Seeing this Lucien frowned but didn''t attempt to stop her either. He just watched her climb him while rubbing her chest against his and whispering some sweet words into his ears. Chapter 70: Two requests Chapter 70: Two requests The next morning Lucien set out for Instructor Han''s office. Upon arrival, they were both transported to the capital where they moved straight to the royal pce all in the space of a few seconds. "Spatial magic is so convenient" Lucienmpooned. "Spatial magic in a time like this where anti-spatial zones are ced almost everywhere, limiting us to a small space I am the only spatial mage in the empire with uninterrupted ess to any part of the empire This is only possible due to my special rtionship with the emperor" Instructor Han said proudly as he showed Lucien a silver wrist band with the royal seal on it. "I see I hope I get mine soon" Lucien muttered absent-mindedly as he and Instructor Han entered the final teleportation tform which took them directly to the throne room of the emperor. .............. Xiu! Appearing there, Lucien once again was blessed to be in the mighty pce filled with golden statues representing the four major god-beast ns in the empire. The throne room was empty with only Emperor Fei sitting on the throne while gazing down at them with a thoughtful expression on his face. His zing red eyes were pinned on Lucien making Lucien feel a bit ufortable. "Speak freely" Emperor Fei said casually while tapping the armrest of his throne. "Eeermmm I can understand granting someone unlimited ess to any part of the empire but isn''t it dangerous to have a teleportation tform that leads directly to the throne room? I sincerely think it''s a bit too risky" Lucien said thoughtfully, causing a smile to bloom on the emperor''s face and that of Instructor Han. While it may look like he''s stating that Instructor Han may lead a rebellion against the emperor and send them directly to the throne room but in reality, all he was doing was pointing out a loophole in their system and possible dangers. This alone proved his loyalty to the empire and the emperor! "This kid" Instructor Han smacked his face lightly with his palm as he spoke. "Hahaha. You don''t have to worry, I am strong" Emperor Fei replied with a wink, leaving Lucien dumbfounded. He wasn''t worried about his safety because he is strong? Does he really have that much confidence in himself? Lucien couldn''t help but remember the talks about sealed artifacts used by almost every strong person in the empire. ording to her, each noble family in the empire has at least one sealed artifact as a trump card. If mere noble families can have that much, Lucien couldn''t help but wonder how many sealed artifacts the emperor may have on him. "To reach the royal pce, we needed to take at least five teleportation tforms While approaching, the emperor is already informed about the identities of those approaching and he is the one that permits me each time we teleport if the emperor sees anything fishy about my movements andpanions, he can easily cut me off halfway, so you don''t have to worry since I don''t bring people with me you are the first" Instructor Han exined. It turns out that before Instructor Han can make a trip here, the emperor needs to be informed beforehand and each teleportation tform used has to be approved by the emperor first. That exins why the emperor I alone here in the throne room, it seems he was expecting them! "Strong my ass" Lucien cursed in a low tone. "So why are you here? Have you made up your mind on what yourst request should be?" Emperor Fei asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don''t actually n on using my final request here I''m just here to ask go two favors" Lucien said shamelessly. The throne room was silent for a while before the emperor finally spoke. "It depends on the requests so I can''t promise anything" Emperor Fei said while leaning forward. "Great!" Lucien eximed while taking a few steps forward. "I know the royal family is wealthy, so I want a high-grade Orchilium forge sword.That''s the first request" Lucien said slowly. Listening to him from behind, Instructor Han''s jaws dropped as he was stunned by Lucien''s greed. In this world, there are five forging metals with each graded ording to quality. There was the Hakril which is the material, Lucien''s wind creek de was made of. It is considered the weakest metal used for forging magic weapons. The next is Fesnoisium and then there is the Orchilium, the Dusnalt, and the best known as the Dantai ore. Picking the third best amongst the five out of the blue was just too shocking! A piece of equipment made of Orchilium can sell for over 10 gold at the very least! This is a tant robbery! "You are right as the emperor, it is a well-known fact that I am wealthy Your request won''t put a dent in my pouch but I wish to know, why? Why can''t you ept a lower-grade magic weapon?" Emperor Fei asked calmly. "I wish to forge a high-grade magic weapon, wielding four elements and some beast''s characteristics," Lucien said confidently cashing the emperor''s body the shudder. They are numerous magic weapons and magic types of equipment that buff a person''s physics capabilities while the rest grant elemental abilities but none has ever been able to that can be able to Replicate the abilities of magic beasts. Seeing the confidence in Lucien''s face they couldn''t help but shudder in fear as they considered the possibility of this kid pulls this off. While everyone was aware of the existence of the wind creek dagger created by Lucien, it can be considered a weapon of the lowest grade so naturally, no one took it seriously. "Are you certain you can do this?" Emperor Fei leaned forward even more as he asked. "If I can get an equipment that can wield the power of four elements and two general level magic beasts yes I am sure I can do it!" Lucien said firmly. If it were in the past, Lucien wouldn''t dare do but now he had no intentions of letting this opportunity pass by! He nned to recreate the Raizen n family heirloom but an even more powerful weapon that only he can use! _______________________________________________________ Xiu! The trio appeared in arge yet abandoned room filled with so many weapons of different qualities, Lucien could swear everything here would be worth at least hundreds of thousands of gold coins! His eyes sparkled lol that of a little child as he ran over to the Orchilium and Dusnalt grade weapons searching for the perfect one to pick. "Why are there no Dantai grade weapons and equipmenthere?" Lucien asked casually while looking around, leaving the emperor and Instructor Han stunned. How can a first-year student tell the difference between the weapon grades with just a nce? Unknown to them, the system revealed the grade of each weapon as he sets his eyes on it. With a nce, he could tell Instructor Han was wearing a few orchilium grade pieces of equipment and a piece of single Dusnalt equipment which could be considered extravagant for the mere instructor but Lucien found It reasonable for him to have all that when his greatest ally is a wealthy emperor. "You can tell the grades of magic weapons just by looking at it?" Instructor Han asked with a raised eyebrow. "The only Dantai grade pieces of equipment in the empire are worn by me at all times" Emperor Fei said casually. "And I guess you have something that masks your gear since I can''t see them, Unlike that of instructor Han" Lucien said while shooting the emperor a long gaze. [WARNING!!] [Magic gears are hidden Upgrade the system to improve its capabilities if you wish to bypass obstacles like this] Sighing ruefully, Lucien turned his attention to the weapon section of the room, searching for the perfect equipment. His eyes stopped at the ck cylindrical hilt which reminded him of the Raizen n family heirloom. "This is perfect but it''s a Dusnalt grade weapon" Lucien said as he picked up the deless ck hilt. "As long as you have a fifty percent chance of seeding, I don''t mind what grade you pick but I wish to know what your ns for the future are" Emperor Fei asked with a stern face. In his opinion, Lucien is no longer the kid he uses to be in the past. Not only has he grown far stronger than he and instructor Han ever imagined but he has also gathered enough achievements to get the attention of every prominent person in the empire and probably beyond, so the emperor saw no reason to treat him like a child anymore. Instead, he chose to see the kid now as a potential threw and Rival! Someone actually capable of taking his title if care is not taken. "Me? My ns? Let''s see Graduate, destroy the Raizen n head and take his position and finally defeat you and be the new beast emperor!" Lucien said with a sly smile on his face. Chapter 71: Habakiri Chapter 71: Habakiri Listening to his reply a vicious grin bloomed on the face of the emperor as he felt his blood boil. As someone who has ruled for over five centuries, the emperor has always wished to be confronted by capable challengers who can force him to push himself to his limit and beyond. He needed rivals amongst his people who would make him work harder than usual and give him a reason to cultivate more but that has never happened until now. "Good, good You can have it but I wish to witness you forge the magic weapon now after that, we can then have a look at your second request afterward" Emperor Fei said calmly and Lucien nodded in agreement. The trio went ahead to teleport to the royal forgemaster hall, having in it numerous forging tables of high quality! Without wasting much time, Lucien moved towards a forging table and picked up a carving knife. Using the magic forgemaster tool, a name was inscribed on the ck hilt, spelling out the name Habakiri boldly. "Let us begin first!" Lucien muttered as he began carving his strange triangr forging symbol on the forging table. Just like before it was a mighty triangle at the center with many mana circuits to allow the mana flow properly and then three other minor triangles at the edges of the main triangle! The emperor watched him carve some strange symbols in an ancientnguage that they couldn''t understand and finally, the eye symbol was carved into the center of all four triangles. "La-tuEs-F-or-mash" Lucien spoke words they couldn''t understand, causing his eyes to re up with powers alongside the formation set. Without wasting much time, Lucien ced the ck hilt on the center of the formation, and on the two lesser triangles, the wind and Lightning element appeared but on the third, something different appeared. They were the miniature version of the nightmare demon, The hell hound, and finally the Raizen god beast. Xiu! Just like before when he started forging, Lucien felt darkness loom over him and from the darkness a pair of scaly blue eyes yanked open while gazing down on him. He instinctively left what he was doing for the time being and turned around to meet the gaze of this creature. Both of them locked eyes for only a few seconds before the being shut its eyes and merging with the darkness again. His actions were something the emperor and Instructor Han found strange but they were too busy studying the formation that they didn''t have time to ask what was going on. "And for the final part" Lucien muttered as he tapped the hilt lightly and used his mana to carve mana circuits within the hilt and a mana core. This is to make the weapon ept foreign mana that can help boost the efficiency of its abilities. "Merge" Lucien muttered lightly as he watched all the power flow towards the hilt, releasing a bright rainbow color light so bright that the ck hilt cannot be seen DING! [CONGRATULATIONS] [Top grade mid-tier magic weapon forged] [Give the weapon a name] Seeing the notifications a smile bloomed on Lucien''s face as he turned his attention to Emperor Fei and Instructor Han, nodding with a bright smile to tell them he seeded. "Habakiri" Lucien said. DING! [Forging sessful] [Mid-grade magic weapon forged] [Name recorded] [Habakiri] [Durability 50/50] [Abilities] [Grants the user ess to the fire, wind, lightning, and darkness element ording to which he channels into the weapon] [The user can also channel is beast assimtion techniques through the weapon for an enhanced effect] [Input your soul print] "Status" Lucien called out dryly [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 50] [HP: 65/65] [MP: 25/85] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 2670] "Sure enough forging a mid-tier magic weapon consumes quite a lot of energy" Lucienmpooned as he felt light-headed. He turned his attention to the emperor and Instructor Han who has been silent since and shot them a sweet smile before saying. "If you are willing, we can go test it out now" He said with a slightly pale face. The emperor and Instructor Han shot each other a nce since they didn''t know how to respond. The entire forging process is just too foreign for them to learn anything and something told them that if they should just replicate Lucien''s actions that they will fail to create a powerful magic weapon just like he did. With no choice, they agreed to his offer and the trio was teleported to the training grounds located at the edge of the royal castle. There Lucien stood face to face with instructor Han while the emperor watched from the side with great anticipation in his eyes. "Burn!" Lucien''s eyes turned scorching orange color as a ming orange whip formed out of nowhere. Instead of directing the attack at instructor Han, Lucienshed out on one of the dummies on the field, purposefully, barely grazing it. This action left the emperor and Instructor Han confused but then they saw a glowing orange light where the fire whip hit. It kept glowing brighter and even brighter until it exploded violently! BOOM! The dummy exploded, leaving chills running down instructor Han''s spine as he couldn''t help but imagine if he was hit by this attack. Without any form of defense, his weak body will be ripped apart by the explosion. Turning his attention to those around, Lucien revealed a charming smile as he let the habakiri fall into his omini pocket zone. "That is just the main ability of the fire element when using the habakiri there are more to it but I don''t n to show" Lucien said making the two elders curse him from the depths of their hearts. "As we agreed I sessfully forged a magic weapon at the same level as that of family heirlooms Now for my second request" Lucien said calmly and slowly. "I need your permission to leave the empire for a week, I should be back before school resumes" Lucien added after a short while. Listening to the strange request, the emperor and Instructor Han were stunned. They couldn''t help but wonder what Lucien had in mind or the reason for him to try and leave the empire. Soon they began thinking of him getting invited to another empire secretly but ruled out the thought since they believed if a spy could get in, they can also get out. Countless possibilities shed through their minds for a few seconds. "Stop! I can''t do this anymore! It''s not healthy" Instructor Han said. "Why don''t we just ask him, instead of letting our imagination run wild?" Instructor Han added. "Why do you want to leave for a week?" Emperor Fei calmed down and asked. "Have you heard of the Talis vige just north of the empire?" Lucien asked lightly. Hearing his response, the emperor calmed down as he finally understood why Lucien wanted to leave. ''He is already making ns for his future Trying to gather as many sealed artifacts as possible? This kid is interesting'' The emperor thought. "It''s too dangerous It is said that the sealed artifact there should be a grade four or grade three sealed artifact while it may not be enough to attract the attention ofrge forces, it is enough to gain the attention of local gangs and minor ns trying to improve their strength! You cannot go!" Instructor Han said with a stern look on his face. BOOM! Lucien''s eyes red up with various colors as the images of the Raizen god beast, the general level hell hound, and the general level nightmare demon, appearing all at once above his head. Aura of various colors exploded from his body creating a mild shockwave that made the clothes of everyone present flutter. They watched as Lucien grew a pair of silver wings on his back with the ws of the hell hound and little clusters of darkness gathering around him thanks to the power of the nightmare demon. "I am not weak" Lucien said with a stern look on his face. "You heard him he''s not weak" Emperor Fei said with an excited grin on his face. In his opinion, Judging Lucien''s strength, he sincerely felt like Lucien should be able to defeat any average second-year student. He sincerely felt that Lucien has a chance of survival and he was pretty sure this journey will help improve his strength and his wealth of experience as well. "I will let you go two conditions" The emperor said calmly. "What?" Lucien expected something like so he wasn''t too shocked. He deactivated his abilities and let his aura settle down before reply with an indifferent look on his face. He could only hope the emperor''s condition is not too tasking. "First of all You will let me put a soul-seeking seal on you That way you can alert me if you are in trouble by sending your mana into the seal" The emperor said calmly. "Deal" Lucien agreed instantly. He nned on asking for a way of contacting them before he left since he was aware of the dangers of traveling this far as well. Chapter 72: An expedition Chapter 72: An expedition Lucien can be called a lot of things but stupid isn''t one of them. He was well aware of the dangers outside the empire since its filled with different mythical and legendary beasts, Organizations that exist outside the three empires, cults, and extremely dangerous individuals! Only a fool will believe that his strength is enough and won''t put up countermeasures. So when the emperor offered the soul seal, Lucien didn''t hesitate to ept the offer with joy. "What is the second option" Lucien asked why trying hard to mask his excitement. "You will give me details of everything that happens in this expedition...We are aware of your little affair with Instructor Emma took the initiative to meet you and give you far more benefits than you are willing to tell us, before inviting you to help her" Emperor Fei said with a sly smile on his face. Hearing this Lucien''s face flushed red violently as he looked away in shame. Seeing the cute expressioning from someone like Lucien served as one of the most delightful sources of entertainment the emperor has gotten involved with throughout the long week. "Don''t tell me you didn''t know the main purpose of the Crux? Apart from providing assistance for The students, it''s also a means through which we monitor the activities of our students and potential spies in the academy" Instructor Han said calmly. "I know that already! I just wasn''t thinking at that moment" Lucien practically whispered those words since he had lost the courage to speak up. Seeing the subdued and ashamed side ofLucien, the emperor and instructor Han couldn''t help butugh their hearts out, making him feel even more ashamed of himself. "Did you also hear about the side effects of the be as assimtion ability?" Lucien finally spoke after watching themugh for close to a minute. "Yea If your spections are true, then you a truly a blessed man! I am so envious of your luck!" Emperor Fri cried out dramatically and Instructor Han nodded their head in agreement repeatedly. "How?" Lucien was dumbfounded since he wasn''t expecting this type of response. He never expected these two elders to be so shameless. "No how! Do you know how nice it feels to be able to do whatever you want with as manydies as possible without the Norma fears we men have to endure every day?" Emperor Fei asked with a stern face. "You have been blessed do not throw away this gift so casually" Instructor Han also spoke with a stern look on his face. "Shameless!" Lucien blurred out while taking a step back. He l never expected these two elders whom he looked up to would be able to ruin their perfect image in his head in just a few seconds! "Concerning the second condition, you have to be careful with the human friends around you Brian and Instructor Emma included" Instructor Han said in a serious tone. "Why?" Lucien was stunned by the sudden change in Instructor Han''s expression. "You underestimate your fame in the empire now Most humans, if not all see you as the doom and a gue that will befall all humans that''s why many noble families tried so hard to recruit you, in a bid to make you humanity''s greatest ally" Instructor Han exined calmly. "Since you failed to respond to their summons and many requests, it is safe to say they view you as a threat that needs to be eliminated" Instructor Han added calmly. "He''s right when Instructor Emma approached you, Instructor Han watched closely, just to make sure she harms you in any way"Emperor Fei said. "But she didn''t" Lucien said hurriedly causing the emperor to reveal a kind smile. "I understand that she''s your first and its only natural you develop some sort of feelings after everything that happened between you two but you shouldn''t let your emotions cloud your judgment that''s quite dangerous and can lead to an unexpected end" Emperor Fei said calmly while rubbing Lucien''s silver hair gently. It was only at rare moments like this did Lucien act his age, show anxiety and uncertainty and during this moment, the emperor didn''t mind filling up the role of his parents andforting him. "It is very unlikely that miss Emma would try to hurt you within the academy since Dean Fei Xio is always watching but that''s not the same outside the empireIf she knew you had such a strong connection with the emperor I am sure she would have never approached you" Instructor Han continued only after Lucien had calmed down. "As an instructor, she has the authority to form a small expedition group and embark on missions outside the empire So far she had recruited three third-year students and then went ahead to skip the second year before meeting you directly I sincerely wish I am wrong but it is very suspicious" Emperor Fei exined. "You are strong but not invincible! You need to be careful when you go out there" Instructor Han said "The expedition may take far more time than expected but no one cares you are an excellent student already the first-year sses are a waste of time for someone like you, so don''t rush back until you have imed that sealed artifact in my name" Emperor Fei said those words. ----------------------------------- Lucien returned to the academy a different man. He seemed colder than usual, making even instructor Han feel ufortable but there was nothing they could do about it. It is necessary he knows that truth and prepares himself for the worst. Upon reaching his room, he contacted Instructor Emma using themunication bracelet she got for him and agreed to her offer. They agreed to leave the empire the next morning and set out for the sealed artifact before the other forces im it for themselves. Lucien spent a good part of the night in silence as he pondered on the possibility of instructor Emma trying to get rid of him. He slept off that night with a broken heart and a tear rolling down his face but he woke up the next morning colder than ever. Arriving at the war mage ss meant for fresher''s Lucien was met with three new faces but he wasn''t moved. One worepletely ck attire with flowing ck hair and purple aura, with a nd Lucien was already aware of this person''s identity. He was the current heir to the dimir noble family, Alucard! Just like that Lightborn family exists, a human Noble family with members who only use light elements, the dimir family is a human Noble family that has only family members capable of using only darkness magic. These unique families in breed to make sure their lineage remains pure and this increases the chances of having offspring with dark magic as well. By his right was a brown-haireddy, who could be considered average in terms of physical endowment so Lucien didn''t bother focusing on her, he quickly shifted his gaze to the mountain of a man dressed in expensive noble attire. He had arge circr face with a thick mustache and bald head giving him a dangerous look but Lucien didn''t get fazed by the presence of these third years. His eyes shifted to Instructor Emma who was standing at the podium while waving at him with a loving smile, making his heart tighten and his eyes narrow. "So you are the famous Lucien Raizen abandoned by his n, yet still making a name do himself You don''t look much though" Alucard said calmly while approaching. His words were sharp and vicious just like his eyes. He wore a ck sleeveless mage robe with a ck feather coat draped over it meanwhile Lucien wore a silver sleeveless mage robe with the academies insignia imprinted on the right side of his chest. "Okay" Lucien replied coldly as he walked past Alucard without sparing him a nd, leaving everyone stunned! A first year dares to disrespect a powerful third year without any sign of remorse. "You dare walk out on me!" Alucard roared as his eyes let out bright darkish purple light. Bang! Darkness aura exploded from Lucien''s body, taking the shape of the nightmare demon above his head. His eyes turned ck as ck clouds beta gathering above them while his aura skyrocketed. "This kid is strong" The third year girlughed seductively while licking her lip "The rumors were not exaggerated, it seems you can truly consume the abilities of the magic beasts you defeat" The mountain-sized third year student said calmly while gazing at Lucien with an amused look on his face. "Enough of thatSince everyone is here let''s leave this ce first" Instructor Emma said as the teleportation pod on the podium lit up and she walked in without sparing them a nce. She noticed the cold nce Lucien threw at her when she waved so felt ufortable. She couldn''t ignore the possibility that Lucien suspects that she''s nning to kill him in this expedition. Chapter 73: A glimpse of my strength Chapter 73: A glimpse of my strength While the others stepped into the teleportation tform, Lucien and Alucard remained unmoving. While Lucien just didn''t fancy anyone looking down on him, Alucard was more interested in the power of the nightmare demon Lucien revealed. It is said that the magic beasts are the favored ones of nature and for that reason, their magic is purer and more powerful than that of humans and beast-men. To think that Lucien would still maintain the purity of the power! This is something he never expected. "I guess I was wrong You are something special! As expected of a grade one artifact" Alucard said as the intense aura around him vanished almost instantly. Seeing his enemy has powered down, Lucien released his power as well and turned around without bothering to respond, walking towards the teleportation tform. Climbing the teleportation tform with Alucard, both of them were teleported to somewhere new. Xiu! Lucien found himself in front of the northern gate, where he was met with a smallpany of red armored knights from both the beast-man race and the human race. They were speaking with Instructor Emma but Lucien was too far to hear but he didn''t even bother trying. "Wow" Lucien muttered as he gazed at the mighty northern walls which were as tall as a magic tower with many magical symbols inscribed on them. This made him wonder how Blink and Clovis with the other ten invaders were able topletely obliterate the western walls just to invade the empire. He began reevaluating their strength but then a thought struck his mind. ''It wasn''t that they were that overpowered Their main strength came from their weapons which they imed belongs to their masters. What if their masters return to get revenge for them and the other ten I killed?'' Lucienmpooned in his mind. "Hey How about joining the dimir family?" Alucard said while patting Lucien''s shoulder, forcing him to flinch. He turned to meet Alcuard''s cold and detached eyes void of any emotions and his voice is the only way through which Lucien could tell what this youth is feeling. "Why? Just a moment ago you wanted to rip my head off" Lucien didn''t reject outrightly since he found Alucard''s personality intriguing. "Well, that was until you showed me the power of the nightmare demon If you showed me any other magic beast''s power we probably would have been tearing each other apart by now" Alucard answered truthfully with a nod. Listening to him speak Lucien couldn''t help but feel astonished by the guy''s honesty, he found it refreshing "So what is so special about the nightmare demon?" Lucien found the conversation interesting so he had no reason to stop now. "It is not the nightmare demon that I find interesting It is you and whatever sealed artifact gave you this power To be able to keep nature''s blessing with the magic This means your shadow magic is purer than anything my family possesses" Alucard said with so much passion, Lucien began thinking this youth has a split personality disorder. "And that''s why you want me to join? A beast-man joining a human family doesn''t say good things about your family, especially one who many believe will bring about the destruction of humanity in this empire" Lucien said in a low tone. "Nonsense! Be it human or Beast-man we are all from the same empire I don''t know what many may think but the dimir family believes in the emperor''s dream An empire where both humans and beast-men can live in peace. So if you have the qualifications to join my family, I see no reason for us to push you away because of your race" Alucard said with a stern look on his face. Lucien could feel the sincerity in Alucard''s voice that he almost agreed to join instantly, but he managed to suppress his emotions enough to give a response greater than what he has given anyone. "I will think about it" Lucien muttered. "I APOLOGIZE BUT I CAN''T LET YOU TAKE A KID WITH YOU!" Alucard was about to respond but then he was interrupted with the words of one of the red knights. The man shoved instructor Emma aside while he approached Lucien with malicious intentions in his eyes. As a human at a reasonable position in power, he finally got the opportunity to look down on a beast-man so he wasn''t going to let this opportunity slide. "Hey, kid Get back on that tform and leave Now!" He growled upon reaching Lucien but to his greatest surprise, Lucien didn''t move. Judging based on the ck feather on the helmet of his armor, Lucien could tell this person was the captain of this little squad. Apart from Instructor Emma, he was sure this man was oblivious of the identity of everyone present in Instructor Emma''s squad, he probably thought they are all simple. [Name: Charles Homes] [Race: Human] [Role: Fighter] [Realm: 5th sky of the warrior realm] [Current Emotions] [Proud] [Happy] [A bit wary of Everyone in your group] [Spiteful] [Disgusted] "I am Lucien A former heir to the Raizen n. You don''t have to worry about my safety" Lucien replied calmly and tried to walk past the man but to his greatest surprise, the red guard captain unsheathed broadsword and used it to block Lucien''s way. Originally he was scared that Lucien may be from one of the top beast-men ns but realizing Lucien''s identity he found no reason to hold back. Not only is the youth a beast-man whom he hates so much, but he is also a beast-man without any backing! He can deal with Lucien any way he pleases and no one willy a finger on him. At most he will be scolded for his actions. "WHAT DID YOU SAY PUNK?" The man growled with veins visible around his neck. Instructor Emma wanted to step in but seeing the expression on Lucien''s face, it was like he was asking her not to. Also, Lucien noticed that the other three members of their team had no intentions of stepping in. Not because they hated him but simply because they saw this as an opportunity to see what he is really like. Meanwhile, the captain of the red guard misread these signs of thought his fellow humans are on his side and that''s why they turned a blind eye to his actions. "Charles Homes For a fighter at the 5th sky of the warrior realm, you are quite noisy" Lucien''s eyes let out an orange light BOOM! Charles was too shocked by the fact that Lucien knew too much about him that he failed to react on time and could only watch Lucien''s fist strike his armor! Metal bending sounds could be heard as the Charles was sent flying meters back from a casual blow from Lucien! "Captain!" another red guard mage roared as he summoned a ball of fire and shot it towards Lucien. [Fiery death skill activated] "Weak!" Lucien''s voice deepened as the image of the hell hound appeared over him and his hands were engulfed with fire and death element! BANG! Not hesitating Lucien threw a punch at the fireball, shattering it effortlessly, leaving the youth stunned. "Let me show you what a real fireball looks like" Lucien said as he yanked his eyes open and huge balls of fire began to form around his mouth. [Fire ball skill activated!] Lucien spat out a human-sized ball of mes, surging towards the red guard mage. Seeing the ball of mes, the mage dashed towards it boldly as he threw his fists engulfed in mes forward. BOOM! Everyone watched him getting knocked into the air by the mes, throwing him a few meters back, leaving an injured youth with strong burns injury. "Impossible! Loren is at the 2nd sky of the warrior realm! How can he lose to this kid in terms of overwhelming power?" One of the red guards said in shock. The other red guards were about to move but they were blocked by Instructor Emma and the other members of their team. "Me Weak? Let me show you a glimpse of my strength" Lucien said calmly as he walked towards Charles Hommes. Spits! "Bastard! You keep overestimating yourself! You must be tired of living!" Charles growled as he shot towards Lucien with his broadsword in his eyes. His eyes lit up with power and he quickly changed his stance too abruptly as he tightened his grip on his weapon. Martial skill: de dance! Swiping his sword at Lucien, countless waves of scythe-shaped wind des were shot at Lucien. ROAR! Hayai-ken; third form; Limitless wind fists! Lucien growled like an actual beast as he threw his hands forward, releasing countless after images of fists covered in orange mes struck all the wind des, shattering every single one of them. "A fighter like you dares get in my way I think it''s best you vanish now" Lucien muttered calmly as the three images of the Raizen God beast, Nightmare demon, and finally the Hell hound. Chapter 74: Nightmare eater! Chapter 74: Nightmare eater! "Demon!" Charles screamed in fear as he watched Lucien''s body rise above the ground. Lucien''s eyes red up with various colors as the images of the Raizen god beast, the general level hell hound, and the general level nightmare demon, appearing all at once above his head. Aura of various colors exploded from his body creating a mild shockwave that made the clothes of everyone present flutter. They watched as Lucien grew a pair of silver wings on his back with the ws of the hell hound and little clusters of darkness gathering around him thanks to the power of the nightmare demon. "You call me weak, yet you are the one on the floor begging for mercy? Trash like you shouldn''t be allowed to exist!" Lucien growled as he began to descend while spinning violently [zing me wheel skill activated] Soon Lucien waspletely engulfed in mes looking like a miniature meteorite descending from the heavens. Captain Charles cried out in fear as tears poured down his cheeks and snort rolled now his nostrils all the way to his lips. The fear of death was so overwhelming that he even ended up shitting himself but all that didn''t matter now since he was going to die anyway. "THIS IS NOT YOUR RAIZEN CLAN BOY! YOU CANNOT DO AS YOU WISH!" A loud voice boomed in the skies a light green sword energy shot across the skies and struck the ming wheel! "Aaahh!" Lucien cried out in pain as he shot out of the fire, rolling a couple of times on the ground before he finally stopped. [-30HP] He spat out a few mouthfuls of blood while struggling to get on his feet, revealing a stab wound on his tummy. ''This strength is beyond the warrior realm! A mortal realm expert! Why is a mortal realm expert here?'' Lucien''s mind raced as he tried to piece everything together and try to understand what is going on. The gap between realms is always much and now he is forced to face someone two realms above him! The only reason he survived that previous attack was that he had the body endowment of two general-level magic beasts yet he was injured to this level! ''There is no time to cry like a child! I can only keep pushing now!'' Lucien screamed in his mind as he watched the enemy appear from the massive northern wall! "Hahahaha! Is that all you can do? Attack a human realm mage from behind? Cowards!" Lucienughed in a crazed manner, revealing his white teeth which were covered in blood. Rising to his feet, he once again summoned the power of the three magical beasts under his control as he watched the man dressed in ck and red knight armor belonging to the sworn enemy of the Raizen n, The Lucardo n! Brandy Lucardo ignored Lucien''sment and went straight to captain Charles. Upon getting closer he perceived a foul odor from his subordinate, allowing him to quickly guess what might have happened. "Pick yourself up, we are leaving! All of you!" He ordered. Brrrrrrr! "Hahahahaha! Leave? I don''t remember giving any of you the permission to leave!" Lucien growled as his eyes turned pitch-ck as he stretched his hands towards Captain Charles''s direction. [Nightmare eater skill activated] Lucienughed viciously as some sort of dark fog escaped Charles''s body flying straight into Lucien''s mouth. Whatever the ck substance was tasted extremely bitter but gave a warm feeling around his chest. He felt like his cultivation had progressed by leaps and bounds just by consuming the captain''s nightmare. DING! [Nightmare eater skill sessful] [+300exp] [Shadow skills strengthened] [+10MP] [+10HP] [Host has beenpletely restored!] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 50] [HP: 75/75] [MP: 95/95] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 2970] They all watched in horror as the fearful captain suddenly lost all colors on his face fell to the ground, dead the next second. He had taken no more direct attacks from Lucien but still died. At this point, they all remembered this was one of the abilities of the nightmare demon called the nightmare eater! Who would have thought Lucien would use such an ability in a ce like this and at a time like this! "So the rumors of you having grade one sealed artifact was true" Brandy Lucardo turned his attention to Lucien after he confirmed that Charles is dead. As a member of the Lucardo family and a knight in the emperor''s army, it would be a thing of shame if he lets Lucien get away with the murder of a guard under the service of the empire! As for Instructor Emma and the other third-year students, they were all left in a daze. They thought Lucien would only give the man a good beating, they never expected him to kill him off without hesitation! The situation has escted beyond their control and right now they can only act as observers while hoping they don''t get dragged into this matter. "What of it? It doesn''t matter since you won''t live beyond this day" Lucien said boldly as he slowly levitated off the ground with his silver wings pping gently and the gentle breeze making his shoulder-length silver hair flutter. Hearing his words, left everyone dumbfounded, including the Knight! Judging only based on Lucien''s words they could tell that the youth actually nned on taking on the mortal realm expert with just his human realm cultivation. This is unheard of in every part of the continent and even those considered prodigies and geniuses fight those only a realm above them, not two! "The moment you chose to cross des with me, you chose death!" Brandy roared as his eyes let out green light and he took a stance! Sword Art: First strike! Unsheathing his sword and sheathing it so fast that It can barely be seen, Brandy released an arc of green warrior aura at Lucien at a speed that would leave anyone helpless and pretty much dead! Chapter 75: Domain spell Chapter 75: Domain spell "Habakiri!" Lucien growled as his eyes let out a bright blue light. [Habakiri summoned!] A silver light spawned around his right hand and a mighty lightning whip appeared in his handshing out on the green arch of energy! BOOM! The two attacks collided and exploded at the spot, releasing a powerful shockwave that knocked even Lucien out of the air, forcing him to fall to the ground violently [-5HP] ''He stopped it? What magic weapon is that? The Raizen n heirloom?'' Numerous thoughts crossed the mind of Brandy Lucardo and the other numerous observers around. Everyone had expected Lucien to be killed by the quick sh attack but to their greatest surprise, Lucien was fast enough to keep up with the enemy''s attack and even take it on directly. "No wonder he dared to challenge the Lucardo Family knight" Alucard said with a cold expression on his face watched the battle. Anyone who paid close attention to him would notice his body kept trembling asionally due to the excitement in his heart. Lucien far surpasses his expectations! Meanwhile, Instructor Emma remained silent with the others as they kept gazing at the magic weapon in Lucien''s hands! It was not inferior to noble family heirlooms in any way! DING! [New quest acquired!] [Defeat the Lucardo Family knight!] [Rewards Unknown] "It''s not over yet!" Lucien growled as heshed out at Brandy once again, aiming to split him apart with the lightning whip. Peng! Brandy chose not to retreat and charged towards Lucien. In his opinion, it is the magic weapon that is powerful and not the user! If he can get close, it will definitely be over for him. While trying to parry the attack with his sword, he watched the de of the sword getting shattered into a thousand pieces upon contact, forcing him to crouch just to dodge the lightning whip. ''Not enough!" Lucien said as the lightning whip switched from lightning to fire! Lashing out violently, Lucien released countless attacks at the target but not even one hit. The Lucardo family knight was fast enough to dodge each and every one of them but soon, everyone noticed a pattern! Lucien''s attacks were never directed at the man but aimed at his surroundings. Seeing countless scorch whip marks on the floor, a sly smile appeared on Lucien''s face as he flicked his fingers and muttered. "Explode!" BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! While the area around the knight was rocked with countless explosions, Lucien dared not stay idle, instead, he began preparing his next attack! ''This weapon is just a strong as noble family heirlooms! How can a child with no background get his hands on something this precious!'' Brandy Lucardo growled in his heart while he used his aura to minimize the damage received from the explosions. He began cursing himself for not bringing his real equipment with him. Since he felt he would be dealing with a Human realm mage with no background, he picked up a longsword and even wore normal armor, since he didn''t consider the youth a threat! But now, he couldn''t help but regret his decisions! "Aaaaaahhhhhh!" Brandy roared as he poured out all his mortal realm aura at once! Creating a shockwave blew away the mes around him. At this point, those watching couldn''t help but cover their lips with their hands! No one expected a mortal realm expert to be reduced to this level in just a few exchanges. Most of his metal armor has broken off, revealing his bloodied body with burn wounds, meanwhile, he held a broken sword tightly, gazing at Lucien from a distance with a hint of despair in his eyes as he saw the threefold silver magic array. "I know they spoke of the sealed artifact that allows me to assimte the power of magic beasts I kill but I am sure they failed to tell you about my proficiency in casting tier-three spells!" Lucien said calmly while looking down on the knight with a hint of disgust in his eyes! "Tier 3 wind magic: Gale Zone!" Lucien growled as his eyes let out a bright light and countless wind domes filled the space around them, stretching up to a kilometer farther was transformed into a chaotic wind zone with so many twisters, Hurricanes, and tornados, even Instructor Emma and the others were forced to retreat while trying not to get caught in it! "An original spell! A domain one at that!" Instructor Emma couldn''t hold back her shock this time so she just blurted out those words without any remorse for Brandy Lucardo who was currently struggling desperately within the gale zone. It took a lot of effort from him to remain grounded and not getting tossed around like a child! Unlike normal spells that directly affect the user or the enemy, domain spells affect the environment around them, forcing the enemy to fight in an unfavorable condition. Fortunately, Lucien had nothing else to do with his time so he decided to create a domain spell of his own. Gazing at the duo within the gale zone it looked like they were standing on the clouds surrounded by countless twisters and tornados. Brandy Lucardo remained calm and hid all his insecurities in a bid to avoid getting consumed by the nightmare soul eater skill just like Charles. He watched as Lucien''s zing whip vanished and was reced with nothing? NO! His eyes widened as he poured his energy into the broken sword and used it to block the invisible attacking from the side! Getting struck by the wind whip, Brandy was thrown off his foot and then the gale zone took effect! Everyone watched as the mortal realm expert was getting tossed around by the twisters and Hurricanes in the gale zone! He tried as much as possible to gather his power and directly destroy the domain spell but each time he tried to focus, Lucien would assault him repeatedly with the invisible wind whip, making this man suspect that Lucien is somehow able to tell whenever he''s trying to perform an attack that will shatter his gale domain! Unknown to him, Lucien was only acting each time he got the warning notification from the system! Chapter 76: Ghost town Chapter 76: Ghost town Lucien frowned as he and his team walked past the northern gate of the empire rather smoothly. After the event of today, no one dared look down on him because he''s only a first year. They could remember that Lucardo family knight struggling to break free from the wind domain spell and Lucien shing off his right hand with his invisible wind whip. He was nning to finish him off but then Instructor Han of the academy appeared with a few royal guards and the old Lucardo family head. Many expected Lucien to be punished but instead, he was treated with respect and asked to forget the matter and continue with his expedition. If it were only an instructor from the academy who came and took Lucien''s side, everyone would have just assumed the academy was protecting their student but this time, the Lucardo n head was involved in this matter and even then he treated Lucien with respect! Seeing that is enough to make people wonder what was Lucien''s rtionship with the Lucardo n or if this an attempt by them to get in the prodigy''s favor. ''This is my way of thanking you, for protecting my grandson during the test he would have been dead if it weren''t for you'' The words of the Head of the Lucardo n echoed in Lucien''s ears while he walked silently. Although those words were sincere, he couldn''t understand why the old man of the Lucardo n was unusually happy when he arrived, and even after seeing everything that happened the smile only widened. "You did great today They call me Titan" The huge third-year said out loud while walking forward and not bothering to look back. "And I am Lucy! Nice to meet you" The brown-haired girl said. She had an average looking face and wrapped green clothe across her chest and a short green skirt. It was at this point that Lucien realized that this was the first time he was actually looking at the rest of his teammates since their journey began. Seeing the green waist beads thatplimented her delicate hips and had no footwear on, Lucien swallowed hard as strange thoughts kept creeping into his head but he did well to suppress it "She''s an earth element usermaybe you have heard that people with the earth element prefer to wear less sing they believe that their senses and control over the earth element increases with the less amount of clothing they wear" Titan said. "Does it really work or is this an excuse for you to wear less?" Lucien asked casually. He has never heard of something like this so it was very reasonable for him to be suspicious of it. "hahaha hahaha!" Everyone around except Lucien beganughing. What was funny wasn''t the fact that Lucien considered such an outrageous rumor to be true but it was his straightforward question! He didn''t even bother sugar-coating his words! These are the signs of an innocent young man! Someone who Lucy found attractive! "Young powerful and promising definitely my type" Lucy muttered softly while licking her lips only to realize Instructor Emma''s murderous re was pinned on her. During the day''s Journey, Lucien got to know more about them but refused to reveal too much about himself and the magic weapon Habakiri. He was still cautious of them and they understood his reasons and chose not to judge. ________________________________________________________ It waste that night and they decided to camp deep within the forest! In normal situations, a first-year like Lucien should be terrified or at least ufortable, but to their greatest surprise Lucien didn''t even show any hint of fear, neither did he reject the n of camping in the dark forest. Around the campfire set were mud houses, serving as a tent which Lucy created with her ability.The team gathered around the campfire and summoned food stored there. Lucien watched them bring out all sorts of delicacies but all he pulled out from his omini pocket dimension was tworge pieces of steak, with a small jug of water. "You really love meat" Titanmented while the others nodded in approval. "Since I was little I only at steak only on very rare asions do I eat something else" Lucien answered truthfully. "Why do you do things like this?" Alucard asked. "Because I enjoy meat" Lucien was a bit confused by the question. The others shot each other a nce as they all silently suspected the same thing. What if the artifact that gave Lucien the beast assimtion ability is slowly turning him into a beast! Lucien soon understood the reason for the strange res and restlessness on their faces. "Don''t be stupid!" Heughed. "I have always been like this even before I got the sealed artifact I can assure you nothing changed" He added. Saying this, Lucien expected them to calm down but contrary to his expectations, their fear in their eyes deepened as Instructor Emma asked. "Are you sure you were never a monster from the start?" She said. "Yea I heard you destroyed the affinity checking orb during the test your affinity for your primary and secondary elements are just too strong that''s definitely unusual" Alucard said. "Aaah! I also heard you could perform the shift at a very young age! They said you had an unusually strong link to the Raizen God beast" Titan added. Hearing all of this, Lucien pped his face with his palm while wearing an extremely frustrated expression on his face. He felt like jumping over and ripping the trio to shreds but he wasn''t confident he would win the fight so he decided to endure. "Okay, okay! No more teasing him" Instructor Emma said after she noticed the frustrated look on Lucien''s face. She soon remembered that this boy is still the same Raizen n family heir, who is considered a genius andcks a sense of humor, so joking around this way will only infuriate him. "Have you all heard of the Ghost town?" She said. Chapter 77: Another method of cultivation? Chapter 77: Another method of cultivation? "Ghost town?" Lucien asked with a raised eyebrow. Instructor Emma hoped to get the attention of everyone with this story and it seemed to work since they all gathered around and gazed at her with expectant eyes. "Yes! A town haunted by ghosts!" instructor Emma said in a spooky way. Hearing this, Lucien and the others moved back and gazed at Instructor Emma with doubtful eyes. They were never the type to believe in the supernatural or spiritual part of life. Like people who only relied on their strength, magic, and resources to get things done, they never made time to study the spiritual aspect of life and that''s why they were skeptical about the story. "Are you messing with us now?" Lucy asked with a frown on her face. "I am not joking around I have to admit that this is the first time for me to go north of the empire but you have to believe me when I say I am not making this up. Everyone I have met who has traveled through this area said the same thing! The ghost town exists" Instructor Emma said. "Seriously? What makes them call it the ghost town?" Lucien was intrigued by this and decided to enquire further. In his opinion, no form of power should be undermined or looked down on. As long as he has enough time, he is willing to learn more. "I am not sure if you guys know about this but our method of cultivation is not the only way avable.." Instructor Emma said with a stern look on her face. "What do you mean?" Titan asked with a frown on his face. Studying his expression it seemed that the youth is already pissed off by the revtion without even getting to know the details. While many would find this strange, Lucien found this reasonable since it meant that they weren''t given much of a choice before forcing them to choose a path. "I mean there is what we describe as the spirituality pathways Unlike us who focus on strengthening our body and magic These people focus on strengthening their spirit and soul power. Their attacks are rarely physical, most times they direct their attacks towards the enemy''s soul or directly attack one''s consciousness" Instructor Emma said. Listening to this, Lucien and the others were a bit restless since they found it hard to digest this information. Who would have thought something this powerful exist? "Since they don''t cultivate the body and magic, doesn''t that mean their mana is weak as well as their bodyShouldn''t that make them weaker than us?" Lucien asked thoughtfully. No matter how amazing it is to have attacks that directly affect the soul, Lucien wasn''t impressed by an ability that doesn''t directly protect the body. "I guess that''s why it''s not been used in the three great empires They just deemed it too weak for anyone to cultivate" Titan said coldly while leaning back,showing hisck of interest in the subject now. ''A few seconds ago he was pissed off because he didn''t know but now he knows, he just lost interest like that isn''t it dumb to write someone or something off based on little information gotten from an unreliable source? This guy is dumb and he will most likely die early'' Lucien muttered in his mind "Yes, but their abilities are moreplicated than that while there are many paths within the spirituality pathway ranging from the seer pathwayto the demon kinpathway shaman pathway and all that it''s even more diversified than that of our own" Emma answered. ''Seer pathway?'' Lucien''s body trembled as he heard that name. If the seer pathway is one of the spirituality pathways doesn''t that mean the system has ess to such a secret and demonic pathway? If he upgrades the system will he be given ess to other spirituality pathways? Didn''t the system call their cultivation pathwaymon back then in the beginner area? Does that mean the spirituality pathways are more powerful? Is it even allowed to practice this pathway in the empire? Lucien had so many times raging through his mind, leaving him stunned for too long. "If it''s so great, why don''t we practice it?" Alucard seemed rather annoyed by the way Instructor Emma was trying to make the spirituality pathway look grander than it should. In his opinion, if it''s that amazing, every empire would try to nurture people who have a talent for these powers In his opinion, since it has never been mention publicly by anyone in the empire, it''s only because it''s not worth their attention. "You all truly do not know?" Instructor Emma asked with a raised eyebrow. Drawing their attention "Know what?" Lucien and the others asked at the same time, revealing their confused expressions or their faces. "I guess noble families also keep this a secret from their heirs and members of their families while those from normal or poor backgrounds are just too poor to know this much" Instructor Emma said with a frown on her face. Hearing her say things like this, made these people more interested and eager to know. "Come on say it!" Titan was rather impatient but because of Instructor Emma''s identity as an instructor, he had no other choice but to lower his voice as he made the request. "The three great empires once joined hands to battle these people from the spirituality pathway right after the empire has been shared and they realized that these people consume most of thend in the central region of the empire, yet they were soundly defeated and the various emperors injured," Instructor Emma said. She stopped in a bid to let the kids absorb the shocking revtion since she knew their heads would be flooded with so many ideas, theories and thoughts. Not only was one empire defeated but three empires were defeated and the three emperors were badly injured! Who would have thought the human emperor would ever decide to stand with his beast emperor counterpart. Chapter 78: An ambush? Chapter 78: An ambush? "This is really something" Alucard said with a face filled with doubt and confusion. He wished he knew more and was eager to go back home and confirm whatever Instructor Emma just said. "Impossible" Lucien muttered while rubbing his forehead. All his life he has always seen the Beast emperor as his greatest rival. Someone who he must surpass and only then will he be satisfied with his strength. But now Lucien finally understood something important. Using the emperor as his peak goal is a mistake that has been stunting his growth for a long while. He had a system created by a being that surpassed the god realm, yet he still chose to pick the emperor who is yet to reach the realm of the gods as his rival. "How dumb have I been?" Lucien muttered in shock as he began reevaluating his beliefs and life goals. He had a system that assured him of reaching the celestial realm as long as he follows its orders but what he found a bit disturbing is the possibility of the system trying to revive its creator through him. This is a possibility! The entire campsite was as silent as a cemetery as many pondered on Instructor Emma''s words. They felt like their whole life was a lie and Instructor Emma was beginning to regret letting them know such a secret. "You talked about the seer pathway What''s it all about?" Lucien tried to act normal and eat while asking the question. "Eerrrm All I know is that the seer pathway is considered one of the weakest paths in the spirituality pathway at the lower level it allows the user to see the possible past, present, and possible future Thest time I made contact with one of these strange cultivators it is said that the seer path is not really too impressive and no high-level cultivator of that path has been seen whether it gets much stronger as you go is something I don''t know" Instructor Emma said. Listening to this Lucien nodded casually and didn''t ask any more questions. He could see the mood here was too negative so he rushed his food and ran into his hut only to be greeted by an unexpected sight. To his greatest surprise, the small-looking hut which he expected to be small and crappy inside was actually huge inside with enough space for a king-size bed and other things. "Could this be the work of spatial magic or was the tent created with special properties?" Lucien muttered since he remembered them setting up a tent before using the earth magic to create a hut around it. "Doesn''t matter anyway though it would have been nice if we had this during the test" Lucien muttered as he said on his bed. His eyes let out a bright silver light as a magic circle appeared on the bed. From it, the me pup slowly emerged, looking rather energetic the moment it saw Lucien Woof! The little magic beast pounced on him, licking him relentlessly causing Lucien tough while trying to get the magic beast off him. After the dean and the instructors arrived at the beginner zone to save the students, they went ahead to kill off all the general-level magic beasts in the area, leaving behind only a few soldier-level ones. With this din, Lucien finally decided to leave the me pup behind since the beginner area is safe again and he won''t have a problem dealing with any magic beast that troubles it ______________________________________________________ Lucien slowly yanked his eyes open as he stared at the me pupying on the ground with its paws ced on the yellow beast core. It was the core of the general level Hell hound which he nned to use in creating a magic weapon but he soon changed his mind. Right now he needs a capable partner, so he believed it''s best to let the me pup feed on the energy of the core and quicken its cultivation speed. Watching the cute me pup sleep while absorbing the energy from the beast core, Lucien couldn''t help but smile. He had to confess that this expedition is way better than the test since this time he has three third years and an instructor with him. The camp is surrounded by a barrier capable of taking a hit from a tier-three spell and outside the barrier are various warden trap magic arrays of different kinds, even Lucien wasn''t confident of reaching the barrier if he had evil intentions for them. Knock!. Knock! Knock! "It''s open" Lucien answered dryly. Lucien shifted his gaze to Instructor Emma''s approaching figure and a frown appeared on his face. "How can I help you?" Lucien asked coldly, startling the Instructor. She didn''t know why Lucien has been acting cold around her and why he seemed cautious of her. She took a step forward and almost instantly threefold magic arrays appeared around Lucien forcing her to stop. "What''s wrong?" She asked "I apologize if I am overreacting but as the only beast-man in a team filled with capable humans I think it''s best we stay away from each other until this is over" Lucien said with zing blue eyes and lightning bolts circling his body. Instructor Emma watched this youth for a while and didn''t know how to respond. She didn''t know what or who spoke to Lucien to make him this cautious of everyone but it hurt that he didn''t even trust her. "Do you really think I would go all through the trouble of creating memories with you, Just to shatter it? I am not from a noble family, I had no one while I was little I worked my way to the top, not caring what the nobles thought of me! A human with no background is hell and it hurts that you think I will work with those bastards who made my life worse than hell!" Instructor Emma screamed, startling Lucien. He didn''t expect thisdy to let out her emotions here and now, he was going to respond but then the ground trembled violently! "The barrier?" Lucien muttered. Chapter 79: Spirituality cultivators! Chapter 79: Spirituality cultivators! Something is trying to break into the barrier!" Instructor Emma said with a deep frown as she stared at Lucien. Both of them exchanged nces before Lucien quickly released the me pup, sending it back to the beginner area and putting the beast core into his omini pocket son, and then dashing out of the room. "What the hell is happening here," Lucien asked upon seeing Titan, Alucard, and Lucy gazing at the distance with a shocked expression on their faces. [WARNING!!!] [Enemy has utilized the spirit wolves skill It is only a matter of time before the barrier falls] Seeing the notification, Lucien''s facial expression turned gloomy since he found it hard to believe that a barrier that can take attacks of tier three spells will crumble under the power of some so-called spirit wolves. "The spirituality cultivators are attacking!" Lucien said as he turned to see a stunned expression on Instructor Emma''s face as she gazed in the same direction where the others were looking as well. "What the hell" Those were the only words Lucien could say as he turned to that direction only to realize that the so-called spirit wolves are not as simple as it sounds. They were at least 2 meters tall with zing purple fur and deep blue eyes. Using their massive ws, the three spirit wolves relentlessly bombarded the barrier with a flurry of w attacks. "Each strike is equivalent to the power of a tier-three spell" Lucy muttered in fear while taking a few bold steps back. Ding! [New quest acquired] [Survive this encounter] Seeing the quest details, Lucien frowned and took a step back. He never expected to see a quest like this since he knew the implications. Thest time a quest like this appeared it had to deal with the general level hell hound. The system concluded that Lucien is not strong enough to face the magic Beast head-on so it asked him to survive and back then he was only able to win due to the help of Brian''s magic weapon, dawn. ''The system believes I can''t win this fight and that''s why it''s trying to get me run but with the help of these people we have a chance'' Lucien said in his mind. He could remember the system apologizing for doubting his ability after the hell hound was defeated and gave him the omini pocket zone as a reward. Lucien couldn''t help but wonder what special gift he would receive from the system if he seeds in defeating these people this time. "Titan focus on defense, Lucy, you support, meanwhile Instructor Emma and Alucard will be our firepower while I create an opening since I am the one with the highest survivability here and movement speed" Lucien said with a vicious grin on his face while gazing at the spirit wolves. "Isn''t he a little bit too excited?" Lucy asked as she gazed at Lucien with a doubtful look on her face. The others nodded in agreement to her words but they didn''t bothermenting. Whoosh! A mild gust of wind gathered around Lucien as his eyes let out a silver light. A smirk appeared on his face as his body slowly left the ground and rose into the air. The wind gathered blow forming a visible cloud, allowing him to remain airborne. "This is my first original tier 2 spell Wind magic: wind rider" Lucien said calmly while gazing into the eyes of the spirit wolves. [The Beast assimtion system will not work on the spirit wolves since they are not actual magic beasts] It was like the system read his mind and gave him an answer to his question even before he could ask "He already has an original tier 2 spell and he''s only a first-year Jokes apart this kid is a monster" Titan said as he gazed at Lucien who stop gantly on the cloud beneath his feet. "Yea I am pretty sure he doesn''t know how terrifying his growth speed is that''s why he unts his power around without a care . If he knew how many people are envious and terrified of his growth speed, he wouldn''t dare use his powers in public" Instructor Emma said while gazing at Lucien''s back. Bang! Bang! Boom! "They broke through!" Lucien growled as he charged forward, carrying behind him and a powerful gust of wind! Roar! One of the spirit hounds growled and pounced forward Grrrrrrrr!!!! The air around Lucien trembled as dark clouds formed above and rained down bolts of lighting on him. His eyes turned blue as his body jerked back in a bid to create some distance between him and the spirit wolf. Seeing the massive purple wolf lunging forward with its ming ws a sinister smile bloomed on Lucien''s face before he activated the most powerful offensive spell in his book "TIER 3 LIGHTNING MAGIC: ZEUS!!!" Lucien growled as a mighty bolt of lightning appeared in his hands as he struck forward. Boom! [-15HP] The collision between the two created a force powerful enough to send both sides flying hundreds of meters back [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 50] [HP: 60/75] [MP: 65/95] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 4000] Lucien was thrown off his wind cloud but before he could hit the ground the wind clouds gathered beneath him, preventing him from hurting himself further. Puti! Lucien felt his vision turned blurry and his body shivered as he spat out a mouthful of blood. He turned towards the direction of the shadow wolf only to see the hole on its hand and chest close up easily. A bitter smile appeared on his slightly pale face as he got to his feet and levitated slightly higher than the level before. ''Tell me something about the enemy'' Lucien muttered in his mind. [Your enemy is from the spirit medium path in the spirituality pathway They can channel power from the spirit world to summon their spirit beasts these beasts can only be harmed with soul damaging abilities or by getting rid of the summoner] ''That means the summoner is hiding somewhere close right?'' Lucien asked [Affirmative] The system replied promptly, causing a vicious smile to appear on his FAC. "I will deal with the spirit wolves The summoner is hiding somewhere close by" Lucien said with a sinister smile on his face. Chapter 80: Strength of an instructor! Chapter 80: Strength of an instructor! "How does he know that much?" Lucy asked with a hint of surprise in her eyes while she gazed at the back of the man standing above a cluster of clouds. Just like her, no one knew how Lucien could tell that the person who summoned the spirit wolves is close by or how he could tell that the enemy didn''t just transform into the wolves. "Instincts" Lucien said as he gazed at the three spirit wolves approaching. "Let us try this again Habakiri" Lucien growled as he shot towards the three spirit beasts. With zing orange eyes, Lucien who into the midst of the three spirit beasts even before they could react. "Burn away!" Lucien growled as he turned to see a massive purple w descending from above. A fire whip appeared from the cylindrical ck hilt and he quickly flung the whip at it forcing it to retreat after both attacks collided. Roar! Lucien heard a loud growl and he felt the threat of death looming over his head! "Get back!" Lucien growled as he turned while flinging his fire whip charging at him. Bang! What looked like a messily fire whip had enough strength to force the second spirit wolf to back retreat by a few steps. Bang! [-20HP] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 50] [HP: 40/75] [MP: 65/95] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 4000] Before Lucien could react he was knocked off the wind cloud, sending him crashing on the ground. Puri! "Hehehe!" Lucien muttered as he spat out a mouthful of blood while watching the two-spirit wolves charging forward. "Explode" Lucien flicked his fingers strangely as he said those words. Bang! Bang! While the first spirit wolf lost its hand, the second lost a reasonable portion of its head where the me whip struck earlier. Whoosh! The third spirit wolf jumped over the others, leaping towards Lucien, with its purple sharp ws sticking out dangerously! "Vanish!" Lucien growled as his eyes let out an orange light while the figure of the general level hell hound appeared behind him. [Fiery death skill activated!] Whoosh! From the habakiri, a zing whipced with darkness aura surged forward reaching two meters long! Lucien with a sinister smile brandished his whip at the spirit wolf, splitting it in two. "Well, I guess I won''t get the chance to catch my breath until they seed!" Lucien muttered as he noticed that the two-spirit wolves that were injured earlier are done regenerating! Seeing the third one that just recently split in two had already gone halfway in regenerating its injuries, a bitter smile crept on Lucien''s face. "I guess I can only hope they take down the summoner soon" Lucien muttered with a bitter smile on his face. _______________________________________ Whoosh! Instructor Emma moved at an astonishing speed as she and the other students slid on her icy trails while they searched for the summoner. "Left!"Lucy said with glowing white eyes. This was one of the main abilities of a scout called seeker! Through an active spell, the scout can trace the source through the mama link binding the spell and the caster. While spirituality cultivators do not use mana, they still make use of soul power which is only slightly different in color. The team kept moving forward under Lucy''s direction, following the three soul links but suddenly one vanished, and then something unexpected happened. "My god" Lucy muttered as she saw one of the purple soul links vanish and then from afar, she could see a massive swelling force of soul energy! "What?" Alucard asked with a hint of impatience in his voice! "She knows we areing!" Lucy screamed but it was already toote. The trees beside them were flung away effortlessly as a slender woman, dressed in primitive pieces of animal fur which covered only her private part, leaving her massive bosom dangling dangerously as he rushed towards the person she considered the main threat here! Titan! Maybe it was due to his massive stature or his overbearing physique and domineering face, the spirituality cultivators chose to take him out first. Boom! Stomping the ground hard she lunged into the air and there she kicked the air, shooting down like a meteorite! "Come!" Titan roared. As the heir of the Hammond noble family, known for their imprable defense, he refused to run from a challenge like this. Whoosh! A strong gust of wind gathered around his right, taking the shape of a massive rectangr-shaped shield made of wind that appeared in front of him. Whoop! Surprisingly, the moment that spirituality cultivators fist reached the windshield, her attack was diverted to a random direction and she was sent flying close to a hundred meters away! Bang! "&%&#%%$&" Thedy hit the ground hand and muttered some words in a strangenguage that sounded like she was cursing! Picking herself up, we were soon bombarded by numerous ice des, but none of those attacks could prate her skin but at least it forced her to retreat asionally. "Dark magic: Death scythe" Alucard said coldly as a cluster of darkness gathered in front of him. Putting his hand into the darkness and pulling back, Alucard revealed a ck scythepletely made of darkness aura! "This should weaken her!" He growled as he brandished his weapons at her, releasing numerous arcs of ck aura to assault thedy. Roar! Thedy let out a roar as the second soul link vanished and the image of a two-headed spirit wolf appeared with her within it! The attacks struck the two-headed spirit wolf but none could reach her. "@$%$#" Muttering those words calmly, they watched as the two-headed spirit wolf reduced in size while thedy''s body kept expanding and strengthening. Her eyes turned ferocious as her white set of teeth were reced with vicious fangs and finally her nails grew into ws. Roar! Boom! Her figure vanished and the next moment that ground where she stood shattered and exploded! Her body who forward, reaching Titan in mere seconds, and even before he could react, her hands curled into a fist and smashed through the wind shield in front of her, shattering the shield and sending Titan flying hundreds of meters back! "Titan!" Lucy screamed in fear and wanted to take a step back but the next moment, the beast woman was already standing in front of her. "Help!" Lucy screamed in fear as she tried saw the fist heading towards her face. Knowing she is not as physically strong as titan, she knew a punch from thisdy would leave her dead! Bang! The fist met a sturdy pir of ice separating thedy and Lucy!The punch could only leave a deep web-like crack that soon closed up. "$%&$&-$$" The spirit cultivator muttered in shock as she noticed that the entire field was covered in eyes and countless ice pirs kept circling the entire battlefield. "And who said you cany a hand on my students!" Instructor Emma said as her body levitated off the ground slowly. Her brown hair had turned snow white and her eyes were as white as snow. The entire area was experiencing a powerful Blizzard which left everyone apart from the spirituality cultivator shivering. "Do you think you can juste here and do as you please? I am an instructor of the Fotia empire! I will not be looked down on by a savage!" Instructor Emma growled as a massive ice spear twice the size of a 6ft tall human appeared over her head. "Mortal realm, 5th sky! She''s not too far from the spirit realm!" Alucard said with a hint of shock in his voice. All the instructors in the academy belonging to the fresher sses are usually at the beginning or mid-phase of the mortal realm but Instructor Emma was already at the peak of the mortal realm, a step away from the spirit realm! Then she will be able to challenge noble family heads! Who would have thought a peasant human with no background would be able to reach this cultivation realm without any backing and in such a short time! Tier 3 ice magic: scattering ice spear! Xiu! Releasing her technique, the ice spear shot down, carrying behind it a powerful chilly wind. "#%%##" Thedy growled as her body let out a bright purple light shooting towards the purple spell. Bang! Smashing into the ice spear, the spear was reduced to thousands of ice shards but even those ice shards began circling the spirit cultivator for a while before converging on her. Boom! The spirituality cultivator kicked the air, escaping the encirclement right before it could get too close. In a second she had reduced the distance between her and Instructor Emma, throwing a powerful blow but the attack was blocked by an ice pir. "In the end the physical far surpasses the spiritual!" Instructor Emma growled as the ice shards gathered together to form the ice spear again! "there is a reason it''s called a scattering ice spear" Bang! The ice spear smashed into the spirituality cultivator sending her flying even higher! "Fall!" Instructor Emma growled as the ice spear shattered and gathered above and returned to its original form before shooting into the spirituality cultivator, and pushing her all the way down! Chapter 81: You dare harm my woman? Chapter 81: You dare harm my woman? BOOM! The fall created powerful shockwaves and while the students below gazed at Instructor Emma with newfound respect, Instructor Emma remained focus on thedy who fell and beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. "I couldn''t pierce here." She muttered. The ice spear was created to impale, yet it couldn''t even leave a small cut on her body! "To think that she can directly resist tier-three attacks I can see why the three emperors were defeated these people are under-rated" Instructor Emmampooned as he watched the woman jump on her feet as nothing happened. She gazed at instructor Emma who was standing above and a vicious smile appeared on her face as the third soul link broke! Boom! The entire ground shattered upon the release of her destructive aura! "How is her power level still increasing?" Instructor Emma was this close to going crazy. "She is recalling her spirit wolves and merging with them for reach spirit wolf she merges with, her power increases threefold! She''s a monster!" Lucy said as she saw the two-headed spirit wolf evolve to a three-headed spirit wolf. Bang! Her body expanded and grew even more muscr as the small piece of clothing, shielding her private parts tore. "Wow! Someone give her something to wear" Alucard said while pretending to cover his face but still left some space for him to peep through. Even the wounded titan kept had a nose bleed upon seeing such a sight! Roar! Boom! The spirituality cultivator growled before shooting towards Instructor Emma and throwing a powerful punch! Seeing the iing foe, Emma wasted no time in retreating and even sent two ice pirs to block her path. Boom! With a single blow both pirs shattered but it was enough to stop the spirituality cultivator from reaching even farther, forcing her to fall to the ground. Boom! Hitting the ground, the spirituality cultivator only revealed a sinister smirk as she let her purple aura run wild, slowly shattering the ice that filled the battlefield. Bang! Bang! Taking two powerful steps forward she summoned at least twenty smaller normal-looking spirit wolves but this time the size of actual wolves and not the usual massive beasts Lucien had to face. "##$$" Muttering a single word, one of the wolves charged forward, recklessly shooting towards Emma who remained airborne due to fear of facing the fighter head-on! "Tier 3 ice magic: Scattering ice spear!" Emma growled as the massive ice spear took shape and shot towards the spirit wolf. Xiu! To her surprise, the spirit wolf was split in two by the attack and the two sides kept pushing towards her, running in the air wildly. "What the hell!" Instructor Emma muttered as she quickly summoned an ice pir to block their path but the two wolves performed quick side steps, sessfully evading the pir while reaching instructor Emma in a single breath! "No.." Lucy wanted to scream but she couldn''t find her voice... BOOM! A purple mushroom cloud appeared above as the two wolves explode and from it, instructor Emma could be seen falling. "She got knocked out?" Alucard said in disbelief since he never expected something like this to happen! Who would have thought it would take only one spirit wolf detonating itself to deal this much damage? "#$%%!" Thedy growled as three spirit wolves lunged towards the falling instructor Emma intending to end her life in one go! Whoosh! A figure shot down from the skies, standing atop a cluster of clouds and a ming whip in his hands. Lucien''s whip far surpassed that of the spirit wolves so he reached Instructor Emma first, carrying her in his hands as he turned to face the enemy. [Fiery death skill activated] Brrrrr! With a fiery whipced with darkness aura, Lucien poured in more mama extending the lent of the whip to over two meters. His eyes released a bright orange light as he struck forward, splitting all three wolves in two in just one go! "Hmph!" A confident grin appeared on the lips of the spirituality cultivator, as the spirit wolves split by his attacks began regrowing their lost limbs, multiplying from three spirit wolves to six spirit wolves. "You dare harm my woman! You must be tired of living! Explode!" Lucien growled as his eyes let out a bright orange light. The orange marks where the wolves were hit by his attack, lit up and exploded, consuming all of them in dangerous fiery mes. Puti! The spirituality cultivator shivered and stumbled back as she felt the link between her and her spirit beasts get severed forcefully. In normal circumstances, when they explode, their soul essence returns to her body since they are both linked, allowing her to create more spirit wolves almost endlessly but Lucien''s attack didn''t just cut them, itpletely obliterated them, leaving nothing behind and sessfully harming the summoner. Meanwhile, the petite Instructor Emma was in his arms blushing uncontrobly! She never thought Lucien would dare call her his woman and not in public either. She wanted to refute his words badly and save her image but she couldn''t forget the gracious scene of Lucien shooting down from the clouds and saving her life! It was just so romantic and Heroic ''The little punk actually cares about me'' She muttered shyly in her mind as she remembered the worried expression on Lucien''s face as he caught her and how furious he looked she he realized she was hurt. "That Bitch!" Lucy muttered as she finally understood why instructor Emma shot her a murderous nce when he kept looking at Lucien seductively. She also realized why she brought Lucien, a first-year along with her to such a dangerous ce and why she walked into his hutte at night. ''Have they done it before?'' Lucy couldn''t help but ask as her face turned red in anger and embarrassment. "Luckyd" Both Titan and Alucard said those words without any hint of anger or envy. They sincerely believe he deserved that much. "You! You dare harm my spirit beasts! You are dead!" the spirituality cultivator growled like a madwoman. While others couldn''t understand what she was saying and thought she was cursing because she got hurt, Lucien could understand her words clearly. He descended and passed over the hurt instructor Emma to Alucard before turning to meet the enemy. "I was out there, facing off three huge spirit wolves but suddenly they began vanishing one after the other so I assumed you guys must have encountered the summoner and that''s why he or she is recalling his or her spirit beasts t "I hurt your spirit beasts? You.. kill me? It''s a thousand years too early for you to start making such bold derations!" Lucien sneered as the fire whip in his hands. At first, everyone was stunned and it took them a short time to process what they just saw and after that, they all turned their attention to Lucien and asked "YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HER?" they all asked at the same time. "You can''t?" Lucien was confused by their questions but then he soon realized that this must be another feature of the system. He found this reasonable since the system knows much about their abilities, it should also be aware of theirnguage too. Bang! Thedy shot forward leaving behind an after-image, making many waves of panic but Lucien wouldn''t lose in a battle of speed! Whoosh! He who forward with his flying cloud as he swung his fiery whip at the enemy but she swiftly evaded by sidestepping and shooting forward almost instantly. "She''s got to him!" Lucy gasped. BOOM! The spirituality cultivator struck forward with so much force that it felt like the air exploded, but Lucien has already changed direction! Skidding go the side while flinging his fire whip at her, but she quickly stomped the ground,unching herself into the air before kicking the air and shooting down like a meteor! [Shadow hop activated!] Lucien''s eyes suddenly turned ck as the figure of the nightmare demon appeared over his head. The next moment he sank deep into his shadow and resurfaced from Lucy''s shadow while getting the chance to peep at her underwear. "Green not a bad choice" Lucien muttered into her ears from behind before walking past her and towards the enemy. Lucien''s sudden appearance behind her startled her and at first, she didn''t understand what he was saying but after a short while her eyes widened in shock while her face turned red. ''You perverted bastard'' She muttered softly while wondering why she was feeling happy this kid looked up her skirt. "Forcing me to use my sealed artifact thedy is quite capable" Lucien said while gazing at her bare body with lustful eyes shamelessly. "It''s a pity she has to die hereshe is a fine woman after all" Alucard said while walking up to Lucien and Titan nodded in agreement while following them. "Your magic weapon is the only thing that can harm her now we will support you and give you a chance to hit" Alucard said calmly. Chapter 82: Young master? Chapter 82: Young master? As much as Lucien would have loved to reject their help and do this alone he couldn''t help but confess that his chances of winning against the enemy when fighting alone are less than forty percent and the only way he can actually harm her is through the use of his magic weapon, Habakiri! "I am counting on you!" Lucien muttered as he stretched his hands towards the woman and tried to use a few skills. [Shadow steal skill activated] [Shadow steal skill failed] [Nightmare eater skill activated] [Nightmare eater skill failed] "I guess I have no other choice." Lucien muttered before covering himself in a veil of shadow and shooting forward. [Shadow Cloak skill activated] Bang! The spirituality cultivator let out an inhuman growl as she shot towards Lucien and her sixteen remaining spirit wolves chased after her tightly. "Tier 3 dark magic: Death grip!"Alucard growled as his eyes turned ck and a threefold ck magic area appeared beneath his feet. RUMBLE! RUMBLE!! RUMBLE!!! From below countless bony hands shut out of the ground, holding on to the feet of all sixteen spirit wolves. "what?" Thedy gasped as she stopped to see what was going on but then a massive skeleton hand shot out of the ground and held on to thedy restricting her movements. Her face darkened as she felt her strength getting drained and her soul power leaving her body. "You!" she quickly traced the magic and realized Alucard was the one casting the dark spell. Bang! She mustered enough strength to shatter the skeleton hand but before she could move, three morerge skeleton hands shot out of the ground when held her down once again. This time the rate at which she was getting drained tripled forcing her to fall on her knees because she felt extremely dizzy and nauseating. Bleh! Alucard spat out a mouthful of blood as he fell on his knees. His face was extremely pale, with purple veins bulging out from different parts of his body, including his face. "What the hell is wrong with him" Titan asked with a hint of panic in his voice. He didn''t see the enemy do anything yet Alucard got hurt, this made him consider the possibility of another enemy hiding in the shadows. "Alucard is more of a parasitic dark mage who uses his dark magic to drain the strength of others while improving his own at the same timeright now he''s draining the enemy of her soul power which is poisonous to us body and magic cultivators. His body will crumble soon at this rate" Instructor Emma said with an unusual calmness in her voice. "Then he should stop!" Lucyined with a panicked look on her face. "Do I look wick to you? This is nothing!" Alucard said calmly with a face void of any form of emotions. Blood flowed down his eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth as he sped his hands together and a fourth bone arm shot out of the ground and hell the hands of thedy, preventing her from using it. Whoosh! Lucien was already in front of the soul cultivator with the zing orange whipced with darkness aura. His eyes let out a bright light as he swung the whip at the woman but this time aiming for the head! If he can get this hit or just a bruise, he can end this fight in a matter of seconds! "No, wait!" Thedy panicked as she recalled all of her spirit wolves back to her body and from her body purple aura surged out violently, creating a three-headed wolf avatar with her, hiding within it! "I won''t let you!" Alucard growled with a dry voice as he summoned a fifth bone arm that gripped the three-headed spirit wolf avatar by the neck draining its strength and forcing it to reduce in size. "Shatter!" Lucien growled as his whip struck the three-headed spirit wolf releasing a massive shockwave. ROAR!!! This time it was Lucien letting out an inhuman raw as the images of the Raizen God beast, the general level nightmare demon, and the General level hell hound appeared around him as eagle wings appeared on his back, his eyes turned pitch ck and his skin darkened granting him even greater physical prowess! "What are you?" the spirituality cultivator asked as she watched the me whip slowly tore through her three-headed wolf avatar, making its way towards her face. Lucien remained silent and focused on his attack as he watched his mana drain at an rming rate that made his heart skip a beat. Slowly his me whip kept melting her defenses, making its way towards her face. A hint of panic appeared on her face as she saw the spirit of death hovering over her head. The spirituality cultivator had no choice but to release all her spirit energy for the skeleton arms to absorb. Arrgh! Alucard let out a loud cry as he quickly released his technique and fell to the ground, passing out immediately! "You!" Lucien growled furiously as he watched his ming whip tear through the remnants of her defenses, allowing his attack to reach her face but the bone hands binding her were, so the spirituality cultivator reacted quickly by crouching to evade the attack. "Die!" Lucien growled furiously upon seeing his attack had missed. He threw his whip to the air, getting ready to bring it down on the enemy but something unexpected happened. Thedy fell on her knees and bowed down respectfully while saying these words "Young master! I didn''t recognize it was you I will ept any punishment you deem fit for my actions" "What the hell?" Lucien muttered as he stopped his attack midway and focused on thedy in question. He could hear the sincerity in her emotional voice and another thing that stopped him from finishing her off was the notification he received. [The spirituality cultivator has noticed the power of the beast assimtion in the host and has recognized him as her master...] Seeing Lucien stop halfway left Titan and the others confused but seeing thedy bowing and unwilling to fight was even more shocking. She had released all the power of the spirit wolves stored up in her body, returning her to her slender, and alluring figure with her massive bosom pressed against the ground and her fat booty sticking out. "What are you doing? End her!" Titan growled but Lucien ignored him and walked towards thedy and squatted down before asking. "What did you call me?" Lucien asked calmly. Thedy looked up but did not dare to make eye contact with Lucien, there was a hint of joy in her expression mixed with a small touch of fear as well. Gazing at the strange-looking girl, Lucien didn''t know how to react. He has never seen someone act this way so he didn''t know how to respond. "Your soul energy is killing my friend Help him" Lucien said after giving the matter some thought. Thedy nodded hastily and stretched her hands in Alucard''s direction. Slowly, her purple soul energy surged out of her body, returning to her! Only then did Alucard start regaining his color but he remained unconscious. ''This spirituality cultivation is more capable than so many think it took a team of five just to suppress one of them and we have serious casualties on our side'' Lucien muttered in his mind as he secretly admired these people. DING! [Mission aplished!] [+1000exp] "What?" Lucien muttered absentmindedly. Didn''t he survive? Didn''t he defeat the enemy? Wait, no he didn''t! He was expecting more from the system but he soon realized he didn''t defeat her, neither did he subdue her, she just chose not to fight on her own ord. Doesn''t that mean if she continued that she would have emerged the victor? "Fuck my life" Lucien muttered as he got on his feet and paced around like a mad man. His reason for risking his life and that of the others ended up not happening so he felt frustrated. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 50] [HP: 40/75] [MP: 65/95] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 5000] Lucien gazed at his status and then turned his annoyed gaze and felt the urge to ask her to battle him but he couldn''t because winning won''t mean shit since the quest has already beenpleted. DING! [New quest avable] [Head to themunity of Spirituality cultivators and be their leader] [Rewards unknown] Looking at the mission, Lucien wished he could just bring out this system and deliver two hot ps. He began suspecting the system was trying to get him killed. He was about to argue with the system but then he realized thedy was still bowing, probably waiting for him to ask her to stand. A strange thought crossed his mind and he gazed at the girl for a while before reluctantly asking the question. "Who am I?" Lucien asked. "You are the god of all gods! The almighty Rakuzen!" Chapter 83: Tania Village Chapter 83: Tania Vige "Rakuzen? Isn''t that the name of the systems creator?" Lucien muttered in thought. He wondered if these people are actual believers of the celestial being and guessing from the way she spoke, Lucien understood that these people knew of the celestial beast''s downfall and they most likely believed in its resurrection. Standing on his feet, Lucien turned to Instructor Emma and the rest and said; "They think I am the reincarnation of their god or something because of my beast assimtion sealed artifact She will be taking me back to hermunity I think I need to check it out" Lucien said casually. Instructor Emma wanted to call him crazy and refuse but she saw the look on Lucien''s face and realized something. He wasn''t asking for her permission, he was telling her what he intends to do and not asking for permission. Even if she tried to force him to stop, she definitely won''t be able to go against the soul cultivator by his side. "This kid will be the death of us all" Instructor Emma mumbled before adding. "We areing with you" She said firmly. "We are?" Titan and Lucy blurted out in shock. In their opinion, they just survived the toughest battle of their lives(Even though they didn''t do much), so if Lucien is so eager to throw his life away over some hunch or words said by this spirituality cultivator let him die. "Chill You don''t have toe Alucard and the rest need to be taken care of You are hurt too you all need to rest and take care of your injuries as for me, you don''t have to worry I am confident I can escape if anything happens Also, I promise I won''t be gone for too long wait for a day give me two days at most this is something rted to my cursed artifact so I need to know" Lucien said while rubbing Instructor Emma''s hair gently. When he was done talking he summoned one of his numerous silver kimonos from his omini pocket zone and handed it over to thedy to wear, he had no ns running under the moonlight with a stack naked woman! .................................. Dashing through the dark forest lit up by the bright moonlight Lucien couldn''t help but admire the beauty of the so called ''Savage''dy he just traded blows with. In his opinion, thisdy could be considered one of the most beautiful human females he has met throughout his short life, more alluring than Instructor Emma not because she looked better but because she had this unique aura around her which Instructor Emmacked since she came from a more civilized society. "Why did you attack us?" Lucien asked as he tried to get the image of her wiggling butt off his head since he was already feeling hard down there. Hearing the question, thedy slowed down and turned only to realize the night''s breeze kept blowing up her silver kimono as she moved, revealing a lot but she didn''t seem flustered since she wasn''t really the type that wore much on good days. "Mymunity was attacked by a group of people different people like your people. My grandfather was hurt so I went in search of them and found you" She answered honestly. By the words, your people Lucien knew she didn''t mean Instructor Emma and the rest, he knew she was referring to other magic and body cultivators like himself. The question now is who would dare attack a vige filled with soul cultivators like her and even stronger ones. What stunned him wasn''t the guts of this mysterious group but their confidence! Should he be fair with his evaluation of their strength, he would say that each member of the invaders should at least be as strong as noble family heads in the Fotia empire. Many may not think much of it but it''s a very powerful force. "Do you know what they are after?" Lucien asked after giving the matter some thought. "You, My Lord" Thedy answered dryly while gazing at Lucien, trying to read his feelings through his facial expression. "Me? What does this have to do with me?" Lucien showed sincere confusion while he spoke, making the Lady nod calmly before replying. "We, the people of the Tania vige pray exclusively to the being that surpassed all gods to be a celestial being, capable of doing and undoing! We, spirit beast cultivators are as a result of his powers we belong to him But then the other gods feared ours and joined hands to bring him down Our lord, Rakuzen was killed and now many rumors are flying around about his reincarnation But we know that truth! ording to the prophecy, Rakuzen will bestow his power of Bess assimtion to whom he deems worthy That person will lead our vige to greatness and help us reim our good name we expected this person to be one of our own we didn''t expect Rakuzen to pick someone of your kind" She exined slowly. "Those who attacked our vige were looking for Rakuzen''s sessor we don''t know why but we don''t think they will treat you well if they get you" She said, leaving Lucien stunned. Not only did he just realize he is part of an ancient prophecy but he also found out his life is in danger for something he knows nothing about. "What are your intentions when you get to my vige? You are meant to protect our vige it is your destiny" She said but it sounded more like a plea in his ears. Lucien only nodded in agreement and said nothing else. The duo kept traveling for another hour but soon fatigue from their previous battle caught up to them, forcing them to sleep while Lucien used the shadow cloak and the module Q1 to keep the ability active and keep them safe while they sleep. The next morning, they continued traveling and only reached the vige in the afternoon, making Lucien wonder how far did thisdy go just to find someone that hurt her grandfather. He also put into ount the fact that these people were far stronger than her, meaning she would most likely be killed if she found them and attack those invaders as she did to them. With all that Lucien concluded that the girl he was traveling with for a while now can be considered dumb and rash, so he took note of that and followed her silently into the vige. Tania vige could be considered a small vige surrounded by about two to three-meter tall brick walls with no form of enchantment added to them. Following thedy who he didn''t even bother to ask her name, he easily gained ess to the vige while drawing the attention of everyone as he moved. His long shoulder-length silver hair and his snow-white eyes and expensive silver Kimono were not something they could ignore. As a formal noble, every step Lucien took and every movement he made looked so graceful not many could get themselves to ignore him. Soon a rtivelyrge crowd followed the duo until they reached thergest building in the town which should be the only castle here, looking old, tattered, and abandoned. With a nce Lucien could see green moss and grass growing on the walls, making him wrinkle his face in disgust. "Chenoa! You dare leave the vige without my consent ande back with a man who doesn''t even know our ways?" An elderly man walked out of the castle with two guards following him tightly. He was bald, had very long gray beards, and looked so frail and fragile, he had to walk with the support of a cane. "Spirituality cultivation focuses on training only the soul, so the body still gets old and perishes but our cultivation focuses on the body and magic and that''s why we have people looking fifty while they are actually two hundred years old" Lucien muttered in understanding But the old man heard his words and frowned. "This little child has no manners! Maybe I should remind who your elder is" The old man growled as his eyes let out blue light and from his body erupted blue spirit energy which took the shape of a massive bear! "I didn''te here to be intimidated by an old man who can barely walk!" Lucien growled as his eyes released colorful lights and three spectacr creatures appeared around him. It was the Raizen God beast, the general level nightmare demon, and the general level hell hound! "The Lord has returned!" The old man screamed in ecstasy as all the malicious aura released by him vanished instantly. He threw his cane aside and fell on his knees. Just like him, everyone present did the same, including the youngdy who brought him here DING! [Mission Aplished] [Rewards] [Host has taken over the Tanaka vige and the people will die for you in battle! Congrattions!] DING! [New achievement unlocked] Chapter 84: Rakuzen returns Chapter 84: Rakuzen returns DING! [New achievement unlocked] [Step one to bing an emperor; You have gained the loyalty of a bunch of strangers, making them ready to fight and die for you You now have people you can call your own Congrattions! You have taken the very first step to be the beast emperor! +500exp & +10 Charisma] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm] [Charisma: 60] [HP: 75/75] [MP: 95/95] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 5500] DING! [New settlement found.] [Empi shop system locked Upgrade the system to gain ess to this] [Do you wish to upgrade the system?] "Empire shop system? What''s that?" Lucien muttered in his mind as he reluctantly agreed to upgrade the system. [-3000 exp] Right at that moment, all the messages look scrambled with all appearing in form of codes followed by numerous bell ringing sounds. DING! [Upgrade sessful] [Charisma converted to coins] DING! [+6000 COINS ACQUIRED] At this point Lucien felt strange energy leave his body while running through the entire vige, connecting him to every piece ofnd here. He felt a strong bond with this ce and the people, and for some reason, he could tell their emotions. "Wow" Lucien muttered before turning his attention to these people kneeling before him. He could tell they only acknowledge him as their leader since he has the beast assimtion ability but then that does not mean they respect him since he''s yet to prove himself. "Quite understandable" Lucien muttered as he walked past the old man and into the castle without looking back... Walking into this ancient castle, Lucien felt like he has been here before, not needing some sort of direction. He could tell his memories were ovepping with that of the Rakuzen making it hard for him to focus. Tap! Tap! Tap! Lucien could hear hurried footsteps struggling to keep up with his pace but he even bother slowing down. He directly went to the throne room and sat on the dusty throne while waiting for these people to catch up. "Lord Rakuzen!" these people screamed and fell on their knees but Lucien wasn''t impressed, neither was he moved. "I am not the Rakuzen you speak of, but he lives in my mind I am Lucien His sessor" Lucien said calmly, cashing them to shoot each other a gaze. From their facial expressions, he could guess they already knew this much, it seemed like they were only hoping that Rakuzen would be the one. Ignoring them, Lucien moved his attention to the system, hoping to get see what he can dowith the emperor Shop system. Opening it up, he was met with so many types of defenses ranging from magic towers to barriers, all having their own prices. He realized that the charisma points had been removed and changed empire coins, for the building and construction of an empire. "I heard Tania was invadedTell me what are wecking here?" Lucien shot a nce at the old man down there, he loved the throne since it was ced on a higher tform allowing him to look down on everyone. Hearing Lucien''s question, they all shot each other a nce with a hint of emotions welling up deep inside, they could tell Lucien''s strength was far inferior to theirs but as people who served Rakuzen, they knew the god had the authority of creation and that''s what made him amazing, that''s why it could create something asplex as the system. "When our Lord Rakuzen was still alive, our town flourished with great magic barriers to protect it from intruders since we spirituality cultivators do not have the ability to create things like that" The old man said. "I see" Lucien said while seated and not bothering to shoot them a nce. The first thing he purchased was a castle upgrade which cost about a thousand points. Suddenly everyone in the room saw some sort of power flow out of Lucien and into the castle making the entire ce tremble violently. "Stay calm its nothing to be worried about"Lucien said while hiding his excitement pretty well as he watched the old castle change. While those inside may not have noticed much except for the fact that the room expanded, all the cracks on the wall were fixed and the entire room was lit up by stranger magic formations inscribed on the walls. Those outside noticed that the old castle looked good as new and has even increased in size considerably! The moss and grass growing on the walls were gone and this castle constantly released mana waves across the entire settlement. "The creation authority! The young master inherited it too! He must truly be their sessor of the Rakuzen!" The old vige head cried out in ecstasy while bowing. Lucien saw that others doing the same while singing praises of the great Rakuzen and at that moment, Lucien felt something move within him. He clearly knew he wasn''t the one so his next suspect was the system and at that time he got a notification he didn''t expect to see any time soon. DING [Conditions met] [Sufficient power of faith acquired] [Lord Rakuzen awakens] Seeing the notifications, Lucien''s vision blurred and his head began spinning, forcing him to shut his eyes and act like his meditating while trying to battle the forces within him. Lucien soon found himself in a dark room with no source of light but then within the darkness, a pair of fiery blue scaly eyes yanked open, gazing down at Lucien who was like an antpared to it. His body stiffened as he tried to summon the power of the three magic beasts under his control but only the Raizen God beast appeared while the others he gained through the Beast assimtion system did not appear. "I guess this is where I do battle with you for control over my body I won''t say I am ready but I definitely won''t let you take it without throwing a punch" Lucien said while flexing his muscr shoulders and taking bold steps forward. Chapter 85: Life of Rakuzen Chapter 85: Life of Rakuzen Bright blue lighting circled Lucien''s body while small gusts of wind formed around him. With the wind rider spell activated, he created a cloud of wind beneath his feet, leaving the ground as he proceeded to rise into the air with thick blues bolts of lightning emitting from his hands. Fuuu! The Rakuzen blew some air towards him lightly and all that power and enchantments with the bad boy look got blown away easily. With his wind cloud blown away, Lucien fell to the ground and with a resilient spirit, he slowly got on his feet and looked a the pair of blue eyes without fear! "Don''t you dare think that will be enough to put me down!" Lucien growled. "You know one of the reasons I chose to have you as my sessor is because of two things you trust no one, unlike me who was backstabbed and defeated and two you never give up These are the two major qualities Ick and you have it. That''s why I think it''s time for me to retire and watch you aplish my dreams without lifting a finger" The Rakuzen said calmly. "I know you trust no one but this is ridiculous if I want your body I won''t need to be this dramatic to take it thanks to the power of faith I have recovered the sufficient amount of power needed to forcefully make this body mine and If I should ever do that you won''t even be able to resist." Rakuzen added. Only after hearing this does Lucien rx a bit with an embarrassed look on his face. He remembered that the Rakuzen is the reason why he regained his affinity to magic but on its first day back he treated it like an enemy. "I apologize I went too far this time" Lucien bowed respectfully while saying those words. "It''s okay I''m just happy to see you have grown quite well without my presence You are really talented enough to be my sessor" Rakuzen chuckled as the scene slowly faded and when Lucien yanked his eyes open he realized that some time has passed. "How long has passed" He asked gazing at the old chief sitting on one of the chairs in the throne room. Hearing Lucien he promptly stood up with a hint of relief in his eyes. After Lucien upgraded the castle he suddenly shut his eyes and passed out. They all assumed this was due to the stress of using the creation authority in such a weak body and many feared he would die in his sleep. "Three hours We feared you may be dead What happened?" The old man asked slowly. "I was pulled into a dark ce by Rakuzen for a quick chat" Lucien said casually as he stood for the throne and began making his way out of the throne room. "Lord Rakuzen!" The old man screamed at the top of his voice and fell on his knees, bowing with so much energy Lucien felt the old man would get hurt. "Don''t do that anymore, you are too old you will get hurt one day By the way, Rakuzen doesn''t bother himself with minor gestures like this serve me well and help me reach the peak that is your duty" Lucien said calmly. Seeing the way Lucien addressed their god, the old man concluded that Lucien''s rtionship with Rakuzen must be close for him to talk about him in that manner. "How can I be of help?" The old man asked. [The n vault Let him take you to the n vault!] Rakuzen cried out. ''Calm down old man!'' Lucien cried out in his mind with squinted eyebrows. "The n vault" Lucien said. The fact that he knew about the n vault was enough to stun the old man. What Lucien didn''t know was that the n vault is something none of them could ess since the death of Rakuzen. It holds the secrets of the spirit beast cultivation and their unique spirit weapons and precious soul cultivation materials. Because of the absence of these things, the strength of the n has been falling. "Come this way" the old man said as he walked past Lucien and behind the throne was a dusty old carpet which he kicked aside, revealing a secret underground chamber. Mumbling some strange words the old man poured his spirit energy into the concrete ground which promptly split open, revealing stairs that led down. The duo walked down the stairs for over twenty minutes making Lucien wonder how deep the underground chamber is. Once they reached the end of the long stairs, Lucien was faced with a massive metallic door with a small hole with a dragon head sculpture ced there. ''What the hell is this?'' Lucien muttered in his mind as he studied the magic formations set around the metal door! It was so advanced, he hasn''t even seen something like this in the empire. [I was born in this n I lived here, I grew up here and I made this ce great I was the first spirituality cultivator to reach the god realm, a realm which many assumed is reserved for only body and magic cultivators I created this vault and stored all my valuables hoping to help my people grow in exchange, they had to pray to me to gain ess to this ce, allowing me to get stronger through the power of fate! With arge empire that believed in me and prayed to me for almost everything I grew stronger rapidly, faster than all the new gods who I once considered my peers... In the end, I reached the realm protector level and with a little push, I stepped foot into the celestial realm, a realm which no one in this realm has ever managed to step foot in! But after my defeat, everything came crashing down Everything Ibored for was taken away from me and many forgot me] Rakuzen exined. While he spoke, Lucien shoved his hand into the hole and shut his eyes, concentrating as he prayed for the first time in his life. "Lord Rakuzen, God of gods The true ruler of this world Grant me ess to your vault" Lucien said with all sincerity. Chapter 86: Spirit beast cultivation master Chapter 86: Spirit beast cultivation master Hearing Lucien''s prayer, Rakuzen was moved. It has been ages since someone outside his n prayed to him ever since his downfall. [As you wish] Rakuzen steadied his voice as he answered Lucien''s prayer and let his energy flow into his body. Suddenly Lucien yanked his eyes open, revealing bright sky blue eyes. His aura exploded but this time it was sky blue and the faint image of Rakuzen appeared behind him gazing down at him. Seeing this all the doubt in the mind of the old man vanished as silently swore to serve Lucien since meant he would be serving the Rakuzen as well. They watched as the sky blue aura around Lucien''s body got pulled towards the iron wall by an unknown force. The various formations on the iron wall lit up as the vault slowly opened up. "What is your name, old man?" Lucien asked while gazing at the door open slowly. "A-Aponi!" The old man tried to hide his excitement as he watched the vault open! With this, there will be no more bottlenecks in their cultivation and with ess to their spirit weapons and precious cultivation materials, they will regain their lost strength and reach greater heights. "I am giving you a chance to make things right When this n regains its strength, spread the name of Lord Rakuzen across the world... I will do my part from my side" Lucien said with a frown on his face. He didn''t wait for Aponi''s reply and walked into the vault under Rakuzen''s direction, going for the only book in the room. It was Rakuzen''s diary which states everything he knew about the spirit beast cultivation path. Upon touching it, Lucien''s eyes turned silver as his body trembled greatly as thousands of information surged into his mind. He practically relived a reasonable portion of Rakuzen''s life while he was still a mortal and saw the entire stages of the spirituality cultivation pathway. He soon realized that their cultivation realms were no different from theirs, but the only difference was the cultivation method. While one side strengthens the body through magic and mana, the other strengthens the soul but drawing strength from the spirit realm. DING! [Congrattions on Acquiring the entire spirit beast cultivation pathway] [New stat added] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm] [Empire points: 5000] [HP: 75/75] [MP: 95/95] [SP: 5/5] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 2500] Thest stat meant soul power, gazing a the little bar Lucien couldn''t help but feel depressed. He felt like he was starting from the beginning in cultivation. His magical path has progressed as a cultivator but his soul remained weak. Taken a few steps back, Lucien realized that his senses have improved and his view of life was quite different now. He watched the entire environment only to realize that this environment was ovepping another. The so-called spirit world and the physical world exist in the same ce but different nes of existence. Shutting his eyes tight, Lucien focused on his body, trying to check the condition of his soul, he soon realized that his body may be strong but his soul was fragile. "This cultivation method is truly underrated" Lucien muttered. From what he understood from the Spirit beast cultivation method, a spirit beast cultivator can summon the spirit beast and this varies amongst users! From small beasts, these spirit beasts increase in size and attain special abilities as the cultivation realm of the summoner grows stronger. From what he could tell thedy who fought them with the spirit wolves is only at the peak of the warrior realm, yet she was strong enough to beat an enemy like Instructor Emma who is at the peak of the mortal realm! An entire realm difference! When one reaches a high cultivation realm with the spirit beast cultivation pathway, they can merge with their spirit beasts andpletely take their form. Unlike thedy who just used the power of the spirit beast to strengthen her physical body, a through master in this cultivation pathway can take the shape of the spirit beast. Lucien suspected that Rakuzen once had a human form and but decided to take the form of his spirit beast and remain that way. This is just one of the numerous paths under the spirituality pathway yet is amazing enough to make Lucien tremble with excitement. "I will be leaving soon so have people gather all that''s necessary. I am sure the vige is facing financial issues, take as much as you need but not too much Just enough to keep the town running smoothly... I will be locking the fault before I leave" Lucien said while gazing at the gold coins stacked in heaps at various corners, including golden pieces of jewelry and top-tier pieces of equipment that can be used to make top-tier magic equipment but Lucien didn''t dare touch anything. He couldn''t just return rich overnight. Castle upgrade came with a spawn spot set ok the castle, allowing him to directly teleport to the thrown room whenever he wishes. The problem now is that he''s not sure if he will be able to teleport back if hees here, that''s a problem for another day. [You are finally thinking like an emperor nice] Rakuzenmended making Lucien blush. Aponi was busy gathering things needed he considered necessary only to hear Lucien''s words. The smile on his crooked old face crumbled instantly as he turned to face Lucien with questioning eyes. "Don''t give me that look I am not from this part of the world I am from an empire that believes in the body and magic cultivation I still have a family and people over thereYou don''t have to worry, I will make sure people think twice before stepping foot into this ce" Lucien said before walking out of the room. Walking out of the underground chamber, the old man gathered a few of his most trusted subordinates and gave them a list of things that should be taken out of the vault. They watched this happen to make sure more than necessary was not taken away! These items included, Rakuzen''s cultivation diary, cultivation materials, arge sum of gold coins nearing a thousand gold but even that didn''t put a dent on Lucien''s wallet. Rakuzen was once a wealthy ruler who stored almost everything he found valuable, inheriting everything in his vault instantly made Lucien extremely rich, but the sad thing is that he couldn''t unt this wealth, if not people will ask for the source. He could only take a hundred gold coins out of therge sum of gold coins there. Storing them in his omini pocket zone, where no one can reach them. Once everything was done, Lucien proceeded to leave the castle with the old man after locking the vault. Stepping outside, Lucien had the system pull up the empire shop page where he can purchase empire upgrade items. Without hesitation, Lucien bought four mighty magic towers which slowly emerged from the ground. The people watched as the four massive magic towers appeared at the four cardinal points of the little vige. These towers were at least 170feet tall and at the top wererge green crystals filled with visible blue energy inside. Upon activation creation, these magic towers released a transparent some across the entire vige. "We arecking just one more thing" Lucien said as he made his final purchase of a thousand empire points. It was the Rakuzen God statue! This statue revealed the true shape of the Rakuzen who is always hidden in the shadow. It was a mighty stone statue of a Chinese serpent dragon, coiling around the massive vige castle while looking towards the gates. This statue was very lifelike, making anyone seeing it for the first time tremble in fear. These defensive measures drew power from the mana in the air, through this means, the barrier will forever remain active and the magic tower will obliterate anyone foe that appears a thousand yards away from the vige. Lucien didn''t necessarily know how the tower can differentiate between friend and foe but then he didn''t bother about it since all her has to do is trust the system. "You truly possess the creation authority of our Lord RakuzenWe are blessed to have you on our side" The old man said while bowing lightly. "Rakuzen what''s me to protect his people and rebuild the great empire he once lost as his disciple, I can only obey so there is no need for you to thank me" Lucien said calmly while gazing at the new defenses proudly. A strange thought crossed his mind and he remembered a certain question he has been longing to ask someone. "Hey, old man whenever I interact with Rakuzen we always meet in a dark room where I can only see his eyes why is that?" Lucien asked. "Haven''t you heard? None may look at God directly!" The old man replied with a surprised expression on his face. Chapter 87: The Creed Chapter 87: The Creed "None may look at God directly? What does that mean?" Lucien muttered in his mind as he was stunned by the sentence. [It means if you see me directly, you will die] Rakuzen answered dryly. ''But you are already dead You have lost most of your power'' Lucien argued. [Do not forget I was once a celestial being capable of sustaining his consciousness even a decade after his death I possess enough strength to repel the powers of a true god which crippled your cultivation and you still doubt my strength] As usual, Rakuzen''s voicecked any form of emotion so Lucien didn''t know what to make of it. He ignored the voice in his head and invited Aponi back into the castle, where he asked for information on those who attacked this ce. "They are called the Creed,prising of physical cultivators like you and spirituality cultivators like me Each member is at least in the spirit realm They all possess at least a grade 3 sealed artifact and could be considered extremely powerful warriors anywhere in this continent" Aponi exined calmly as he recalled the sh between him, the vige, and their members. There were only two of them but they managed to defeat every capable spirituality cultivator in the vige without even using their sealed artifacts. Lucien let his body sink into thefy cushion while pondering on the story he just heard. From what he understood, these people move in two''s and their total number is still unknown. Their teams are made up of spirituality cultivators and a physical cultivators with each covering the other person''s weaknesses. ording to Lucien, they are looking for Rakuzen''s sessor and when they realized he wasn''t here, they left. They should be making their way towards the Talis vige where the grade 2 sealed artifact appeared. Lucien took into ount that the enemy is aware of the experts from three empires and other ces are arriving yet they boldly go there, it meant that these people are confident in their abilities. Too confident or maybe Lucien is just overestimating them. [Its better to overestimate an enemy than underrate them] Rakuzen said calmly and Lucien nodded in agreement. "What do you n to do?" Aponi asked as he saw the dangerous light sh in Lucien''s eyes. "No one attacks my people and leaves in one piece I will show them that Rakuzen is not to be messed with!" Lucien''s voice changed as his eyes let out a bright blue light while he spoke. Listening to him Aponi was confused, Unknown to him, it wasn''t Lucien speaking but the man they served as a god. Rakuzen! As for Lucien dealing with the invaders, he didn''t know how to feel about it. Judging purely based on Lucien''s cultivation, he''s too weak to be considered a match for those two but no one at his level should be able to use the creation authority of a god to make thingse into existence with just a thought. In his opinion, Lucien may still have many secrets given to him by their Lord Rakuzen. So since Lucien has the confidence to make such a bold deration, he couldn''t only agree and silently pray for his victory. By the time everything was over, it was almost dark so Lucien retired to the king-sized room presented to him by the Aponi. He couldn''t forget what happened earlier today! Rakuzen had just snatched control from him and replied to Aponi''s question. Even if it was for a short moment Lucien couldn''t help but feel restless because he couldn''t even struggle against it. It was like he was ejected from the driver''s seat without giving him a chance to protest. He could onlyy low in the darkness of his mind and watch everything happen through the Rakuzen''s eyes. It felt, lonely and dark "Is that how you feel? Do you feel lonely back there?" Lucien asked white staring at the ceiling. [Yes it''s been centuries now but this silence and solitude is not something anyone used to] Rakuzen answered honestly. [I apologize for taking your body earlier today...I was consumed by my anger I had to be there one who answered the question] Rakuzen said calmly "It''s okay if I didn''t experience what it feels like to just sit idly in the darkness I would have been mad and cautious of you but now I think Ipletely understand you you were only able to regain consciousness because of the power of faith drawn from the people the moment they realized you have a sessor with that I don''t see you going back to sleep anytime soon" Lucien said and Rakuzen listened silently. "As long as you are awake, we shouldn''t have to stay in the darkness all the time...I think it''s best we share the body As long as you inform me before taking over I have no issues with it I believe you should feel the world too since we are partners I am more than happy to share this body with you" Lucien added. He was expecting a quick response from Rakuzen but surprisingly, the silence stretched for close to ten minutes before the Rakuzen spoke. [Thank you] That was all it said but that was more than enough to make a smile bloom on Lucien''s face. He covered himself with the white nket and was about to go to sleep but then the door yanked open and thedy who brought him to this settlement walked in. "Chenoa.." Lucien muttered in his mind as he watched the girl shut the door and lock it. Right before his eyes, she took off every piece of clothing on her and walked forward with a reddened face and an innocent look. "What.." Lucien could feel something warm rising within his pants and getting hard. He tried to suppress it while thinking of Instructor Emma but then he heard a voice. [Let me handle this] Rakuzen said. At first, Lucien was hesitant but then he considered it reasonable. As long as he isn''t the one that did it, it wouldn''t be cheating. Wam! Suddenly, Lucien''s silver eyes turned sky blue as the aura around him changed. The once timid and confused kid turned calm and collected as he took off his white sleeping gown and walked towards thedy stake naked. Chenoa felt the sudden change in Lucien and retreated by a step but Rakuzen was already standing right in front of her, holding her waist firmly. "You don''t have to be afraid little one it is I, Rakuzen" He muttered softly into her ears before nting a deep kiss which made her head spin. Soon her stiff body which desperately tried to resist, softened, allowing Rakuzen to pick her off her feet and gently ce her on the bed before going down on her. Moans of pleasure echoed all through the castle, it was so loud that even a deaf man would hear it! ----------------------------------------- The next morning, Lucien prepared to leave the vige and to his greatest surprise, Aponi had his granddaughter Chenoa follow him. He imed that Lucien needed someone to protect him and guide him in the ways of spirit cultivation... While his granddaughter''s strength was not that grand, no one could call her weak either. At first, Lucien wanted to refuse but since Rakuzen asked him to bring her along, he couldn''t help but agree. ''Just so that you know, Youpletely destroyed my innocencest night'' Lucien hissed those words in his mind and for the first time since ever, he heard Rakuzenugh out loud. [Consider this a bonus lesson The greatest part of a man''s body is his tongue if you can use it well, thedies will keeping back for more If you rely solely on your manhood, she would eventually meet someone with something bigger technique is necessary to assure sess while I was still alive as an emperor, I dominated at least fifty women during my time!] Rakuzen said Hearing this Lucien almost spat out a mouthful of blood due to anger. How can the mighty god of gods who everyone once feared and adored be so shameless and dirty? He began to wonder if this is the real Rakuzen or just a perverted evil spirit. "Was that really Our lord Rakuzen?" Lucien suddenly heard a voice that snapped him out of his daze. They have been traveling for close to an hour now on Chenoa''s spirit wolves and this is the first time that she has spoken to him. No, she had always avoided eye contact after what happened the previous night. "Yes the consciousness of Lord Rakuzen lives in me. It guides me and once in a while it takes control of my body to resolve serious matters" Lucien said calmly while remembering themando mode that activated while he fought the ck devil magic beast. He was weak back then but now he''s far stronger. Hearing Lucien''s reply a sweet smile appeared on her face as she promptly looked away while daydreaming of the amazing things Rakuzen did to her the previous night. To her, it''s an honor to sleep with her god even if it''s through the body of his sessor. Chapter 88: Lucien returns Chapter 88: Lucien returns Gazing at the ecstatic look on the girl''s face Lucien couldn''t help but conclude that this girl must be suffering from mental issues or maybe she hit her head somewhere hard the previous night. With no strength or will to look into this any further, Lucien shut his eyes tight and allowed the massive spirit wolf to lead while resting on his body. With his eyes shut Lucien began to cultivate his soul and spirit. ording to Lord Rakuzen, there are three ways of cultivating and increasing one''s spirituality for a spirit beast cultivator. The first has to deal with cultivation materials! Just like mages and other physical cultivators, there are many cultivation materials that one can use to quickly strengthen his soul and spirit but Rakuzen strongly advised against this. He imed that the most effective, yet dangerous way of cultivating has to do with the spirit realm. To draw the purest soul energy to nourish one''s spirit, the caster directly draws strength from the spirit realm. While normal spirituality cultivators that use cultivation materials only strengthen their soul, this method allows the soul to evolve, that way even in death the soul will live on. The third method has to do with artifacts with dark pasts, filled with malicious spirits and all that. Rakuzen imed that this will grant them arge boost in power. "Let us give it a try" Lucien muttered as he sat in a cross-legged position and meditated deeply. With his eyes, he could already see that the only thing separating the spirit and the physical realm is a thin veil so all he needs is a little push to send his soul over. [Be careful, the spirit world is filled with so many terrifying existences Even demigods proceed with caution when they enter the spirit world] Rakuzen warned in a stern tone and Lucien only nodded in agreement. He could understand what the system was trying to say to him and even though he is young, he is no fool. Sending his soul to the spirit world was no different from writing a suicide note and then pping a full-grown fire dragon in the face, hoping it won''t reduce you to ashes the next moment. Lucien''s body released a bright silver light invisible to the naked eye, but Chenoa could see it since she was a spirit cultivator. She watched as Lucien''s spirit gently tapped the air, leaving her confused. Watching Lucien repeat this action from time to time, she couldn''t help but look at him and wonder if he was just fulling around, but soon she slowly realized what Lucien was nning to do, making her face turn pale in fear. Skkkkkkk! The light veil was torn just enough to fit Lucien''s arm! Sticking his arm inside, Lucien began absorbing the pure soul energy of the spirit world. She felt Lucien''s body shiver in difort while his soul which was only a silver light with the shape of a human body began gaining other futures. The bright silver light lessened as he slowly became identical to the main body with the only difference being the little silver halo around his body. Wooo! Lucien''s body spat out a mouthful of blood as his soul shivered terribly due to the absorption of too much spirit energy! It wasn''t that Lucien''s body couldn''t absorb the spirit qi, it was just that he was absorbing too much, too fast, not even giving his body some space to digest what it has already received. DING! DING! DING! [Spirit realm has been added to the stats] [WARNING!!!] [Host has forcefully broken into the 3rd sky of the human realm in the spirit realm! Should the host make one more breakthrough in this manner, his body will be damaged and his soul will be overloaded!] [Lucien! Pull out!] Rakuzen growled but Lucien wasn''t responding. He was so focused on the feeling of his soul getting stronger that he failed to notice the damage it''s causing to his body and spirit. "Stop!" Chenoa cried out as she felt Lucien''s soul turning unstable and getting pulled into the spirit realm! ROAR! Lucien''s soul suddenly emitted a blue light, as a miniature human-sized version of a Chinese serpent dragon shot out of his body, wrapping around his soul tightly. "That''s enough for today kid!" Rakuzen growled as forcefully pulled Lucien''s soul back into his body. Lucien''s eyes yanked open and only then did he realize he has been bleeding from so many parts of his body, leaving him weak and fragile. "That was close" Lucien muttered while breathing heavily. He felt stronger, yet weaker at the same time. He felt like his soul was exhausted but his body greatly benefited from this exercise as well. "Rakuzen? Was that our lord Rakuzen?" Chenoa asked with a quivering tone. ''This girl has to stop asking some stupid shit'' Lucienmented in his heart while considering whether to answer or not. He knew answering this question will lead to him answering series of dumb questions which this perverted girl has to ask and he found it annoying. [Don''t be a bad leader You should clear the air and let people know how amazing I am With this, their faith will increase and my power will grow in turn] toRakuzen said. ''You know, now I am beginning to wonder if I want your power to grow'' Lucienmpooned while looking for a perfect answer for the question. "Yes, Lord Rakuzen lives in me and since he can take control of my body when necessary, it''s only natural he can help me from time to time" Lucien said while summoning a piece of cloth from his omini pocket zone and started wiping the blood off his face. "Can you switch with him now? I would love to speak to him" Chenoa asked with a cute reddened face. "No!" Lucien replied coldly, causing thedy to shiver in fear. [That was harsh] Rakuzen dropped ament and turned silent. Lucien couldn''t feel Rakuzen''s presence anymore and Chenoa wouldn''t look at him anymore, she obviously didn''t want to speak to him. Seeing this, Lucien couldn''t help but feel bad for what he has done. The rest of the journey back was silent with only the spirit wolf growls heard. --------------------------------------------- It was already afternoon and Lucien was yet to return, making Instructor Emma hate herself for letting him go alone. She wished she could track them but after waiting a day plus, their tracks were gone, making it impossible for Lucy to know which way they went. They silently waited until the growls of the spirit beasts were heard. Jumping on their feet with their fists raised and magic spells at their fingertips, they watched as two massive spirit wolves jumped out of the forest. While thedy they fought was on one, Lucien was on the other. His eyes were shut tight and from his body, soul energy kept pouring out. He was cultivating, taking final steps to attain his spirit beast. "Young master is in a critical moment in his cultivation You may not disturb!" Chenoa said coldly but these people could not understand her words. In their ears, she was threatening them! From Instructor Emma''s view, they saw Lucien struggling with some sort of spirit energy so they assumed Chenoa was the one responsible. On Lucien''s face was dried blood from his eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth! In their opinion, Lucien must have been tortured and subdued by her! "BITCH!" Instructor Emma growled as she shot forward, with the tier 3 shattering ice spear following her tightly behind. "YOU ARE TOO NOISY GET BACK!" Lucien suddenly yanked his eyes open, revealing a pure silver spirit aura. With a wave of his hand, he released a powerful wave of spirit aura which collided with instructor Emma, knocking her off the air. Bang! Hit by the surprise attack, Instructor Emma lost focus, forcing her ice spear to be shattered. Landing roughly, she looked up to see Lucien gazing down at her with his bright silver eyes and a charming smile on his face. "I missed you" Lucien said breaking down all the mental defenses, instructor Emma had put up! She could tell that this was Lucien but gazing at him, his body was shrouded in spirit energy, didn''t that mean he found a way to start cultivating soul energy? "She is my personal bodyguard now I am just a few steps away from acquiring my own spirit beast, I hope you won''t interfere with my cultivation any further No one attacks her too" Lucien said calmly. "That soul energy It belongs to Lucien, not her LUCIEN IS CULTIVATING SOUL ENERGY!" Lucy eximed in shock Even though his voice was calm, it was threatening. By the way, they were too stunned by the fact that Lucien could cultivate soul energy. Isn''t it impossible for someone to change pathways after they have joined? What Lucien is doing defies everyw of cultivation given to them since they were young! Chapter 89: My spirit beast is this? Chapter 89: My spirit beast is this? Lucien ignored the world around him and remained in a cross-legged position, and focus on the darkness within his mind. He remained on the spirit wolf and ignored the question in res on the faces of hisrades. Wam! Lucien found himself within a dark room. No, it wasn''t a room. It was more like nothing! Nothing existed in this world! "Until you reach the realm of gods and create something You are nothing" Rakuzen''s voice echoed from behind, promoting Lucien to turn around and lock eyes with the massive blue reptilian eyes. Listening to his words, Lucien could only nod in agreement before diving deeper into the darkness. A spirit beast showcases the true form of a person deep down. It exposes the true nature of a person through the beast that appears and Lucien was quite eager to know what his true nature is. He wondered how amazing Rakuzen must have been to have a Chinese serpent dragon as his spirit beast. He wondered how envious the former emperor''s peers were when they saw his spirit beast. "...." The deeper Lucien got the louder than whispers became, making him feel excited since he knew he was getting close. Lucien kept shooting down and strangely, Rakuzen''s unmoving eyes seemed to be everywhere in his subconscious, staring at him with a fair level of curiosity visible in his eyes. "You don''t know what my spirit beast is?" Lucien asked as he kept diving deeper. He was already feeling bored so he decided to speak to his life partner in hopes he could get son hints but unfortunately, Lucien didn''t get the answer he was looking for. "I don''t know there are ces I cannot reach in your mind" Rakuzen answered honestly while gazing at Lucien shooting down and following him tightly. Lucien would have loved to talk on this matter further but he stopped talking when he saw the silver light not too far below. A wide grin appeared on his face as he got closer but the closer he got the more confused he became because he couldn''t make out anything from the shape of the silver light. From this distance, he couldn''t tell what kind of animal that is so he silently kept diving deeper. "You are kidding me what the hell is this?" Lucien said weakly as he got close enough to notice a shapeless mass of silver light. "This" Rakuzen muttered. Lucien didn''t understand why the system would mutter something like that but then he just assumed the god was also stunned and confused by the crap that''s supposed to be his spirit beast. Reaching the formless silver light, Lucien slowly approached it. One thing he understood in this weird world he lives in is not to judge anything by its appearance but that didn''t stop him from wondering how bad his luck is. "You are really lucky kid" Rakuzen said with a heavy voice, leaving Lucien confused. "What are you talking about?" Lucien asked causing Rakuzen tough at the ignorant child. "Amongst spirit beasts cultivators the spirit beasts are separated into different categories there are themon spirit beasts, special spirit beasts, Rare spirit beasts, and Unique spirit beasts Chenoa and her spirit wolves are consideredmon Aponi and his bear spirit beast are considered special My serpent dragon is considered rare and your spirit beast is considered unique You are pretty lucky this time!" Rakuzen exined calmly. But listening to him speak, Lucien had this feeling that a con artist was trying to convince him that an ineffective product is good He gazed at the eyes of the Rakuzen god beast with a hint of disbelief but he didn''t speak up. Instead, he just stood there and kept giving him the cold nce that made the celestial being feel ufortable. "Unique? Exin further on the qualities of these types of spirit beasts" Lucien asked with squinted eyebrows. ". While the other categories of spirit beasts show strength, with the rare category as the strongest Unique spirit beasts are quite different Sometimes because something is unique doesn''t necessarily make it good" Rakuzen said with a lowered tone. He sounded like a thief caught red-handed in the act. "And yet you said I am really lucky" Lucien reminded him with narrowed eyebrows and a disappointed look on his face. "Let me finish!" Rakuzen said hastily, in a bid to defend himself. "As I said earlier, it can be a bad thing or a good thingUnique spirit beasts are like sealed artifacts They are extremely powerful but they all possess bacshes while the bacsh of some far out weights their usefulness, some are more useful than the others" Rakuzen said. Listening to him, Lucien couldn''t help but turn his attention to the silver formless spirit beast. His Initial disappointment haspletely turned to curiosity, making him take bold steps towards it. "What kind of spirit beasts is?" Lucien asked. "I don''t know" Rakuzen answered promptly, startling Lucien. Did this celestial being just admit to not knowing something? Aren''t gods meant to be all knowing? Not to talk of a celestial being? "Remove such dumb thoughts from your mind" Rakuzen rebuked, startling Lucien again. "Gods are no different from cultivators at a profound realm with unique authorities over the forces of nature but they are far from invincible. They see only what you show them they know only what you tell them a god cannot be anywhere and everywherethey feed off the living go survival they are more human than you think I have seen a lot in this world but not everything This is new to me" Rakuzen confessed. Lucien nodded in understanding as he slowly approached the formless silver spirit beast. Lucien nervously ced his hands on the silver light and instantly different voices and scenes were transmitted into his head. What he saw were countless images and countless personalities acting out in different ways. "I am nothing I am everything Do not forget or you shall die!" A voice that was neither masculine nor feminine suddenly echoed across the darkness. Lucien quickly retreated after sessfully breaking free of the countless images. His body shivered terribly as he tried to push away the countless images in his head. _________________________________________________________ Wam! Lucien yanked his eyes open only to realize he was bleeding all over again from his eyes, mouth, nostrils, and ears. He saw the worried expressions on instructor Emma and Chenoa''s faces and he couldn''t help but feel touched. [That was quite an interesting experience] Rakzuenmented making Lucien chuckle. "Spirituality cultivation is more dangerous than it looks I have to be more careful from now on" Lucien just spoke out, leaving Instructor Emma and the others wondering who he''s talking to. [At first, I was confused but now I finally understand what type of spirit beast you have It is nothing but everything So many personas in one can be chaotic I believe you spirit beast cannot be summoned the normal wayIt only gets summon when you are trapped in an intense emotion and it carries out your deepest heart desire should you tter or have a Change of heart midway, it will kill you]Rakuzen exined calmly. ''As expected of a being that has lived for a thousand years or so!" Lucienplemented Rakuzen sincerely. He was yet to understand what the Spirit beast was trying to say but Rakuzen already understood everything just a few seconds after the event. ''I am fucked'' Lucien sighed as heid on the ground, ignoring every one of them while thinking deeply about why his luck is so bad. The heart of man is weak and fragile and is easy to sway. He may want to kill someone this moment and in the next moment, he will be given a reason not to. A minor change in his feelings will make his spirit beast turn on him. Could this be a result of his beast assimtion ability? Because he has the power of many, his spirit beast had no definite form? Countless random thoughts invaded his mind but he managed to push them aside and focus on the main issue at hand How can he feel without feeling? How can he control his emotions so effectively that I won''t backfire? [Theoretically, it is impossible But when looking at it from a different angle, it''s not entirely impossible] Rakuzenmented giving Lucien hope. ''What do you mean?'' Lucien muttered in his mind. [I mean you can control your spirit beast effectively by acting like the faceless] Rakuzen said leaving Lucien even more confused. "What is the faceless, if I may ask" Lucien asked out loud without knowing. Those around him were confused since they didn''t understand why someone just awakened after a long time would suddenly ask a question as random as this. Also, they knew nothing about the so called faceless Lucien talked about. [You are panicking too much The chances of the spirit beast killing you are low so you don''t have to be too flustered] Rakuzen said calmly. Chapter 90: A dungeon Chapter 90: A dungeon Lucien heard Rakuzen''s words and only then did he calm down. While he was still a bit skeptical about his situation with his spirit beast, he still understood Rakuzen''s words properly and found them reasonable. Unlike true spirit beast cultivators who have no other means of defending themselves without their spirit beasts, Lucien is also a mage and a capable fighter at that. Even without the spirit beast abilities, he is still a capable beast-man with the strength of two general-level magic beasts sealed in one body. While the spirit beasts grow as his spirituality grows, he can checkmate the risk of dying by growing his mage and fighter strength and keeping everything bnced. Only after considering these things did Lucien calm down and smile. "You don''t have to worry I am fine" Lucien suddenly said as he sat up and flexed his muscles. The others watched him in utter confusion while silently asking if this kid is really sane or has the spirit beast cultivation affected his mind. Why did he ask about something called the faceless? What the hell is faceless? But seeing Lucien was unwilling to speak further on the matter, no one pushed it. After washing his bloodied body and putting on a new dress, Lucien returned to the campfire and spoke with the rest of the team. He exined to them why Chenoa attacked them, he exined to them about the organization making waves now, known as the Creed, and surprisingly Instructor Emma knew enough about them. She recounted a number of events when the empire and the creed were forced to sh, leaving the empire''s warriors and capable mages badly beaten or dead. In her exnation, she stated that the Creed members are wanted by the three great empires since they have carried out terrorist acts in all three empires. This detailed exnation of the infamous group left Lucien stunned. Who would have thought a group willing to antagonize the three empires exists, isn''t it scared of getting wiped out entirely? "Why haven''t the emperors joined hands to destroy this group?" Lucien asked after giving the matter some thought. "He thinks it''s that easy" Titan said while Lucy chuckled. "The emperors are not on good terms so they are unwilling to join hands unless absolutely necessary As the creedcks the strength to wipe out an empire, they see no reason for that Also, there are rumors that the Creed''s leader is even more powerful than the emperors It is said that he''s at the fifth sky of the champion realm and only a step away from bing a true demigod!" Instructor Emma said causing shivers to flow down Lucien''s spine. A demigod? What would happen when he breaks into the demigod realm? Will the emperor be able to resist him? This also reminded him of the fact that he is one of the Creed''s prime targets. His life is in danger and the stronger they get the more likely it is that he will die. [Then get stronger so that no one else can threaten your life!] Rakuzen''s words reawakened the terrified Lucien, forcing him to calm down and reevaluate his ns as a cultivator. He concluded that he will need to cultivate both his body and soul fast while searching for more powerful magic beasts to y. He decided to keep his connection with the spirit beast cultivators and why the Creed members want him dead. As for his rtionship with Chenoa, Lucien simply told them that he helped them resolve some problems and when he showed a talent for Spirituality cultivation, they were hell-bent on nurturing him so they sent her to serve as his master and bodyguard. While the others saw no issue with this, Instructor Emma was seriously annoyed by this, especially considering the fact that Lucien has to sleep in the same tent with a woman as attractive as the blonde-haired Chenoa. She slept that night, dreaming of all the naughty things Lucien and Chenoa would be doing in their tent while in reality, Chenoa slept while Lucien cultivated in silence. After everything that has happened, he concluded that he needs to start a life of his own. There is no way he and Chenoa can share a dorm in the academy so he has to purchase a ce of his own. For safety issues, he decided he will purchase and in the divine capital of the Fotia empire, where he can live close to the royal pce. That way in cases of unknown invaders or attacks the emperor should be able to aid him immediately. Lucien''s understanding of thews of the empire and power ranking was too shallow so he swore to look into it after they return! For now, he has to focus his energy on dealing with the two members of the creed. ------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, Lucien left his tent with Chenoa only to meet the suspicious gaze of everyone in their camp. Many failed to believe that he spent the entire night with such a beauty without anything happening. They expected Lucien to get flustered and defend himself in front of Instructor Emma but he didn''t. In fact, he only spared them a nce before storing his tent into his omini pocket dimension. The ring on this index finger made people believe he had a spatial ring but Chenoa couldn''t be fooled since she noticed it. She shot Lucien a sweet smile which everyone noticed but they didn''t know the reason for that. ''Does this girl have to act like a kid each time she sees me using one of your countless rumored abilities?'' Lucien muttered in his mind. [Does it matter Her faith in me is so strong feeding off her daily is an absolute delight You are doing a good job as my sessor, the only problem is that youck faith Why don''t you be more like her] Rakuzenughed. ''Yes, yes I forgot the gods love fanatics the most I apologize but I think this me is just fine'' Lucien replied in a sarcastic tone. The team set out and thanks to Chenoa''s spirit wolves they moved faster than ever. Summoning her massive spirit wolves, Chenoa and Lucien rode one, Alucard and Titan rode the second while Instructor Emma and Lucy rode the third. While Lucien chose to ride with Chenoa since he was the only one that could stay close to her without having her rip his head off, it didn''t stop Lucy and Instructor Emma from staring daggers at him. He could feel their vignt gaze on his back, making him chuckle inside. ''To think that I am wanted by so many beauties'' Lucien said in his heart. [Don''t get toofortable Jealousy can be a dangerous thing] Rakuzen warned, spoiling Lucien''s mood. It was noon when they arrived at the Talis vige. Upon arrival, they were met with what looked like a wastnd with burning structures and destroyed properties everywhere. Lucien and the rest already guessed this will happen since a treasure appeared in their ce so it''s only natural that this ce will be a battleground. They ventured deeper into the vige and only saw dead bodies of both warriors, mages, and evenmoners littered everywhere. Lucien has never imed to be a saint and as someone who was once an arrogant heir of a noble family, He didn''t feel sympathy for the dead. If he were here, he would have tried to help them because it''s morally right but that doesn''t mean he felt anything for them. [Your heart is dead and cold] Rakuzenmented, leaving Lucien to wonder if it''s a good thing or a bad thing. ''I do not know what love is I care for only a handful of people should the world burn to the ground I won''t give a fuck But if anything should happen to those few people I call family I will seek revenge for them even at the cost of my life'' Lucien said calmly. [You have always been a strange one You rarely feel emotions but when you do, it''s intense It''s what your spirit beast needs maybe that''s why it chose you as its master All you have to do now is learn control] Rakuzen replied calmly. Finally, the group reached what looked like a massive stone door leading to another dimension. It was a gateway to a dungeon! "We are here" Lucien said calmly and the others nodded in agreement. Seeing the condition of the vige they concluded that everyone must have entered in search of the sealed artifact. Lucien''s adventure with the spirit beast cultivators left them behind for at least a day or two. "The others have gone in they may even be battling the creed duo as we speak" Instructor Emma said calmly. "It doesn''t matter we gave them a head start and that''s all there is to it A dungeon is not something you walk through easily so consider this as then doing us a favor While they kill off all the beasts in the dungeon, we can advance while reserving our strength This will be a massacre!" Lucien said with zing blue eyes leaving Chenoa stunned! Chapter 91: Strength of a celestial being Chapter 91: Strength of a celestial being "Lord Rakuzen!" Chenoa immediately bowed the very moment she realized the glowing blue eyes on Lucien''s face. She could tell that Rakuzen has taken over and at the moment images of their ''pleasant night'' during theirst encounter surged into her head, making her face flush red with naughty emotions. [Thisdy will definitely spill out my secrets to the public day if she keeps behaving this way I can''t have her acting this way whenever you take control of my body or whenever I reveal your power through me!] Lucienmpooned as he gazed at Chenoa''s ridiculous and ecstatic expression on her reddened face. He could see everything happening through Rakuzen''s eyes so he normally didn''t like the message the silly girl was sending. ''Chill It''s not too bad for me to have a fan right? I can tell her excitement is genuine so why stop her'' Rakuzen replied calmly causing Lucien to almost spilling out blood in anger. He wanted to argue further, but he chose to let the matter fall since it didn''t matter if people realized his real identity. In his opinion, even if they find out more about the system and the existence of a celestial being in his head, as long as the emperor is around, no one can harm him. No one! Rakuzen''s people and believers have been directly affected by the actions of the members of the creed, so when the celestial being requested control over Lucien''s body as they venture into the dungeon, Lucien couldn''t bring himself to say no. He put himself in the shoes of the celestial being and knew if he were in the same situation, he would do the same. Right now he sat in the darkness, wondering how Rakuzen would use the powers of his body in battle. He watched from Rakuzen''s eyes with hopes of learning a few things from the way Rakuzen controls the body and the mana around it. His eyes soon shifted to the deepest parts of his mind where the silver formless spirit beast rested in silence, surrounded by three mighty magic beasts looking down on it with hostile vibes oozing from them. These three might beasts were the Raizen god beast, the general level Hell hound, and the general level nightmare demon! Seeing this Lucien realized a few things! Not only does the beast''s assimtion ability grant him to abilities of the magic beasts murdered by him but it also traps a portion of their consciousness in his body. That exins why he has strange tattoos on his body! It''s obvious the beast assimtion ability is replicating the bond between beast men and their magic beasts! Anyway, he chose not to overthink the matter right now and pay attention to the battles ahead. The three magic beasts in him could sense the threat the silver spirit beast is to Lucien and that''s why they are hostile towards it. With this Lucien concluded he doesn''t have to worry about the spirit beats harming him from within. He only has to worry when it is summoned outside his body. --------------------------------------------------------- Gazing at Lucien''s sky blue fiery eyes, Instructor Emma and the others did not know what to think of the recent development. They could tell that something changed within Lucien and judging from the way Chenoa addressed him and even bowed respectfully, they could tell something is off about him but they just couldn''t pinpoint what the problem is exactly. While they could feel a confident aura looming around Lucien and have always known Lucien as a confident and cocky person, they could tell this was slightly different. He carried an aura that can be gotten only after emerging victorious from over a thousand battles! Never tasting defeat even once! This is the aura of a supreme being looking down on humans with its all seeing eye! An aura which even the emperor has failed to achieve! "Who are you" Instructor Emma instinctively felt afraid of the youth in front of her. Even though her strength far surpasses that of Lucien, something told her that she will lose miserably if she is to take him on now. The others got the same feeling and they were too timid to even ask questions. "Me? I am me" Rakuzen answered simply before abruptly jumping off the spirit wolf he was seated on and into the portal Seeing this, Chenoa followed hastily and the others were a bit reluctant but after confirming that Lucien meant no harm towards them, they jumped in as well. WAM! Appearing at the other side of the portal they were stunned by the view they were forced to see. The entire ce was like a stone cave with strange symbols littered all over the stone walls. At the ceilings of the stone, cave were gargoyles hanging upside down with their zing red eyes pinned on Instructor Emma''s group. Screech! Letting out a loud cry one of the gargoyles released itself from the ceiling of the cave, shooting directly towards them. "I will handle this!" Instructor Emma said as her eyes turned snow white and a cold breeze slowly began emitting from her body. Bang! Before the beast could reach them, a sudden explosive wind attack hit the beast sending it crashing into the wall by the side. Whoosh! Before anyone could even ask who is responsible for the attack, Lucien could be seen standing right in front of the fallen beast, stomping its head hard and making the ground sink due to the force. "You shouldn''t raise a finger since I am here" Rakuzen said calmly. While Cheona was excited by this, Instructor Emma and the rest felt quite terrified. Looking at Lucien, it felt like they were gazing at a powerful primordial beast. He isn''t human! Neither is he just a mere beast man! Could this be one of the numerous effects the seal artifact on him has? Many couldn''t help but ask questions, but they didn''t have the luxury to dwell in such thoughts for too long as more gargoyles shot down towards them. "I can see I have been gone for too long! That exins why mere beasts dare challenge me!" Rakuzen said those words with a hint of annoyance in his voice as his eyes let out a bright blue sh! Waving his hands, he released a strong wave of air, knocking back all the gargoyles lightly. Bang! He took a simple step forward but the ground trembled under his weight as he pointed a finger towards the gargoyles shooting towards them. "Vanish without a trace!" Rakzuen said with a visible frown on his face as intense bolts of lightning exploded from his hands consuming all the beasts heading towards them. Under the watchful gaze of everyone, the blue bolts of lightning kept attacking these beasts relentlessly, until the smell of burning flesh filled the cave. For an entire twenty minutes, Lucien''s attack continued and when he finally stopped, what was left of these beasts were stiffened burnt ck bodies. "I guess I don''t have the power to obliterate them now Not with this body" Rakuzen muttered these words to himself before walking away. Watching him walk away, everyone followed him calmly while gazing at the effects of his spell in horror. They weren''t sure of the strength of these gargoyles but they were sure these beasts should at least be at the soldier level stage but Lucien effortlessly brought down close to thirty of them without breaking a sweat. They all gazed at Lucien''s back as if he is a monster but there was one person in the group who was more afraid and terrified of Lucien and it was instructor Emma. Unlike the others, she could tell that Lucien did not cast a spell throughout the short battle! Instead, he simply manifested his element, something considered basic. Elemental manifestation is more like a process of releasing one''s element without actually casting a spell. These things are never used in battles and since It can only do as little as releasing small bolts of lightning to surrounded the body, it is not used forbat but Lucien right now used the elemental manifestation to wipe out the enemy forces without issues! This strength is just too monstrous! Or was she wrong and just hallucinating? Instructor Emma strongly felt that all she has seen is impossible, and that''s why she considered the possibility of her seeing things wrongly. She just followed Lucien from behind, watching his back with a mind full of so many thoughts. Meanwhile, within the darkness of his mind, Lucien was amazed by what he just saw. Using elemental manifestation to do this much is literarily insane but he clearly remembered the fight between the emperor and the invaders, Blink and Clovis. He was making use of high-level attacks that far surpassed tier 3 spells but never for once did he officially cast a spell! Everything he used was elemental manifestation! ''Fighting this way has its benefits We are able to save energy while effectively dealing with enemies'' Rakuzen said, catching Lucien''s attention. Chapter 92: King Tier magic beast, Rupture! Chapter 92: King Tier magic beast, Rupture! Listening to Rakuzen''s words, Lucien nodded in agreement as he immersed himself in the feeling of mama surging into his veins and passing out almost as quickly as it came. Even though Rakuzen is the one controlling the body, Lucien still owns the body so he could feel everything happening to his body. To perform this level of elemental manifestation, Rakzuen forcefully pulls the mana into his body to fuel his elemental abilities, and when he releases his power, it is greatly enhanced because of this. Lucien may know how it works but he definitely couldn''t do it. First of all, hecked the knowledge and skill. He didn''t know what method Rakuzen and the emperor used to forcefully pull mana into their body at a dangerously high quantity. Even his meridians and acupuncture points were screaming out in pain after getting forced to consume so much mana but Lucien wasn''tining since he considered this as a method of training his body. He ignored the world around him and immersed himself in that feeling, trying to recreate that feeling once again. He also noticed that his body did not consume the essence of the gargoyles forcing him to believe that those monsters are not magic beasts and that''s why his body failed to assimte its magic features. With this in mind, Lucien concluded that he knew too little about this world so for now he vowed to not bother himself with thoughts of things that far exceed his reach. ________________________________________________________ Rakuzen lead, the team with an emotionless face, leading them deeper into the dungeon without pause. The dungeon portal teleported people to random beginning areas and from there they would proceed and face different challenges but in the end, they will all meet at one point. Lucien Lucien earlier predicted that theirte arrival should be a blessing in disguise and many doubted his words. When they entered the dungeon they were assaulted by a few gargoyle monsters, so they assumed Lucien was wrong but when they moved farther into the dungeon they were met with corpses of magic beasts leading them to believe that those who entered here before them had a method of through which they evaded the watchful eyes of the gargoyle. With these creatures dead some time ago, Lucien could not consume their beast''s essence, making him a bit regretful since to him it felt like he is missing an opportunity to grow stronger. ''Careful there Quantity is not what you need, it''s quality No poweres without a condition a mage can create great firestorms and wind hurricanes but at the price of mana Hums warriors train their body to the extent where even the strongest of spells cannot prate their skin, but in return, even a little finger flick consumes a lot of stamina Cultivators can reach terrifying levels in the world of qi bing seemingly immortal existences but go the sake of their power they be less fertile and unable to create life-like any other weak andmon man the system grants you my power of beast assimtion but at the expense of your sanity the more beasts sealed in you.. the higher your chances of bing one As you grow and your affinity with those beasts improve, slowly your physical appearance will be adjusted to match that of the beasts you have assimted You will be a monster! Why do you think I refuse to return to my human form? It is because my spirit beast form looks way better than my human form!'' Rakuzen exined coldly with a thought. Hearing this Lucien turned silent as he couldn''t help but feel chills creep down his spine. He failed to understand why the system failed to inform him of the countless bacsh attached to the beast''s assimtion ability or why he was not given a chance to decide if he wanted it or not. He was nning toin but he chooses to calm down and analyze everything properly. Lucien knew that the only reason he has gone this far is because of the systems and he is probably still alive because of the system. He has reached this level of strength because of the system and right now he has the hope of surviving and surpassing his enemies thanks to the system! ming Rakuzen for a few setbacks caused by the power that has kept him alive for so long is not proper. Lucien shut his eyes and pondered in silence, after a while he concluded that even if he was told the side effects of this power, he would still ept it. [What is my limit with the beast assimtion technique?] Lucien asked calmly with a voice hoi of any emotion. ''I don''t know Everyone''s body differs why some cannot hold more than ta, some can hold evenrger numbers its all dependent on your talent and the current me right Now can no see-through you'' Rakuzen said. He wanted to say more but then he felt a warm hand grip his own. Turning to the side he realized that Instructor Emma was slightly leaning on him as they moved. As Rakuzen, his eyes showed no emotions while gazing at instructor Emma, also he could feel the piercing gaze of Chenoa on his back. "You seem to know much about this ce" Instructor Emma said while ignoring Lucien''s strange and cold attitude towards her. " I gathered the knowledge of this ce through their vige chief" Rakuzen shot Chenoa a nc while he spoke. "Also I don''t know much... I just know what to expect" Rakuzen added in a bid to clear all forms of suspicion on him. No matter how much Instructor Emma tried to pretend, he could tell she felt uneasy around him. Hearing his exnation, she bit her lips and considered what to say next. She would have loved to outrightly ask Lucien if he''s alright but she was afraid his body is under the control of something. While Instructor Emma was confident in her strength and even though Lucien has showcased a level of strength that far surpasses his original level, Instructor Emma was confident of winning in a fight. The only problem is that she would have to kill him. The current Lucien is far stronger than he should be so she felt she may not be able to restrain him in battle so the only way to win is to kill him and this is something she had no intentions of doing. "Hey It''s okay" Rakuzen suddenly swapped ces and when Lucien sq8d the9we words, Instructor Emma''s heart skipped a beat! This is the Lucien she knew and Loved! She looked up and saw that tenderness in his gaze and his charming smile causing her heart to melt. She held on to him as they followed the path ahead. _________________________________________________ After a long 20-minute walk Lucien and the others noticed that they were no longer seeing the dead bodies of magic beasts but that of humans and beast men! Seeing this they slowed down their pace and approached with caution as they went deeper into the dark cave lit up by countless glowing runes so the walls. Soon pools of blood could be seen around telling them that these people only died recently and whatever killed them should be close. Rakuzen had already taken control of the body once again, taking mental note of the wounds visible on the corpses littered around. Most of them hadrge holes on their chest, while some had their limbs ripped outs, and others had their faces either ripped out or crushed entirely! They all died brutal and barbaric deaths worthy of praise. [Do you know what''s responsible for this?] Lucien asked. Even though he wasn''t the one fighting he still felt tense. It was like watching a horror movie in the dark all alone! He couldn''t help but fear the possibility of the monster popping up in this dark space and killing him too. ''Don''t be ridiculous'' Rakzuen rolled his eyes when he heard Lucien''s crazy thoughts. ''Anyway there are many beasts capable of this powerful, Vicious, and deadly But if I should take a guess while adding the location into ount and the strength of the dead around me I would say that enemy should at least be at the King tier " Rakuzen said calmly making Lucien tremble in fear. A king-tier beast in this ce? Isn''t that going a bit overboard? He knew the importance of sealed artifacts But he knew that strength of king tier beasts! Depending on its bloodline even spirit and champion realm fighters and mages will have a problem dealing with these kinds of enemies! A king-tier beast with a high-tier bloodline like dragons can take on champion realm foes, bringing them down if the challenger is not careful. He began thinking thating here was a mistake since none of them are above the mortal realm. He was worried they would fall just like these people. "Chill it''s only the mid-tier king tier beast, Rupture" Rakuzen said calmly Chapter 93: Monkey Chapter 93: Monkey A Mid tier king-level magic beast, Rupture! Who the hell is Rakuzen to write such a beast off so easily? Has he forgotten that he is only using Lucien''s body and as long as Lucien is concerned his body is not ready to take on a king-tier magic beast, regardless of its bloodline, whether weak, strong, or just mild. Lucien knew his current body capabilities and something told him that even if he were to go overboard bybining the strengths of all three magic beasts he still won''t be able to face this magic beast. In his opinion, the strength between the mortal realm and the spirit realm is so wide and vast and that applies to magic beasts as well! At the king level, the magic beast has far surpassed the realm of mortals and has taken a bold step into the realm of the god beasts. Itsprehension of thews of nature has deepened and its control over the elements has strengthened greatly. It has practically be one with the element! Putting this into consideration, Lucien also tried to acknowledge the magic beast he is about to fight and the location. ording to Rakuzen, it should be a King tier magic beats known as rupture! If he remembers clearly, the earth magic beast rupture is the king tier version of the god beats known as Drax. The Drax n is one of the noble magic beast families in the Fotia empire so it was natural for Lucien to study more about them. The king-tier magic beast, Rupture is well known for its defensive and offensive abilities. These magic beasts overwhelm the enemy with their superior strength and breakthrough all attacks thrown at it with its rock body which is even more durable than steel! While many know that the magic beast iscking speed, it makes up for itsck of speed its control over the fire and earth element. After breaking into the king tier level, the magic beast''s understanding of thews of nature increases exponentially and with knowledge, itbines its earth and fire element to create a new element,va! The cave may be spacious but not big enough! Approaching the magic beast in a ce like this is equivalent to throwing away your life, that''s why everyone who passed through this ce has died! ''You sure think a lot before entering battle I can see youck confidence in your strength'' Rakuzen said calmly in his mind. Making Lucien almost vomit blood out of anger! [No, I do believe in my strength I just believe it''s wise to evaluate an enemy''s strength before jumping in for safety reasons] Lucien struggled to say those words calmly. He felt like jumping out of his body and battling Rakuzen till the better end. Hahahahahaha! Rakuzenughed cheerfully in his mind upon feeling Lucien''s chaotic emotions. In his mind, this is an opportunity for him to show Lucien what his body is capable of and also acquire him the beast essence of a king-tier magic beast! As for the strength of the magic beast, Rakuzen refused to bother himself with it. In his opinion, he is the reincarnation of a celestial being in the body of a talented beats man. As long as the bloodline of the magic beast is not top tier he will not lose so easily. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Thud! Thud! Thud! The team kept moving deeper and along the way they met earth spikes with bodies hung on them. Judging based on the attire of the dead, Rakuzen and instructor Emma concluded that these people are members of a small faction trying to get their hands on the grade 3 sealed artifact in hopes of increasing their strength permanently! "Fools" Rakuzen scoffed as they finally reached what looked like a narrow passageway in the cave leading to another room ahead. A fresh stench of blood and roasted flesh could be perceived at the other side of the room, making them believe that the magic beast should be in there. Upon arrival, Instructor Emma''s face turned sour as she gazed at the narrow passageway with a frown on her face. The scout of the team, Lucy also turned pale in fear the moment they arrived. Her lips quivered terribly as she managed to say the words after a long while, "A king level magic beast! There is a king tier magic beast in there!" Lucy screamed in fear. Hearing this the faces of Alucard and titan turned pale as they instinctively took a step back! The only reason they were yet to turn around and make a run for it is that there was no way out of the dungeon. After entering the teleportation portal, there was no teleportation tform left behind. The only way out is to reach the very end of the dungeon and that''s probably why those killed by the magic beast decided to fight a king tier magic beast! There is no way back! They can only move forward "You guys stay back Emma and Chenoa will help me bring down the enemy" Rakuzen said casually as he summoned Habakiri with an indifferent look on his face. "Prepare yourselves calm your minds Alucard, Lucy, and Titan are not allowed in here I suggest you go a bit farther from where and join hands to conjure the strongest barrier you can muster. Stay there until we get out a meet you As for Emma, calm your mind and prepare yourself... Your ice element will be key to our sess. We are waiting Come with me Chenoa" Rakuzen said as he walked forward Chenoa nodded and followed him fearlessly, leaving the other four behind, wondering what happened to Lucien and why he has suddenly be so brave yet so cold. He spoke like someone who could defeat even the strongest experts in the world, such absolute confidence that can only be nurtured by surviving countless battles and killing many. "Status" Lucien said without caring about those around. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3rd sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 3rd sky of the human realm] [Emperor points: 0000] [HP: 75/75] [MP: 95/95] [SP: 20/20]] [Condition: Lord Rakuzen is currently in control of the body Stats do not apply anymore] [Exp: 2500] "This should barely do" Rakzuen said calmly as he and Chenoa walked through the passageway and into the room. Upon arrival, he met three dead bodies in there and a powerful magic beast in the center of the room, but even then Rakuzen didn''t give the magic beast a nce. He turned his attention to the environment and saw a massive circr room the shape of a huge dome. The entire room was at least twice the size of a football field, enough space for Rakuzen to maneuver through attacks. Seeing this he nodded in approval before turning his attention to the king tier beast and just like he predicted it was the Rupture. It was like a massive rock gori with zing red eyes andva flowing through its body. Gazing at the countless deep lines carved on its body one could see theva flowing within it constantly. Hmph! Gazing at this, Rakuzen scoffed asked Chenoa to wait there while he boldly began walking towards the magic beast. At the king level, magic beasts have gained some level of intelligence, allowing them to be even smarter than the average human. "A beast man approaches Tainted beings made of the unholy rtionship between god beasts and feeble human females..." PA! "Disgraceful and disgusting!" Rupture said while spitting outva in disgust while it spoke. Its voice was deep and loud making the ground tremble as it spoke! The power of a king tier beast! It refused to approach Lucien or attack him, he just watched as Lucien approached calmly while listening to its words. "A mere monkey dares speak down on a higher being like myself I feel insulted Apologize!" Rakuzen said calmly while walking forward. Hearing the word ''monkey'' Rupture frowned but it didn''tsh out immediately. It silently observed Lucien who was still some distance away from it. It could tell Lucien''s cultivation was lower than its own but the confidence in Lucien''s words and actions made it hesitant. It couldn''t tell if Lucien was just joking around and overestimating himself or he may have some sort of trump card that will allow him to surpass it. Apart from those two reasons, the magic beast couldn''t find a legit reason for Lucien to dare challenge it. "STUPID CHILD SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO!" The magic beast growled as it released a stream ofva from his mouth! "Youck the ability to harm me!" Rakuzen growled as he threw a palm forward, releasing a powerful wind palm to meet the attack head on! The wind palm struck theva pushing it back, all the way to the rupture! Bang! The Rupture struck out with its rocky fist, shattering the wind palm effortlessly! Chapter 94: A new partner Chapter 94: A new partner "Ooh?" Rakuzen raised an eyebrow as he watched the magic beast smash through his wind palm with its stony fist. His eyes revealed his surprises and disappointment. If he were in a slightly stronger body, he may not need to expend much effort in suppressing this magic beast. A flick of his fingers will be enough to reduce this be as to a bloody paste. For a mighty being to be reduced to this level, he couldn''t help but feel annoyed slightly. Meanwhile, the king-level magic beast observed the thirteen-year-old youth even more cautiously. At the king level, its intelligence far surpassed that of an average man and sometimes it could be considered on par with that of those called genius. It knew of the elemental manifestation and it was a hundred and twenty percent sure that someone as little as Lucien shouldn''t be able to do this unless he is some sort of prodigy that appears only once in a million years. Gazing at Lucien, it could tell Lucien had a good foundation in both physical and spiritual cultivation! Something unheard of in ages! Behind Lucien it could vaguely feel the aura of a primordial beast, if it were shut its eyes and only use its enhanced sensory skills to name identify Lucien, this beast would definitely call him a monster! With it, its eyes open it could only gaze at the little monster in human clothing. "Maybe if you came here two or three years from now, I will have no choice but to beg for my life! But right now, you are not my opponent!" Rupture growled viciously as it mmed its fist on the ground. Bang! Rumble! Rumble!! Rumble!! The ground shook violently as countless earth spikes shot out of the ground, shooting towards Lucien! "Haya-Ken third form; Wind trail!" Rakuzen growled as his body shot forward fearlessly! His movements were strange but graceful. He moved so effectively, he always evaded the earth spikes at the critical moments making one thing he would get hit. Seeing Rakuzen move like that, Chenoa realized the old monster was standing on his toes while approaching the enemy. In just a few seconds he had covered at least a hundred meters worth of distance, drastically reducing the gap between him and king-level magic beast. "Human scum!" Rupture growled viciously as it saw the human maneuver through the earth spikes shooting out from below. mming the ground with its fist once again, the entire floor, three hundred to five hundred meters around it was filled with earth spikes so clustered there was no opening even for a newborn baby! The earth spikes were at least 30 meters high, yet to its greatest surprise, Lucien was seen standing at the top of an earth spike with his toe and perfectly bnced at that! His Face seemed at peace and his focus impable! Looking at Lucien one would think he hadplete confidence of beating the enemy! Gazing at Lucien above, the king-level magic beast showed no signs of anger, instead, it was rather amused by the short disy of skills. As a king-level beast that has existed for quite a while, it has taken on foes faster than Lucien yet it didn''t know why it was more captivated by Lucien''s movements. "You are not human Neither are you mixed blood trash You are something greater, living in the body of this useless kid" Rupture said calmly but even though its tone was lowered, it was still enough to make the entire cave tremble. Chenoa is yet to face a king-level magic beast, so she didn''t know the full extent of its power. With the little she has seen so far, she was disappointed but this didn''t stop her from acknowledging the fact that these two were only joking around with each other. She never thought a day woulde where she will be forced to experience something this crazy. Both of them are crazy! Wam! The earth spikes sank into the ground and Lucien dropped gracefully from above, hitting the ground without making a sound... He walked towards the magic beast quietly and only when there was a five-meter gap between them did he stop. "To be able to tell I am not the owner of this body is no small achievement even for a mere king Bess creator!" Rakuzen praised as his eyes release a blue sh. [Gaze of the emperor activated!] Upon use, the magic beast found itself in a dark world, in there it saw the zingrge draconic blue eyes gazing at it as if it were an ant. Besides the zing blue eyes was Lucien gazing at the magic beast with a frown on his face. He may have been afraid of this magic beast but he would not let anyone disrespect him and walk away easily. The fact he couldn''t harm this magic beast infuriated him so much that he felt like vomiting blood due to anger. In this dark world, the Rupture shrank back as he dared not look the zing blue eyes directly. It feared it would enrage this mythical beast and end up dying without a chance to resist. In this dark world, it sensed that the blue beast hiding in the shadow is the sole god. The fact that it was drawn in here without giving him a chance to resist meant that whatever dragged him here can also kill it as well. It turned its gaze to the silver-haired standing beside the zing blue eyes he could see the anger directed towards it. On a normal day, it would tear this human into bits in a second yet since the blue beast was backing it, this magic beast and the king level had no choice but to lower his head in shame. "You are right about me taking over the body of this child but you are wrong when you imed my host his useless.apologize." Rakuzen said calmly revealing his sharp row of teeth! "I-I apologize" Rupture shuddered in fear and sank back. "Good I and my subordinates seek passage I hope you will grant us this request!" Rakuzen''s words sounded like no request but a threat. Even Lucien couldn''t help but shoot a nce at the zing blue eyes by his side. He had never seen this part of Rakuzen and considering the condition of the former celestial being, Lucien doubted it had the strength to crush the magic beast. "I shall do as you say but I have a request, my lord!" The magic beast said timidly while trying not tounch asional nces at the blue eyes but it couldn''t help but peek. "Speak" Rakuzen said lightly but his voice still echoed across the darkroom. "I wish to leave this ce I have been held down here for too long without hope of redemption unable to further my cultivation" Rupture said calmly. Listening to his request Rakuzen calmed down. It used its identity as a terrifying existence to fool this magic beast into believing it stood no chance against him. If he were to face Rakuzen head-on, the former celestial being will have to rely on the help of others to win but even then it will most likely be at a cost. But Rakuzen was assured of victory and that''s why he fearlessly approached the enemy. Now he has a chance of winning without fighting why won''t he jump at it? Although he would have loved to let Lucien absorb the beast essence of the magic beasts around, he still needed some strength to face the members of the creed when he encounters them. As to the magic beast''s request, it is something that can be easily resolved. As someone with contractor path knowledge, if the magic beast should decide to sign a soul pact contract with Lucien, it can be summoned when they leave this ce. He may not be able to give Lucien the beast essence of a king-level magic beast but it can give him a capable partner totally different from the me pup Lucien has. "If that''s the case, sign a soul binding contract with my host Be his partner and when we are done. We will pull you out of this ce" Rakuzen said. Hearing this, Rupture was a bit disappointed, it hoped the mighty beast would be able to just send him out directly since it had no interest in signing a contract with a half-blood like Lucien! Both sides bore great hatred for themselves and Rakuzen was the only reason they are yet to start tearing each other apart! But thinking back on the offer once again, Rupture couldn''t help but feel its beneficial. Having the half-blood as a partner also means he''s indirectly working for the mighty magic beast whose cultivation level is unfathomable by the Rupture. Should he serve the useless half-blood well, he might at least be able to reap a few benefits from this blue-eyed beast! With its guidance, breaking into the emperor level shouldn''t be much of a problem! Chapter 95: Partners or enemies? Chapter 95: Partners or enemies? It''s been a while since Lucien and Chenoa entered the room and peeping from the entrance, Miss Lane could see Chenoa standing there leisurely but she was still unable to tell what was going on in there. Exining the situation to Alucard and the others they tiptoed into the room only to see Lucien and the king level rupture standing close to each other in silence. More of them dared to make a sound as they were afraid they will attract the attention of the magic beast since it''s not attacking Lucien it must be for a reason so they felt like it would be rude to disturb. That was an excuse they came up with to save their face. Or maybe Lucian found a way to restrain the enemy giving them a chance to attack and kill it off before it recovers? Considering this, Instructor Emma and the others except Chenoa began conjuring their strongest attacks. They nned on killing off this mighty magic beast in one attack! "You useless piece of shitdon''t tell me you are thinking of profiting from my master!" Lucien''s voice suddenly drew everyone''s attention. Life has also returned to the eyes of the king-level magic beast but even then it didn''t attack Lucien but its disdain for the youth was very visible in its eyes. "Fucking half-bloodIf it weren''t for your master, I would have been tearing apart by now!" Rupture growled but Lucien didn''t back down. Gazing at the both of them Lucien was like a five-year child looking up to a twenty-five year old adult. The difference in size was too much yet he didn''t show any fear! "You old monkey if you want to have a go at it, I have no issues! I will beat you down just the same way your daddy did to you when you were little! Fucking disappointment!" Lucien spat on the floor while he spoke making the magic beasts rock face twist in ways it couldn''t! "What the hell." These people muttered as they watched the two go at it for minutes but none has thrown the first blow. They began to wonder if the meat Lucien constantly eats is the reason for his unusual courage. Who in his right mind would antagonize a beast as powerful as this. They watched the magic beast conjure what looked like a shiny brown paper in it were written a lot of things. Instantly, these people understood what was happening! The King-level magic beast was forming a soul bind contract with Lucien! A magic beast of this level was actually willing to form a soul pact with someone at Lucien''s level? While no one dared to call Lucien weak, they still knew he wasn''t at the level of the king-level magic beast. Magic beasts usually agreed to form a soul bind contract with a human for three reasons. The first has to do with themonws of the jungle, strength is right. As long as the person is far stronger than them, they are more than willing to enter a soul pact with that person. In their opinion, Lucien is promising but not yet that strong! If Instructor Emma was the one forming the soul pact contract, everyone would have found it understandable. The second is a situation where the magic beast feels it can benefit from this person by forming a soul pact with the person. While they knew Lucien had so many secrets that even the emperor may not know, they still didn''t think it''s something a king-level beast would be interested in. And finally, the magic beast may easily develop feelings for the person and chose to enter a soul binding pact with the person in hopes of protecting him or her but judging based on the way they spoke and looked at each other, everyone assumed that it''s only a matter of time these two cannot restrain themselves and then tear each other apart. This is why they all found the new development shocking since they couldn''t tell why Lucien wanted to enter a. Soul binding pact with the magic beast. Reading the contents of the paper, Lucien''s face twisted and turned repeatedly while asionally stole a nce at the king beast. "You old piece of shit! You might as well rob me and the empire as well!" Lucien gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He could form a soul pact without any conditions with the me pup since it took a liking to him and was still too young and tender to desire anything. But dealing with the sly king beast here, Lucien felt like ripping off his silver kimono and battling this monster to the very end. Within the contract, the king-tier magic best listed a lot of unreasonable requests. *Upon leaving this dungeon Lucien must summon it and release it from this ce. *Lucien must have the cultivation realm of the 1st sky of the mortal realm before obtaining the rights to summon it thereafter! *He can only be summoned once a month! *When summoned Lucien must offer three top-tier earth-grade beast cores! And after an hour whether the issue is resolved or not, it has no more obligation to fight for Lucien and as such, if Lucien wants to retain him, he must offer 1 top tier earth grade beast core every thirty minutes! These top-tier earth-grade cores can only be gotten from defeating king-level earth magic beasts! This magic beast did not want Lucien to summon it in his time of need. "Do you agree to my conditions or not?" The King level magic beast couldn''t help but smile sheepishly while seeing Lucien''s enraged face. No one thought they would ever get to see the young, graceful, and calm Lucien in this condition. They couldn''t help but wonder what the contents of the contract are and why Lucien asked the beast to go rob the empire. All they knew was that Lucien was the weaker party so he had no right to make conditions. " I agree! I have no use for a useless monkey like you so there I don''t n on summoning you in the future!" Lucian said as he agreed and the soul pact was formed. "Let''s go" Lucien said to the others without even shooting them a nce. He began walking towards the end of the room where the teleportation array to the final floor of this dungeon is located and the others chased after him tightly. Lucien signed the soul pact with the magic beast, not them! It would give its partner face and not harm his friends while he''s still around but once he''s gone, it may be another story entirely. Everyone could sense Lucien was not in a good mood so no one bothered him, they got on the teleportation tform and soon their bodies were shouted in a light green light before vanishing _______________________________________________________________ Reappearing on another floor Lucien was forced to see something familiar. The location reminded him of the ck water cave, where he got the system. They were on a teleportation tform with numerous teleportation tforms set around them ced in a straight line around them.A few meters ahead of them was massive stone stairs leading to a bigger stone tform where the sealed artifact should be. The bright blue light is seen at the top only meant that the artifact they are after is still sealed. The first thing Lucien noticed were the two people inpletely white robes gazing down at them with confident smiles on their faces. On their clothes was a strange design depicting three eyes clustered together. One was a man with greasy ck hair neatly pushed back while the other was a woman with eye-catching purple hair. Both seemed to be at the mid-stages of the spirit realm, even nearing thete phases! While gazing at them Lucien couldn''t help but notice thedy was oozing off spirituality energy but what he didn''t know was the spirit pathway she is cultivating meanwhile the man looked robust and give, it was obvious he was amongst thosecking the blessing of nature that chose to pursue a path as a fighter! To think a fighter would reach a profound realm this high was something shocking! Their sudden appearance got the attention of everyone in the room, seeing how tense the atmosphere is it was obvious a fight is about to break out. Right now, the only people who made it this far are the representatives of the other two empires! The other small organizations and mercenary groups that took part in this expedition couldn''t make it past the final challenge! "Fotia empire representatives Cute" The purple-haireddy said with an amused look on her face! Even when surrounded by the experts of the three nations these two didn''t seem flustered at all! Meanwhile, Lucien couldn''t help but feel a threatening aura behind him! It wasn''t an enemy, it was Chenoa! Before Lucien could stop her, thedy had already charged forward with three spirit wolves following tightly behind! Chapter 96: None of you will leave this place alive! Chapter 96: None of you will leave this ce alive! Seeing the new group of people that arrived from the teleportation tform, those present felt relieved but when they peered deeper into the neers, they realized that their cultivation level was still too low so they couldn''t help but frown. In the two teams of the two empires, they had a spirit realm member in each group as the leaders and even the weakest amongst them were at the beginning phase of the mortal realm, yet the team sent by the Fotia empire was made up of warrior realm members, a human realm member and the strongest amongst them was only at the peak of the mortal realm. While growing in the human realm may be easy but once someone surpasses the human realm, only then will they realize the difference in reams and levels. In their opinion, Lucien was not noteworthy in any way and after assessing their strength, only Instructor Emma can be considered useful here. Before they could even speak, three massive spirit wolves appeared around a female in the group, lunging towards the duo standing on the stone stairs. It was Chenoa! After her grandfather was injured in battle against these people, Chenoa left the vige in search of these people and she ended up meeting Lucien''s group! She wanted revenge and now she has the chance to do that, she had no intentions of holding back! "Spirit beast pathway: Fusion!" Chenoa roared as the three massive spirit wolves fused together to form an evenrger purple three-headed spirit wolf! With a cultivation realm of the warrior level, she could showcase power at the level of mortal realm masters! How terrifying can she be! Roar! The three-headed spirit wolf let out an enraged roar as pounced on the duo! In response, the man in a white robe stepped forward and slowly raised an arm to meet the enemy. He was nning to use a single arm to stop the spirit wolf! "IMPOSSIBLE!" Lucien growled as he chased after Chenoa leaving behind a silver light as he moved at his top speed BOOM! The three-headed wolf smashed into the man in white but even then it wasn''t strong enough to make the man take a step back or even retreat! For a fighter to reach this level of hardness with his body ispletely terrifying! Bang! Using a single punch, the man sent the massive spirit wolf flying before shooting towards Chenoa who was already charging towards them! "Die! Little girl!" The man roared as he struck forward. "And who gave you toy a finger on her!" Lucien''s words echoed across the room as he overtook Chenoa and with the Habakiri in his hands, a fiery whip surged forward, colliding with the fist of the enemy releasing a powerful shockwave! BOOM! Both sides were sent flying back crashing a few meters back, rolling violently, while the man only slid back calmly. Puti! [-15HP] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3rd sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 3rd sky of the human realm] [Emperor points: 0000] [HP: 60/75] [MP: 95/95] [SP: 20/20] [Condition: Hurt] [Exp: 2500] Lucien spat out a mouthful of blood as his body shivered terribly, even in his bad condition he wore a sinister smile on his face as he muttered those words. "You useless piece of shit Explode!" Saying those words, everyone noticed the orange mark on the fist of the man! The mark lit up and exploded,pletely obliterating the palm of the man! The explosion was so powerful even Chenoa was thrown hundreds of meters back! Seeing this, everyone looked at Lucien in awe? How can a human realm mage wield such a powerful magic weapon? Could it be a family heirloom? While some were shocked and were curious about Lucien''s identity, some had some malicious thoughts towards Lucien. In their opinion, Lucien is not worthy of such a weapon and it would be more useful in their hands! Considering their situation, they can take it away from Lucien''s arms while using the creed members as an excuse. Their team was much stronger than that of the Fotia empire, in the vast wilderness and without the protection of the empires, noble titles and family backgrounds do not matter! Only strength matters! Someone from the human empire stepped out of the group and with an incriminating smile on his face he walked towards Lucien. "Little brother you are hurt and your cultivation realm is too low If we must win this battle, it''s necessary everyone makes contributions Hand over that your weapon to ourmander and I promise you, the Libet Empire will forever remember your contribution in this battle!" The man said with a sinister smile. He didn''t even bother trying to hide his intentions! After the members of the creed are defeated, they still have to battle the Drakon empire for the sealed artifact! With this magic weapon in their hands, their strength will rise by leaps and bounds and increase their chances of victory! The fact that the members of the Drakon empire were yet to speak up against this gave them more confidence! Meanwhile, Instructor Emma and the other members of their group were tongue-tied. The spirit realmmander of the human group had his eyes on them and their instincts told them if they made a move against this person they would die as well. "A mere human dares try to steal from me? You must be tired of living!" Lucien growled as his eyes left out a silver light the moment it met that of the man. [Gaze of the emperor activated] [Gaze of the emperor Sessful] At that moment the man saw himself in a dark room and in front of him were two pairs of glowing draconian blue eyes! Peng! "Scram!" Lucien growled as he swung his whip at the enemy''s head and upon hit, the man''s head exploded! People watched in shock as blood rained down, staining Lucien''s silver kimono but even then he didn''t look flustered. No one expected the human realm beast-man would react this way and even though Lucien''s attack was incredibly fast, everyone knew the man should be able to dodge the attack with ease, yet he was hit and killed in an instant without getting the chance to struggle! "You!" The captain of the human team was a woman in the spirit realm. She gazed at Lucien with narrowed eyes, releasing her deadly aura. BANG! Her green aura was soon met with an orange aura shing violently! The orange aura belonged to the leader of the Drakon empire team! Alves Draco! A direct descendant of the empire''s ruler! "We may hold a grudge with the Fotia empire beast-men for trying to co-exist with mere humans but when we see a proud beast-man who is aware of his status in this world, we definitely won''t let a worthless human like you harm him!" He said as he gazed at the human captain with cold eyes. The two sides turned towards each other, with their aura''s zing fiercely! Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they sh all because of Lucien! "Hahahahaha! This generation is tainted and corrupted! The goal of the creed is to bring peace to the continent! For that reason, bad blood like this have to be purged! All hail the creed!" The man screamed with his hands raised! He said those words with so much passion and resolve even Lucien could feel chills creeping down his spine! Fanatics! Those are the worst type of people in this world! He noticed that the severed palm of the man was already regrown and his injuries healed. Lucien knew the world is filled with so many things that he doesn''t know of so he didn''t take it to mind. Stretching calmly his gaze met with that of the man but even then he didn''t show any fear! Instead, he looked pissed off. "Be it a spirit realm or a demigod realm master! Whoeverys his filthy hands on my people will die" Lucien said he took bold steps forward towards the enemy! Behind him are the images of the Raizen god beast, the general level hell hound, and the general level nightmare demon. His body lit up with power and his aurapletely transformed! Seeing this, everyone present finally recognized him! This is the kid who was said to have consumed a grade one sealed artifact that allowed him to retain the powers of all the magical beasts he ys! With the physical capabilities of the three magic beastsbined in one body, Lucien''s footsteps were heavy enough to cause tremors! As he moved his aura grew stronger while the images of the magic beasts behind him got clearer! Finally, his silver eyes turned blue and his aura exploded, releasing a silver and blue aura merged together! "Magic and spirituality cultivation! Impossible!" Someone screamed in fear while the faces of the others turned ugly! What kind of monster is this kid? Even though his cultivation realm is low, they couldn''t help but feel threatened by his presence! "None of you will leave this ce alive!" Rakuzen dered with a gaze pinned on the man and the woman from the Creed! Chapter 97: Going all out! Chapter 97: Going all out! Hearing Lucien''s words everyone was stunned! They failed to understand why Lucien had a grudge against the people of the creed! Even the empires were yet to make any significant move against the enemy, yet Lucien was prepared to go at them all alone. Rakuzen didn''t bother to look at those around him, he considered this as his battle and since he had already promised Aponi he would handle this he couldn''t go back on his words. His body lit up with power, revealing the great image of a Chinese serpent dragon hovering over the three Magic beast images behind him! Soon the images of those mythical beasts began descending on Lucien''s body, causing his body to shiver and shudder! "God''s descent" Lucien said calmly, causing everyone in the room to shudder in fear! Right before everyone''s eyes, Lucien''s body was filled with blue scales and fiery blue mes erupting from his body, giving him a very dangerous look. In this form, Lucien''s body kept shivering as ck blood rolled out of every hole in his body that could be found! His body clearly could not withstand the power and it could crumble at any time! "Chan Li! This kid" The man said with a hint of shock in his eyes. They went to a small vige, said to be the hometown of the legendary mythical being which reached a realm beyond the level of gods! An undefeated emperor! A supreme being! They went there in hopes of finding its new sessor, hoping to bring him back to the creed and make him one of theirs but all they saw was a vige filled with trash and weak members! Since they had no other clue and on the location of this ancestor they gave up on the search but now, the person they were looking for is right before them! Dering war on them! Originally these people had two people in mind, The famous Lucien who is said is in possession of a grade 1 sealed artifact that allows him to assimte the abilities of any beast he kills, and then there is the sessor of the Rakuzen celestial being! Who would have thought both of them are one person! "I can see that Han Fang We are really lucky this time!" The woman eximed with a hint of excitement in her eyes. Hearing theirments, Rakuzen snorted. If these humans knew the difference between their strengths, they wouldn''t be so filled with crap. If he had a more powerful host he would have ended these two in just a few seconds but Lucien''s body was still young and fragile! The power he was releasing at the moment was already putting too much pressure on him. ''Hey, kid I may end up harming your body really bad'' Rakuzen said calmly. [Hehehehehe! Throw a punch for me!] Lucien''s pained voice echoed in his head startling him. He could tell Lucien was in pain and can barely withstand the pressure ced on him so he didn''t expect that kind of reply. It was obvious Lucien understood his pain and was willing to let his body suffer as long as Rakuzen can get his revenge! "This kid I like you!" Rakuzen said out loud as he performed what looked like a light leap forward. BOOM! The ground where he once stood suddenly exploded as a blue sh shut forward and in that same second, Lucien could be seen in front of the man, performing a powerful roundhouse kick aimed at the man''s head! PENG! BOOM! People didn''t know what was more shocking! Was it how fast Lucien moved or the fact that the man from the creed was still able to block or the fact that a few seconds after they both shed everything five meters around them exploded! Bang! The next moment the man could be seen flying hundred of meters back due to Lucien''s kick! His hand which he used to block the attack looked disfigured but that didn''t bother the man one bit. He nted his feet on the ground, stopping his body from jerking back! Whoosh! Rakuzen could be seen standing right in front of the man the next moment! "Die!" He growled viciously as he threw a powerful punch aimed at the man''s chest! BOOM! The attack connected and everyone watched as Lucien''s fist sank into the man''s chest, causing it to cave in. Blood squirted out of his eyes and ears, as the man tried to scream in pain but he failed to make any sound! It felt like all the oxygen in his body was forcefully pulled out. Xiu! Bang! Like a rocket his body shot back, smashing into the stone walls and even digging deep. Blood flowed out of the wall where Han Fang was knocked into and many strongly believed he should be dead. "This kid is a monster." That was all that the spectators could say! They finally understood why the Fotia empire sent so few people! This kid''s strength far surpassed that of the average spirit realm expert! How powerful is the sealed artifact that allows the user who is at the mid-phase of the human realm topete with enemies at the spirit realm? That''s like three realms ahead! The gap is too much! Creak! Crack! Bang! Lucien was just done with the man and was calmly walking up the stone stairs to meet the woman but then everyone could hear a sound emitting from his body and suddenly it looked like many cuts appeared on his body and blood surged out! He was already hitting his limit! [Arrgggggghhhh!] Hearing Lucien''s painful scream in his head, Rakuzen couldn''t help but feel flustered! "This body is too weak!" He gasped to say as he spat out a mouthful of blood and fell on his knees. He had expected this body to hold out a bit longer but unfortunately, it couldn''t! "Lucien!" Instructor Emma''s scream brought Rakuzen back to reality as he looked up to see a huge, muscr beast looking like a minotaur descending on him! It had fiery red horns, a ming hammer in its hand, and a ball of fire burning at the tip of its tail! This beast was like a towering giant! Making 6ft tall men look like babies in its presence! "Demon kin pathway!" Rakuzen muttered with squinted eyebrows. The demon kin pathway was considered a top-tier spirituality pathway that allowed the user to summon demons of the underworld to fight for them! Just like contractors, they sign contracts with these demons, and conditions are set! The stronger the cultivator is the stronger the demon they can work with! Who would have thought this pretty woman would be from such a pathway! "YOU DARE BRING A MID-TIER DEMON TO FACE ME? DON''T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!" Rakuzen''s aura exploded dangerously as it took the shape of the Chinese serpent dragon! "Spirit beast: Azura serpent dragon!" ROAR! With a roar, the faint Azura dragon images solidified and it shot towards the demon! Bang! The Azura dragon sank its fangs into the neck of the demon while using its ridiculously long body to wrap around the demon and then pulling it off the stone stairs! Everyone watched as the two mighty beasts wrestled fiercely while falling into the bottomless pit below the stone tform! "How?" Chan Li gasped in shock! Unlike demons, Spirit beasts can be reformed easily using one''s spirit qi. If her demon dies she would need to wait for some time for it to respawn in the underworld! She never expected Rakuzen to use such suicidal tactics! Bang! Lucien could already be seen in front of the woman with a clenched fist, ready to blow her head to oblivion but the shadow shot towards them at an astonishing speed! Peng! Rakuzen felt a powerful punch hit his protective dragon scales throwing him to the side violently. Bang! Lucien smashed both legs on the ground and gritted his teeth while sliding back uncontrobly! He finally stopped when he was at the edge of one of the stone stairs, just a bit further he would have fallen into the dark bottomless pit below! "Interesting!" Rakuzen growled as he gazed at Han Fang with an eye filled with hatred. He couldn''t exin how Han Fang managed to survive his attack andpletely heal himself but it didn''t matter to him, he had already dered that none of these people will be leaving this ce alive and he nned to keep those words! "I will be going all out now" Rakuzen said as his aura exploded and the Azura serpent dragon was conjured above his head once again. While many thought those words were meant for the enemy, it was actually meant for Lucien who was suffering within, he could only give Rakuzen a nod and with a smile on his face he muttered; [Show me what you can do old man!] Hearing Lucien''s words, Rakuzen revealed a vicious smile as his aura turned violent,shing out at everything around him! Meanwhile, those watching couldn''t help but pinch themselves! They gazed at Lucien with fear in their eyes! Chapter 98: Azura dragon spear! Chapter 98: Azura dragon spear! Everyone was a bit confused since they didn''t know what was more amazing. The fact that Lucien is able to survive a direct blow from the enemy or the fact that Han Fang healed from all the injuries in received in a very short time. No matter what anyone may say they believed that these three are probably the most terrifying people they have met. Grrrrr! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! The entire hall began trembling as the massive Azura serpent dragon kept increasing in size and its image slowly became clearer! Even as a spirit beast it still possessed the high tier bloodline of the dragon and this is while it has been recorded as the most powerful spirit beast to date! "This Rakzuen is sealed within the child! The child really got his inheritance!" Thedy said with a hint of excitement in her voice! In their opinion, the duo felt they are extremely lucky and this their trip has been filled with benefits beyond expectations! Not only would they acquire a grade 2 sealed artifact but they can finally take back what they believe is theirs. "You sure are confident in your abilities" Rakuzen said with knitted eyebrows as his murderous intentions were released. This is the first time in his long life that someone has heard his name and felt amused rather than afraid. If he doesn''t kill these two with his own hands he doubted he would ever be able to show his face to the outside world! If only this body were stronger, he would have been able to reveal an even stronger amount of power! Then these two kids would not dare look down on him so easily! "Roar!" Rakuzen screamed and his spirit beast let out a loud growl before surging forward Throwing his hand into the air, Rakuzen proceeded to summon Habakiri before shooting forward like an arrow. His body released a wind whistling sound which resembled a de cutting through the wind at an extremely high speed. Upon reaching the enemy, his body shed and the next moment, Han Fang saw Rakuzen''s body vanish, reappearing behind them with a surging me whip in his eyes. "Die!" He growled as heshed out violently and with a single hit, hepletely severed Han Fang''s entire right shoulder from his body but even then the enemy was not bothered as he shot Rakuzen a confident grin! Seeing this, Rakuzen''s face darkened as he raised the whip again but then he felt something approaching from behind! He felt death looming over him! Whoosh! The empty air above him tore open revealing as the void split apart and the minotaur shot out with its massive ming harmer, shooting down at Rakuzen. "Too many pesky flies! I have had enough of this!" Rakuzen growled his blue dragon scales lit up while he threw a punch at the massive hammer with his free hand! "Break!" Rakuzen growled as his tiny fist collided with the mighty ming hammer that released a massive shockwave which sent the mid-tier demon flying back Boom! Rakuzen too felt his fist go numb and his body jerks back! He fell on one knee only to see the one-handed Han Fang right behind him with a clenched fist and a maniacal smile on his face! "You are nothing! Explode!" Rakuzen growled as released the second ability of the habakiri, causing the orange glowing mark where Han Fang''s right hand should be to blow up, sending his entire body flying back! "Enough of this!" Rakuzen growled as he mmed his open palm on the ground and blue fire spread across the stone stairs but the Creed''s duo were already airborne. Chan Li held on to what seemed like Han Fang''s lifeless body and before their eyes, it was healing rapidly. He failed to understand how this woman could repel his spirit beast sent to destroy her and he didn''t have time to ask such useless questions either! "Spirit beast: Azura dragon breath!" Taking a deep breath his lungs expanded as his neck suddenly increased in size revealing faint blue lights around it. Rakuzen''s eyes and eyebrows suddenly it up with fiery blue mes as he breathed out! Spitting out a sea of eye-catching blue mes that covered the entire area up to the extent of hiding the figures of the two creed members! "Terrifying!" People couldn''t help but screamed these words in their hearts. They felt like they would be powerless against the massive blue mes released by Rakuzen but what was more shocking was the reaction of the enemy to the attack! Chan Li looked as calm as ever as she summoned a demoness of the underworld! It was like a rock golem but with its rocky body carved meticulously to give it a feminine look with all the curves and bumps ce where necessary! Its eyes were bright green and it had a long ming bright green fire burning atop her head! SHHHRRRRRRR! The demoness released a shrill sound as it threw its hands forward and released a powerful wave of chilling green mes which began consuming Rakuzen''s blue mes like a gue! "Hell mes!" Rakuzen muttered with a murderous light shing in his eyes! Meanwhile, the habakiri in Rakuzen''s hand vanished and a sinister smile bloomed on his face while he recited a few words. "Heed my call, Azura dragon spear!" Rakuzen growled as the faint image of the Azura serpent dragon appeared behind him and soon shot in front of him, taking the shape of a bright blue dragon hilt spear with a blue de made of an unknown material. The spear floated in front of Rakuzen without any help, spinning violently as blue mes began surging around it. The blue mes kept growing until they hadpletely be a whirlpool of zing blue mes! The demoness was still struggling topletely consume the blue mes when it appeared, changing the usual indifferent look on Chan Li''s face to a sour one! For the first time since this battle began she finally felt the threat of death from the enemy! Chapter 99: Defeat! Chapter 99: Defeat! Seeing the massive blue whirlpool Chan Li panicked! She could barely deal with the Azura dragon breath yet another attack way stronger than it has already been conjured! The strength Rakuzen had shown today had far surpassed their expectations! They knew this was a powerful being, taking over the body of a human realm mage so they knew what to expect, they refused to believe he would be able to showcase much of his abilities but yet, Rakuzen''s power kept growing within the kid! "If you keep going this way, you will kill that child! Is that what you want?" Chan Li growled but all her words fell on deaf ears! "He''s notining, so I fail to see a reason while you should be bitching in his ce!" Rakuzen chuckled as he pressed his hands forward and the Azura me whirlpool began surging forward! The entire realm began trembling badly, threatening to crumble! The level of strength Rakzuen was releasing was something the realm may not be able to handle! "Kill him!" Chan Li growled with bloodshot eyes as she watched the attack approach and the pressureing from it! Whoosh! The zing minotaur once again shot towards Rakzuzen with its ming hammer raised but even then Rakuzen could only shoot it a cruel smile before forming a few yet strange hand signs with his left hand. "Spirit beast: Fiery blue Azura dragon w!" he growled as he pressed down gently. Bang! Instantly a massive dragon w appeared above, smashing into the minotaur, dragging it all the way to the ground, and pinning it there! "You were so confident dealing with my attacks earlier, If you can take this one too, I will personally slit my throat!" Rakuzenughed as he pushed forward and the slow moving ming whirlpool suddenly shot forward like a rocket! Hearing his words, Chan Li and Lucien''s hearts skipped a beat! Chan Li gazed at her side only to realize that Han Fang was not yet done healing! The injuries he incurred previously were just too great! "You!" Chan Li roared alongside her fiery demoness as the demoness released an even more massive wave of green mes but the blue whirlpool just tore through it like it was nothing! With no other choice, the demoness gripped the weapon with its bare rocky hands while pushing Chan Li back but then its hand shattered, and the fiery spear drilling a hole through its chest. "Chan Li!" Han Fang roared as he dragged her behind him, shielding her with his body! His eyes let out a green light as his body expanded, turning even darker! Peng! The fiery blue spear struck Han fang and for a moment it looked like it stopped as the blue me around it began to diminish considerably. "Ooh? You are quite capable But that''s not enough!" Rakuzen growled! Suddenly the dying spear roared back to life, spinning even more violently than before as more blue mes surged around it! Before Han Fang could react, the spear tore through his chest and into that of Chan Li! Puff! Three figures fell to the ground with only one standing. Rakuzennded smoothly without even raising a speck of dust. His cold gaze was on the duo on the ground making a hint of anger sh in his eyes. "Your strength is only average You are not inner members of the creed Right?" Rakuzen spected, judging based on their strength. While the battle was as shy and powerful as ever, these two didn''t disy talents worthy of his recognition, he still had some strength to spare and he also noticed their abilities were ''iplete'' His words stunned everyone since they saw the performance of these two members of the creed as outstanding but to Rakzuen, they were only stronger than a king tier magic beasts nowhere near the level of emperor tier level beasts. Han Fang ignored his words while crawling towards his bleeding partner with eyes filled with pain and regret! Just like Rakuzen said they were not the main members of the creed! In reality, they are only disciples of one of the creed''s legendary twelve fingers who specializing in demonic arts. While Chan Li trained on the demon taming art, Han Fang practiced the immortal demon body! These are demonic arts yet they were only at the beginning phase! If these people knew that these two were nowhere near the level of their masters yet they possess this level of strength, they would have been terrified! Rakzuen gazed at the duo with lifeless eyes, he had no pity for the enemy and he only felt some remorse that he couldn''t get his hands on the main leaders of the creed. "You may possess a sad imitation of the immortal body which allows you to swagger around without care since almost no one in this region can kill you but you are not at my level You are not my opponent!" Rakuzen said coldly as the Azura serpent dragon appeared out of nowhere and in one go itpletely swallowed the duo before vanishing. At that moment the blue light at the top of the stone tform above brightened before vanishing, causing the hearts of everyone around to tighten! The sealed artifact has been released from its protective barrier yet no one dared to make a move! The power Rakuzen had just shown was far beyond their expectations. They were sure if they weren''t to join hands against him, they will all die faster than the two creed disciples did! "Come" Rakuzen said that word before climbing up the stairs slowly. Instructor Emma and the others hastily chased after him, since they knew to stay with the other members of the empire was not safe, and since Rakzuen is yet to show any animosity towards them, it''s safer to go with him! Meanwhile, Rakuzen tried hard to regte his breathing and look as natural as ever. If he tried to rush forward or showed any sign of this body hitting his limit, these people will definitely make a move against them! Chapter 100: Soul cauldron Chapter 100: Soul cauldron Thud! Thud! Thud! Rakuzen counted each step he took as he walked up the stairs. His eyes betrayed his tough guy act, but luckily they couldn''t only see his back. He walked slowly giving off a weak aura but the Azura serpent dragon hovered over his head circling him and the other members of the Fotia empire. Reaching the top of the stone tform Rakuzen''s eyes widened with a rare excitement as he saw an ancient-looking ck pot with purple runes littered all over it. From the sealed tight lid, Rakuzen saw purple fume surging out and without thinking straight his body shed appearing beside the sealed artifact and grabbing it! "Hey!" "Lucien don''t!" Instructor Emma and the rest had just reached the top of the stone tform, seeing the sealed artifact in Lucien''s hand they panicked and tried to stop him. This artifact is meant to be submitted to the empire if they got it, they had no right to im it! But Rakuzen only shot them a nce and his bright blue eyes let out a bright light as the Azura serpent dragon let out a ferocious roar, releasing a shockwave that forcibly pushed them meters back! They almost fell off the stone tform just due to its ferocious scream, this made them wonder how the two outer disciples of the creed managed to fight against this beast! "Terrifying!" Instructor Emma muttered as she watched Lucien send his consciousness into the sealed artifact, bing its new master! With themotion happening, members of the Libet and Drakon empire dashed forward! Judging based on the screams and the sudden shockwave which sent Instructor Emma and the others flying back they assumed Lucien or whatever has possessed him has turned on the others. They too lived by the same rule of submitting the sealed artifact to the empire before getting rewarded, so no one expected Lucien to greedily take control of the sealed artifact. Reaching the top, they watched visible purple mana circuits appear all over Lucien''s body. The ck pot slowly turned into a ck gas, surging into Lucien''s body and after it was done entering Lucien''s eyes yanked open, revealing pitch-ck eyes, leaving everyone stunned. On normal asions, people carry their sealed artifacts around in there. Interspatial ring but never have they witnessed someone merging with an artifact before! Originally when people heard the story of the talented Raizen n heir absorbing a rare grade 1 sealed artifact people were stunned because it has never happened before but since no one has evere in contact with a grade 1 sealed artifact, they assumed it was different because it was definitely higher in level. On a normal asion, absorbing a sealed artifact is considered impossible but these people were witnessing it, Live! "I never thought I would find you here" Rakzuen said with so much emotion in his eyes and voice people were stunned. It looked like a man finding his long lost friend. In the past, Rakuzen was a peerless expert who had never experienced defeat! He challenged foes at higher realms and won wlessly but there was one person that outshined him! It was the original wielder of the sealed artifact! From ady from a poor background and a weak cultivation level, she suddenly began increasing in realm at a stunning rate which left many shocked! She grew so fast that even the monstrous Rakuzen was like a weak child whenpared to her! Many came and faced her but all of them fell by her de! All this was because of the grade 3 soul cauldron! She fought countless battles, used he sealed artifact to seal the souls of all those who she killed. With the sealed artifact she refined pure soul nourishment pills which allowed boosted her cultivation realm and soul! Soon she surpassed Rakzuen, drawing the hateful gaze of the jealous world on her! Rakzuen could remember that day when she battled countless experts above the blood endless sea and ended up dying alongside seventy percent of all those who dared to face her. The sealed artifact, as well as their bodies, was lost in the sea and even Rakzuen dared not go in search of it! "If Lucien can have this, his strength will rise by leaps and bounds in a short period of time!..." Rakzuen said to himself but all those who heard were stunned! What kind of sealed artifact can assure constant growth at an rming rate? Even a grade 2 sealed artifact can''t do this talk less of a grade 3 artifact! Meanwhile, Rakzuen using his understanding of the mysticws merged with the sealed artifact not only to prevent the empire from forcefully taking it from Lucien''s hands but from this was also a means to bypass the bacsh of these sealed artifacts. What people fail to realize is that sealed artifacts possess bacshes because they are used in their raw and unstable form but one can merge with it and be one, such a person can avoid unnecessary ckshes for using its power! As a god and a celestial being, how could Rakuzen not notice the killing intentions in the hearts of the humans around but they were yet to make a move because they were scared of the Azura serpent dragon staring intently at them! "You are too weak to vie for this sealed artifact I am the strongest here I have merged with it and I have be one with it do you have a problem with it?" Rakzuen asked coldly at the spirit realm captain of the human team. His words were cold but sharp enough to pierce any mental barriers set up by a person. Hearing his words, the faces of the humans couldn''t help but turn sour but they couldn''t say a word. "You guys should leave first You too" Lucien said to Instructor Emma and the representatives of the Drakon Empire. While they were reluctant, they had no choice but to walk past Lucien, heading to the teleportation array far behind! "What do you n to do?" Instructor Emma stopped moving the moment she reached Lucien and stopped. It was already general knowledge that Lucien is possessed by some sort of ancient powerful spirit allowing him to summon this much power, so instructor Emma was scared of taking her eyes off of Lucien for one moment, or he may end up running away. She asked that question with so much confidence and a clenched fist but upon making eye contact with Rakuzen, all that courage vanished, making her jerk backward. "I have been with Lucien for a while now I have seen his true potential and his true friends He doesn''t want you to get hurt so I cannot hurt you" Rakuzen said calmly but even then Instructor Emma didn''t calm down. "Anyway This body is weak and can only sustain a small fraction of my strength for a short whileThis body has sustained so many internal injuries and Lucien may even die if I relinquish control now With the sealed artifact I just acquired I n to refine soul nourishment pills that will increase his chances of surviving this so leave" Rakuzen said thest part as he shot a nce at the members of the Libet empire with killing intentions surging out! Hearing this, Instructor Emma just nodded timidly and stood aside but she didn''t leave the dungeon like the rest. Seeing this Rakuzen couldn''t help but sigh before turning his attention to the enemy ahead. His left leg slid back as his upper half leaned forward! The blue dragon scales once again appeared on his skin "What do you n on doing?" The captain of the human team asked timidly as she ced her hand on the hilt of her de. Those behind her took a step back as their body trembled! The current Lucien is not someone they can fight against! "Weren''t you and your group ready to kill me just to take possession of my magic weapon? It''s only natural I try to return the favor!" Rakzuen growled as his diminishing aura suddenly erupted once again. "No!" "Pls don''t!" Many human masters of the mortal realm screamed in terror as they ran down the stone stairs in fright, they believed if they stayed up any longer they will be killed by the monster! "Spirit Beast: Fiery blue Azura dragon w!" Rakuzen growled viciously as he pressed his hands down violently. Bang! A blue dragon w appeared above the fleeing men still running down the stairs in fright! With just one move it struck down viciously, reducing everyone who fled to a bloody paste! Rakuzen had just killed a bunch of mortal realm experts like they were some sort of flies! Instructor Emma who once entertained thoughts of fighting Rakuzen couldn''t help but gulp down a mouthful of saliva while retreating even farther in fear! "Seal!" Rakzuen suddenly growled as his eyes turned purple and purple markings appeared all over his body. A faint image of the soul cauldron appeared above his head as a strong suction force erupted from his body, pulling the souls of the dead in! Chapter 101: First time skip! Chapter 101: First time skip! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! A purple suction force could be clearly seen pulling in the souls of the dead including that of the Creed members! Seeing the souls of many surging into Lucien''s body, the faces of everyone turned as white as a sheet of paper! Even though they knew Lucien should be able to use the abilities of the sealed artifact but they still found it shocking and wondered how Rakuzen can do this with the body of a junior. Wam! The souls mmed into Lucien causing him to jerk back! Purple mama circuits appeared all over his body as he fell on his feet! Now is my chance! The human captain knew Rakuzen had no intention of letting the humans go and this can be considered as the best opportunity of killing the beast. Her body jerked forward, leaving behind countless after-images! Her body was swift to reach enough to reach Lucien in just a single breath and with a sword surging with a white aura, thedy shed at Lucien, aiming to decapitate him in one go! Peng! Her face turned sour as her de struck an ice pir, digging deep but only stopping midway! Gazing at the source of the magic, she saw a white-haired Instructor Emma gazing at her coldly. As a knight of the Libet empire who just reached the spirit realm not too long ago, she felt proud of the moment she was given such an important task by the emperor! With her strength she hoped to bring back glory to the empire and gain the recognition of many, yet not only has the sealed artifact be stolen, but more than half of her crew has been killed as well! "You dare stand in the way of the Libet empire? This youth is possessed and has stolen a grade 3 sealed artifact belonging to the three empires! He must be punished! I can assure you, the Libet empire will reward you greatly for your service," Thedy growled. She never expected a youth with the cultivation base of the peak of the mortal realm would be able to block her attack. Also judging based on the ice element showcased by Instructor Emma, showed that she had an in-depth understanding of thews of her elements! Hearing the female knight''s words, Instructor Emma frowned since she knew the female knight was right but she had no ns of letting someone kill Lucien either! "Scram!" Instructor Emma growled as she threw her hands forward, releasing a powerful wave of ice shards! "You!" the female knight roared as she retreated while using her sword to repel all the attacks! "Hahahahaha!" Rakuzen suddenly looked up with a vicious smile on his face and at that moment that female knight felt a shadow loom over her! It was the Azura Serpent dragon! Roar! The dragon dove down with its blurry figure, causing the woman to smile lightly. The Azura serpent dragon was slowly fading due to the weakened state of Rakzuen so its power was no longer at its peak! Her eyes let out a bright white glow as her de was suddenly engulfed in white energy before she struck forward! "Sword art: Piercing light!" Thedy growled as a beam of light surged through her sword, striking the spirit beast above! Even with her full power she still struggled against the fading Azura blue dragon making her wonder how powerful the creed outer disciples are to have gone toe to toe with this monster! Bam! Puti! Thedy spat out a mouthful of blood as her body trembled violently. Her swords fell off her hand and she felt warm liquid surging out of her abdomen. Slowly she lowered her gaze to see a blue Azura spear, deep into her body. This attack would have killed any normal person but the vitality of a spirit realm expert far surpasses that of normal warriors. "If you kill me, the empire will have its revenge you will die a gruesome death! Let met out just let me go and I will push the me to the creed! No one has to know what happened here" The woman muttered desperately making Rakuzen. "As long as none of you survives the encounter how will they know I killed you? Who will know how you died?" Rakuzen said as snapped his fingers and thedy was set aze! "Your soul is mine!" Rakuzen said as he summoned the purple suction force, pulling in her soul as well! Instructor Emma just stood and watched as Rakuzen killed everyone else and consumed their souls as well, leaving behind empty husks! ---------------------------------- Alucard and the rest appeared at the center of the Talis vige again. With the Drakon experts close by, they couldn''t help but feel ufortable. They expected these beast-men would turn on them and harm them while the instructor and Rakuzen are away but to their greatest surprise, the people of the Drakon empire just shot them a nce and walked away without saying a word. With the sealed artifact absorbed by Lucien, they had no way of stealing it, and killing him may just cost some friction between their two empires without then benefitting anything? Was a Grade 3 sealed artifact worth the lives of thousands who will die when both sides sh in war? With the Beast-men gone, only then did Alucard, Chenoa, Titan, and Lucy calm down. After waiting barely five minutes, Rakuzen appeared with instructor Emma standing behind him. With everyone else dead, the spatial gate leading to the dungeon vanished entirely and since the human team didn''t make it out, they guessed Lucien killed them all. At this moment Lucien''s body was brimming with power and purple mana could be visibly seen surging through his veins! His eyes kept up releasing blinding purple lights as he turned his attention to Chenoa. "Lord Rakuzen!" Chenoa bowed hurriedly the moment she noticed Lucien''s gaze "Return to your vige tell them that It has been done I have avenged them stay there, when the timees My sessor wille to look for you" Rakuzen said calmly. Chenoa bit her lips as she reluctantly backed away before dashing into the bush ahead. Everyone had heard Rakuzen''s words, making them wonder about Rakuzen''s real identity. Did grade 1 sealed artifacts carry along with the soul of powerful beings of the past? Maybe he is the creator of the sealed artifact. Well, all of that didn''t matter since Lucien was in deep trouble for his actions. "You put him in a lot of trouble He may even be executed!" Instructor Emma looked at Rakuzen with so much hate it looked like she wanted to pull him out of Lucien''s body and give him a sound beating. "He won''t die" Rakuzen said nonchntly as he poured his mana into the soul seal ced on him by the emperor and instructor Han. Hearing his words baffled many, they saw his strength and they had to confess its extremely powerful amongst spirit realm masters but the emperor is at the Champion realm! Even if he can beat the emperor, he can''t go against an entire empire alone! His death is certain! "Why do you say so?" Instructor Emma asked but at that moment the space around them tore and a spatial gate appeared right in front of them. From it Emperor Fei and Instructor Han appeared, just as people were stunned to see them, they were also stunned to see Lucien in this state. "Who are you?" Emperor Fei''s eyes narrowed as his aura slowly began surging like an endless ocean, terrifying and powerful but when faced with this Rakuzen only chuckled in disdain. "You are not qualified to know my name!" Rakuzen answered with a hint of disdain in his eyes! -------------------------------- After Lucien''s return, Instructor Emma quickly exined the situation, giving them a detailed exnation of everything that happened in the expedition stunning not only the emperor but the entire empire as well. Rakuzen quickly relinquished control over Lucien''s body after they returned, leaving him in a near-death condition. Unwilling to let Lucien die and have him face trial for his crimes against the empire many human nobles were eager to provide precious recovery materials just to make sure Lucien survives. For four months Lucien was bedridden and on the fifth month he regained consciousness but his body was far from recovering. In his dire condition, Lucien was thrown into the dungeons and their people waited for his body to heal naturally they awaited the day he would be strong enough to stand on his feet and face trial! ---------------------------------- A year has passed by and deep within a dungeon located in the Royal pce, a youth sat in a cross-legged position. His silver hair reached his waist and his body seemed buffed and well built for someone who has been kept underground for a year. His eyes were covered with some sort of metal ring draped around his face and his back was pierced with numerous chains binding him to the cold walls of the dungeon! Chapter 102: I can’t help you here Chapter 102: I can¡¯t help you here "It''s been a while How long do you think I have stayed here? Hahahaha" Lucienughed lightly while he spoke. Rakuzen remained silent gazing at the youth while feeling guilty for his current predicament. Lucien had been sealed in this ce for more than a year now. Although Rakuzen''s actions were meant to save him, he never expected Lucien would be put through so much. He is only a fourteen year old yet he had chains drilled into his back, his hands and legs chained and his body drained of all forms of mana! During the past year, Lucien focused on refining the numerous souls he absorbed with the soul cauldron. While his cultivation as a mage may have remained stagnant, his soul has been strengthened to a terrifying extent and his spirit energy has reached an amazing level. During this time, Rakuzen has regained the power of faith which he spent when fighting the creed members! In fact, the amount of faith power he gained from his people was greater than ever! During the past year, they have been attacked asionally by magic beasts of various levels, bandits, and small cults or organizations but none have ever made it to the walls of the vige! Everyone who bore evil intentions towards the people of that vige was struck down in one go! Because of this, the people couldn''t help but have more faith in their God! "Hey, Hey, Hey! I said it''s not your fault I saved so many lives yet I am treated like this I dealt with members of the creed yet I receive a treatment worse than death I have given my all to this empire from the very first day yet I was treated like trash My family My n My empire they are all the same You are the only true friend I have. You made me understand that" Lucienughed lightly again while speaking. Rakuzen knew that Lucien''s time here has somehow broadened his world view but this also driven him mad to an extent. Although the emperor and Instructor Han havee down here to speak to Lucien a couple of times, Lucien always remained silent and has never really spoken to them. It was more like he is unwilling to speak to anyone except Rakuzen Peng! Peng! Peng! The sounds of the powerful iron doors of the dungeon rang out loudly, causing a lewd smile to appear on Lucien''s face. "It seems we have a visitor, old man Raku" Lucien chuckled cutely while he spoke. His eyes may have been bound by a piece of metal ring ced around his face but thanks to his strong soul and his profound realm in the spirituality cultivation which has already reached the warrior realm, Lucien could see the world differently even without his eyes. In fact, he felt morefortable staying this way with his eyes shut tight. Thud! Thud! Thud! Footsteps could be heard and soon it stopped only a few meters away from him. The visitor had silver hair and wore a silver kimono with the crashing water wave design all over the kimono. Behind him were guards with torches and weapons! "Hehehehe! Old man Han, you have grown stronger since thest time we met peak of the mortal realm, not bad! Not bad! Your cultivation speed is quite good" Lucien chuckled stiffening the hearts of everyone around him. Instructor Han was stunned as well! How could someone at a lower realm tell his realm even with his eyes sealed? What he found more shocking was the fact that Lucien took the initiative to talk to him! In the past, Lucien always remained silent but now he spoke without restraint and even more than the usual Lucien does! There was something different about his aura now. "Lucien I am sorry I cannot help you here" Instructor Han said with an eye filled with emotion while gazing at the youth who has gone through so many hardships. The emperor and Instructor Han would have loved to help Lucien but this matter involved the whole empire and all the noble families! Both cultivators and none cultivators! Everyone condemned Lucien for stealing a treasure that belonged to the empire and they all wished to see him punished for that! "Hehehehe! What nonsense are you saying? I am not the one that needs help I am guessing today is the day of the trial and they sent you to fetch me The gates are opened everyone is down here what happens if I wish to escape?" Lucien revealed a sinister smile as he said those words, causing the bodies of those around him to tremble! Although Lucien''s realm is weaker than theirs whenever they gazed at the youth, they kept feeling the threat of death looming over their heads. On normal asions, someone in confinement and in a bad situation like that of Lucien would slowly get weaker and lose wait but Lucien actually increased in size and looked fit! "What are you trying to say?" Instructor Han asked with narrowed eyes. Even if it''s Lucien, he wouldn''t let anyone threaten him so easily! Especially not a junior! ng! ng! Lucien slowly got on his feet and approached instructor Han slowly. The metal chains trembled greatly but couldn''t hold Lucien! His skin tore as he forcefully pulled himself out of the chains pierced into his skin, causing blood to flow but even then the same sinister smile remained on Lucien''s face as he approached! With each step he took, his aura got thicker and a faint image of a shapeless silver thing slowly came into view, by the time he had taken five steps forward everyone present found it incredibly hard to breathe, including instructor Han causing them to fall under the pressure of Lucien''s soul power. By the time Lucien reached Instructor Han, he grabbed his former friend and sworn brother by the hair and pulled him up on his feet! Only then did people realize that Lucien was as tall as the instructor! Gazing at his old friend with his spirit eyes, Lucien said "If it were an offensive mage It would have been difficult but to send a support mage like you is quite stupid Han You are not my opponent!" Lucien dered with a wide grin on his face! Chapter 103: A Joke Chapter 103: A Joke Lucien''s words were like a dagger, urately piercing the hearts of those who heard it and striking fear into them. Even though they had greater cultivation realms, they were extremely sure if they fought Lucien here, they will definitely lose. When making this spection, they didn''t put Rakuzen into consideration, the ancient being was beyond their level by far! "Joking!" Lucien suddenly screamed childishly as he released his strong grip on Instructor Han. Taking a few steps back with looked like he was tip-toeing, Lucien forcefully broke free of his binds meant to suppress mages but not a spirit cultivator like him. Ignoring the bleeding wound on his back, Lucien pulled out a ck sleeveless mage attire from his pocket dimension and put it on right in front of everyone! While he did all of this, He still maintained the jovial aura around him, making people strongly believe he has gone crazy. When he was done, he let a mage heal the wound he incurred by forcefully freeing himself and began heading to the trial grounds where his fate will be decided! While they moved silently, Instructor Han couldn''t help but ponder on the events of the past. He was a hundred percent sure that even though Lucien imed it was a joke, he was sure he felt Lucien''s killing intentions directed towards him. It was like Lucien was actually considering killing him and something told him that if Lucien nned to do so, he won''t be able to escape, even with his spatial magic. Throughout his journey, he couldn''t help but shoot Lucien asional nces. This youth was different from the kid they once knew! Life and situations have reduced this youth to a twisted being who conceals his pain with a smile! Someone unpredictable! He couldn''t help but feel like the empire made a terrible mistake! --------------------------------------- Gathered at the sacred grounds of the empire were all forms of nobles, including those without any cultivation and those who cultivate as well. Although it''s extremely important for one to possess strength, the fighters and mages are mainly soldiers or some sort of reserve troops for the kingdom while the financial sector and practically other major sectors of the empire are run by people either with no or very low cultivation realm. For today''s case, even a few dukes, marquess, and an Earl attended with thousands of people. While these powerful figures were present, the noble ns of the empire appeared as well with their n heads attending, they too had a say in this matter! With such powerful figures involved in this case, even Emperor Fei couldn''t do much. They waited until Lucien appeared on the elevated podium where everyone can see him! While everyone expected to see a thin, malnourished youth, what they saw was an extremely handsome youth who had his eyes covered and wore an expensive robe with a smile void of any forms of worries. Upon arrival, Lucien could feel the spirit signature of everyone around, he saw so many people today he couldn''t help but feel excited. "Oh?" Lucien muttered when he noticed the gaze of the emperor, making him turn his face towards his direction while revealing a wicked grin. "LUCIEN ON THIS VERY DAY YOU ARE CHARGED WITH TREASON, FOR STEALING A SEALED ARTIFACT BELONGING TO THE EMPIRE HOW DO YOU PLEAD?" The spokesman of the judge said with his voice enhanced by magic. His words caused others to tremble since they soon realized what was going on. If Lucien is found responsible he will be charged with treason and the punishment is death! Everyone turned their gaze towards Lucien, trying to see how the youth will reply. As a fourteen-year-old, when faced with so many powerful figures, a normal person would tremble but Lucien showed no sign of fear. He grabbed the metal ring around his eyes and crushed it like it was only a piece of paper making the hearts of everyone skip a bit! Even though he was around five hundred meters away from the spokesman, his gaze with his purple eyes made the man feel like his life can be stolen away at any moment. "I don''t like the way you speak to me Lower your tone!" Lucien said so calmly that everyone thought their ears will fall off. "SUCH INSOLENCE FROM A LITTLE BRAT!" Earl Julis rose on his feet and released his aura while revealing his cultivation level which is only at the mortal realm! "SILENCE!" Lucien growled annoyed for the first time. His words were directed towards the noble and it carried ripples of his soul power smashing into the man! Puti! Right before everyone''s eyes, the man turned terribly pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood, falling back on his seat! His gaze revealed intense fear when he looked at Lucien causing the civilians below to shudder in fear! At this moment, everyone expected the guards around Lucien to suppress him in some way but when they looked closely, they realized these people were as pale as a ghost, it looked like they were in some sort of trance, put up by Lucien! "Is this meant to be a trial set up for me? What a joke!" Lucien chuckled, leaving even Emperor Fei stunned! Even if he wished to help Lucien, after all that has happened now, he definitely won''t be able to save him if these people want him dead! "I embarked on a dangerous task with the most ipetent set of people I have ever met in my fourteen years of living I lead them into battles even though we had an instructor with us I protected a good number of them and when faced with the threat of the creed, I single-handedly defeated which even thebined strength of the three empire forces could not do I bleed and fought for it and when the time came for me to preserve my life through the help of the sealed artifact due to the injuries I sustained fighting for you I took hold of the sealed artifact and made use of it Instead of getting a thank you, all I get is this? Now it''s time I ask a question of my own Give me one good reason why I shouldn''t just kill every one of you here?" Lucien said as his eyes shed with killing intentions. Chapter 104: You need me! Chapter 104: You need me! Hearing Lucien''s words the entire court turned silent. They all gazed at each other with confused looks on their faces, it looked like they were trying to confirm what they just heard. Lucien did not only hurt an Earl, a medium-ss noble in the empire but he also threatened everyone, including the emperor! They must have heard wrong! Emperor Fei during this time remained observant and watched all that happened from thefort of his throne ced at the highest tform present. He has fought enemies with soul energy and he too has his fair share of losses! He could tell the Earl could not stop Lucien''s attack because he was not familiar with spirituality cultivators, therefore he had no way of resisting Lucien. Seeing this he had a cold feeling in his heart and with a twisted expression on his face, he asked. "Are you Rakuzen or Lucien?" Emperor Fei asked. He could remember the day he and instructor Fei were called over to save Lucien after the dungeon incident. He asked the ancient being for his name and during that time Rakuzen refused to say and imed he is not qualified to know his name! He could only guess Rakuzen is the only one capable of saying provocative words like this and many silently agreed with his theory. "Rakuzen? You sincerely look down on me emperor Do I need Rakuzen to speak the truth?" Lucien revealed a sly smile His purple eyes were fixed on the emperor causing many nobles to cause in rage! "Lucien? Shocking Do you think you can kill me as well?" The emperor asked casually with a facecking any form of expression. "Yes.." Lucienughed lightly causing the faces of many to turn red! "You dare speak sphemy against the emperor!" "Execute this worthless kid!" "Let me go at him, I assure you I will give him a sound beating and get him to apologize for all his wrongdoings!" Many people roared within the crowd, they all silently prayed they can get their hands on this kid and teach him a lesson. At this point, the nobles remained silent and watched everything y out. The Raizen n family head, Lucas gazed at Lucien with a hint of disgust on his face. He was extremely happy with the way things has yed out, all that is left is for Lucien to be executed. With that, the old man can rest easy after so long! "I demand an apology from the empire and sort ofpensation for all the troubles I have been through!" Lucien dered when he saw the nobles were speaking amongst themselves. His words made a vein pop on the forehead of the emperor causing him to look towards Lucien with an annoyed look on his face. He too was getting fed up with this version of Lucien. "And why do you think we are the ones who have to apologize?" Emperor Fei asked with his aura slowly ring up. "Because you need me" Lucien said making him frown even more. "I am the only one who can refine the soul nourishment pills for you all I am the only one who can forge the special grade magic weapons I may not be the strongest youth amongst the new generation of elites but I am the one with the most potential I have much more to offer to this empire You need me!" Lucien said coldly causing Emperor Fei to frown even more. "You useless youth dares speak that way to the Emperor! You must be tired of living!" Lucas Raizen roared as he stood on his feet. "Old Fool, Quiet!" Lucien growled as he swung his hand at the man releasing a powerful wave of soul energy! Seeing this the old man shrank back and gathered his energy waiting to take it head-on. If he were to dodge this attack it will certainly be a big blow to his reputation that he was forced to dodge by a junior but the real question remains, is he able to take this soul attack head-on? Especially since he has no means of countering! Bang! Suddenly the soul aura shattered before it could reach the old man and a figure shed shooting towards Lucien, it was the Emperor! Bang! Smashing into therge tform where Lucien stood, he released a powerful shockwave which blew the guards off the tform but Lucien didn''t move back an inch! Rakuzen kept surging his power into Lucien without taking over directly, helping to boost his abilities. They had already discussed this earlier, if it was deemed that he is unable to live in the empire, he would just teleport directly to the Tania vige and avoid the punishment entirely. Thud! Thud! Thud! Both sides began walking towards each other boldly, with each step the tform trembled and their aura kept rising! It was shocking that Lucien was ready to challenge the emperor but it was even more shocking that he remained unfazed by the old man''s aura! "You really think I will not be able to kill you?" Emperor Fei asked with a stern look on his face. "Just as you have confidence in your abilities I have confidence in the strength I have acquired This little emperor will not be in by you" Lucien said with a sinister smile on his face causing the emperor to frown. He has always known the type of person Lucien is and he knew the youngd would not boast of anything without confidence. Also, his current behavior made it difficult for him to see through! He could not tell what was going on in Lucien''s mind, all he knew was that everything Lucien said earlier is true! If the empire truly wishes to grow stronger than the other two empires, they need his help! "What do you want?" Emperor Fei asked calmly as his aura died down. "I want a noble title of my own A territory which I rule over and create a n of my own Remember from now on my services for the empire is not free and I decide what I choose to share with the empire My strength is mine and mine alone and finally I wish to continue at the Fotia academy" Lucien said calmly Chapter 105: The First step forward! Chapter 105: The First step forward! "The empire owes me that much!" Lucien said those words with so much venom everyone could feel it. Hearing Lucien''s demands the emperor could only sigh. The Fotia empire is veryrge and even a mere Baron has control over his own territory. Problems arising in that territory will have to be taken care of by Lucien and the emperor felt Lucien is too young to handle this but he also couldn''t deny that the new Lucien he is looking at now gave off an air of maturity and confidence with a hint of madness. Lucien''s demands were already stunning, making people convulse with anger! How can a fourteen-year-old with the third sky of the human realm cultivation level demand to be a noble and own a territory of his own? Does he think he has the strength to defend a territory? Does he even know how the empire''s politics works? In their opinion, Lucien was quite greedy! Seeing the Emperor hesitate, Lucien frowned. He quickly waved his hand and the Habakiri appeared in his hands! Raising it above his head, a dark storm engulfed the entire courtyard, blocking the sun! "Strike!" Lucien growled as he pulled down and a powerful bolt of lightning descended on the emperor, forcing him to block with his bare hands! BOOM! BRRRRR! Following the explosion was a loud burning sound echoing all around the courtyard. The thunderbolt strike rose enough dust to hide bothbatants but suddenly a bright, fiery orange light can be seen within the dust. ROAR! Lucien let out an inhuman roar as he swung the mighty ming whip with all his might, striking the emperor and sending him flying above! Whoosh! A bright orange mark could be seen on the chest of the airborne emperor, glowing brightly! "Explode!" Suddenly the dust around Lucien dispersed as he screamed those words, following with a loud bang sound, and the emperor consumed in mes, stunning many to scream in shock! "Take thest one!" Lucien suddenly leaped forward and on the tip of the Habakiri was a powerful storm brewing! "Typhoon!" Lucien growled as he threw the massive wind hurricane at the emperor, pushing him all the way down without giving him a chance to resist, or maybe the emperor wasn''t resisting on purpose! Bang! They saw a zing figure getting pushed back to his original position, forcefully smashing him back to where he sat while Lucien remained airborne without any support, standing there casually like he was standing on solid ground. "Tier 3 wind magic: Wind walker" Lucien said calmly. --------------------------- The dust around the emperor cleared, revealing his destroyed royal robes and revealing a sizeable portion of his bright red armor hidden within his robes! This left everyone including the nobles dumbfounded! Everyone knew the royal robes was not as normal as it seems. It had the strength to withstand even tier three attacks effortlessly but Lucien reduced it to this sorry state in a matter of seconds! What is that weapon in his hands and how can it have control over four different elements? "This is the Habakiri A magic weapon I created under the supervision of the emperor, a year ago I can boldly say it is more capable than any noble family heirloom in this empire and only the royal family can present weapons that can match its strength. Does anyone else doubt my worth?" Lucien said with a sly smile on his face but in reality, he was secretly rmed. The emperor took all those attacks head-on but he still came out without a scratch! He even blocked his lighting with his hands! Even the outer disciples of the creed couldn''t do this much! [He is quite strong He is truly worthy of the title Emperor!] Rakuzenmented calmly The emperor gazed at Lucien thoughtfully for a while before nodding in approval. "I agree to your conditions" Emperor Fei finally said. "Hahahahaha! I knew you had it in you kid! My Lucardo family looks forward to working with the youngest noble the empire has ever gotten! And a damn strong one at that!" The old man of the Lucardo nughed wildly before walking away! "Me too Uncle!" Lucien said with a childish smile as he gave the old man a thumbs up! What transpired today was just too stunning that if anyone outside the ce should hear the story they will most likely reject it and im it''s all a lie. Today, Lucien who is supposed to be executed for a capital offense, suddenly turned on the empire and forced them to present him with benefits! All those who ratted him out and even failed to visit him even once while he was in the dungeon suddenly felt bad, especially instructor Emma. Based on status and personal achievements, Lucien has surpassed them, and it''s only a matter of time when he would be able to stand on the same footing with the major figures of the empire! He is a rising star that cannot be stopped! ----------------------------------- A few hourster, Lucien walked through the halls of the royal pce with so much swagger, that the guards who threw him into the dungeon convulsed in anger but none dared to make eye contact with him! After his stunning showcase of power, they all realized that his cultivation level may be low, but his strength is far beyond something, mere warrior realm experts like them can handle. He yanked the mighty golden doors of the royal throne room and in there was the emperor and all the nobles in the empire! Without baiting an eye, Lucien walked forward confidently. He wore his long silver robe but this one was more customized than the others. It had the Azure blue serpent dragon on it, giving him a majestic look. His long silver hair was allowed to fall freely and his hands were ced behind him as he walked forward. Each step he took looked majestic since his legs barely touched the ground! Many felt he was walking on air just like he did during the trial! This was the tier three version of his original spell, wind wheels! A spell only he can cast! Chapter 106: Rakuzen clan Chapter 106: Rakuzen n Lucien exuded an air of confidence and absolute strength to all those who watched him walk and the slight smile stered on his face revealed his crafty and cunning nature, making all those plotting to exploit him due to his young age rethink their ns. Even the emperor who has been observing him since the moment he entered the royal throne room couldn''t help but confess that Lucien was at his best right now. He had the backing of the Rakuzen ancestor spirit making his strength surpass that of the strongest spirit realm masters if necessary, a grade three and grade one sealed artifact and a couple of secrets which even he didn''t know of. In his opinion now, Lucien had the rights and capabilities to lead his own territory! Slowly the doubt lingering in Emperor Fei''s mind began to clear after making proper evaluations of Lucien. This kid may be young but he seems to be more capable than most of the present nobles! Emperor Fei would have been extremely happy if it were the old Lucien that was given this opportunity since this new Lucien was someone he is unable to see through! Even he felt a hint of danger when gazing at Lucien now. The massive Royal throne room was a bright hall capable of containing thousands of people but meant for only a few. Directly entering through the door, one would be faced with numerous pirs, ced on both sides and on a straight light, leading to a massive staircase, leading to the throne above where Emperor Fei is seated, while looking down on everyone below. Expensive cushions are ced by the sides where Lucien and the others nobles sit during meetings but today, Lucien stood at the foot of the staircase, gazing up to the figure seated above, looking down on him. ''One day, I will make that throne mine!'' Lucien''s eyes shed as he made thatment in his eyes. It seemed as if the emperor noticed it and frowned in response. The old Lucien aspiring for the throne was someone he considered a healthypetition, he could only hope that Lucien hasn''t lost that part of him. "I havee for what is mine" Lucien said those words calmly. "Okay" Emperor Fei gave a in reply as he summoned several silver parchments floating above his hand. His gaze was no longer soft and friendly like before but that didn''t bother Lucien anymore. He only considered this as the emperor acknowledging his strength! "Before we begin, I wish to know What type of people do you wish to rule over? Beast-men or Humans?" Emperor Fei asked calmly. His eyes pinned on Lucien showcased a hint of curiosity, making it seem as if the question is more of a test. "Everything Beast-men, Humans spirit cultivators everything As long as they do not disrupt the peace, they are allowed to stay" Lucien answered casually, causing a small smile to bloom on the emperor''s face while he nodded in agreement. That too has always been his life''s goal. At least Lucien hasn''t changed by much "Territories are captured by the nobles and those who are there are forced to sumb to their rule that''s how the n leaders here did theirs but things have changed slightly The Fotia empire has reached a level so that much effort is not to be expended This is the royal decree! Carry it with you when you get to the Bradford town, show them this and they will have no choice but to serve you" Emperor Fei said as he pushed lightly and one of the silver parchments shot towards Lucien which he caught promptly! "Bradford is a small town outside the empire but under our control as well It is located west of the empire, not too far from the Academy, that way attending sses shouldn''t be difficult for you as well Its poption is made up of both beast men and Humans The only I know of in the empire''s territories You will know more when you get there." Emperor Fei said. "West of the empire? A ce filled with magic beasts of various levels and varieties It''s shocking a few towns still exist in those remote parts!" Lucien said calmly as he knew where this is. These ces are famous for their magic beasts! There at least one person dies daily during a magic beast invasion. Since it''s not a territory under any noble family, the empire naturally didn''t ce much focus on it. The beast-man and human towns there had no other choice but to unite in a bid to survive. "A noble must be one with strength If you want a ce you can call your own, you have to earn it!" Emperor Fei said calmly. "Hehehe! I am notining You don''t have to be worried, it will be dealt with in a few days" Lucien boldly stated, causing the emperor to raise an eyebrow in surprise while the nobles shake their heads in disbelief! He was going to resolve a serious magic beast issue in just a few days, with his low cultivation level? ''Let''s see how cocky this kid can be when he finally gets there!'' Many nobles screamed in their mind. "HAHAHA! That''s what I want to hear! I hereby dere you, Lucien! A Baron of the Fotia empire! As such you must pick ast name" Emperor Fei said with a smile! Hearing this, Lucien silently touched the empty space in front of him, and from what looked like the void he pulled out a bright blue Chinese serpent dragon mask, putting it on. Within the mask, no one could see his facial expression and could only rely on his cold eyes to determine what his emotions are. "Ast name I shall call my family, Rakuzen" Lucien said lightly but that name sent chills down the heart of people around! Rakuzen! Ever since Lucien''s return, that name has spread across the empire and many people have done their research on it but ended up finding nothing! Even emperor Fei''s eyes twitched as he heard that name! Chapter 107: Bradford town Chapter 107: Bradford town Two figures were seen walking through the halls of the royal pce, while both wore silver robes and had silver hair, one had a blue dragon ask on and his robe had a blue dragon design on, meanwhile the other wore no mask and his robe had the crashing waves design. They were Lucien and Instructor Han! Since Lucien is still a student of the academy, he had to follow Lucien to his new domain and create a few teleportation tforms, that will link that remote town with the empire. Xiu! Taking the secret teleportation tform, they were instantly transported to the academy, from there both of them flew toward the empire''s western gates. With his mask on, no one could tell Lucien was only fourteen years old, due to his body physique. While they flew silently, Instructor Han stole a few nces at Lucien but all he saw within the cold blue mask were a pair of cold silver eyes. "Do you resent us for what happened?" Instructor Han asked calmly after contemting for a while. He still couldn''t forget the fear he felt when Lucien joked about killing him. Even when Lucien imed it was only a joke, he knew that the killing intent Lucien exuded at that moment was real. His hatred for them was real. "Yes, I hate the fact both of you were too powerless to do what is right That''s why I am doing this I will surpass all of you and make sure no one has to go through that again" Lucien answered casually as if it was nothing but Instructor Han could feel his killing intent rising once again. ---------------------- Lucien was already extremely popr within the empire walls so those at the western gates naturally recognized him and Instructor Han and after shing his noble crest, they let them through. After a journey thatsted about thirty minutes, they arrived at the Bradford town. Compared to Lucien''s expectation, the town was rtively big, almostparable to the territory of the other noble families that have existed for centuries or even more due to thebined poptions of beast-men and humans. Lucien and Instructor Han stood above the town, gazing down on them silently. They didn''t bother to conceal their presence so the town naturally took note of them, so many people gathered outside with weapons in their arms, gazing at the two peerless figures looking down on them. Seeing this, Lucien didn''t take it to heart, it was only natural for the weak to protect themselves in such a manner. In fact, he found this act interesting since it proved that these people are yet to give up hope! They still have the will to fight in them. "Interesting" Lucienmented with a slight hint of interest. From the crowd, a weak old man and a vibrant young man stepped out of the crowd. "Good days peerless warriors We are the people of the Bradford town and I am their town chief May I know why you are here?" The old man said respectfully. Lucien and Instructor Han descended, before handing presenting the royal decree to these people. Seeing this, a sh of joy shed in their eyes as they gazed at the masked youth meant to be their new leader. His aura was restrained to the point that they could barely feel it yet he gave off a dangerous vibe. Since they couldn''t tell his strength, what he looks like, or anything, they assumed their new master is the mysterious type and silently prayed he would be powerful enough to deal with their magic beast problems. "Set up a teleportation formation here and leave Come back in a few days The situation here should have stabilized" Lucien said to Instructor Han calmly. Hearing this, Instructor Han was taken aback. He had thought that Lucien may request his help in dealing with the magic beasts and the people here believed so too, so everyone was stunned. "Lord" the voice of the old man trailed off as he did not know what to call Lucien. "Rakuzen" Lucien said. "Lord Rakuzen This town is surrounded by territories belonging to powerful beasts! General level beasts aremon and a few have imed that even king level beasts reside here I humbly suggest the lord seek help from more experts to deal with this issue" The old man said humbly with a bowed head. Hearing that King-level beasts were present here, Lucien''s eyes shed slightly with surprise, and a smile spread across his masked face. "Gaze at my face when you speak" Lucien said calmly as he took a step forward and the old man unconsciously took a step back. "As for the magic beast issue, I alone will be more than enough to deal with them" Lucien''s voice was calm and filled with confidence, stunning these people. Instructor Han and the people gazed at Lucien with a hint of shock in their eyes! They found it hard to believe that someone so young is this strong! [Hehehehe! Using my name now You must feel honored] Rakuzen was enjoying the show. "Where are the magic beast nests located?" Lucien ignored their stares and asked the question calmly. What the hell is he nning to do? Does he wish to attack now? He must be young and impulsive! "We don''t know We are yet to venture far enough to go, but heading south from here you should be able to find something" The old man said apprehensively while monitoring the eyes within the mask hoping to see some sort of expression, but there was none. Those eyes remained cold as always. "Instructor Han I will have to ask you to stay here after you finish setting up the teleportation tform until I return I should be back in a few hours This won''t take long" Lucien said calmly. Instructor Han wanted to refuse but right now, byw Lucien''s status is higher than his in the empire. He is only an instructor while Lucien is a Baron, a noble! "Yes, lord Rakuzen" Instructor Han cupped his fists and bowed slightly while he said those words. With a slight nod as a reply, Lucien shot into the air like a missile heading south of the town! Chapter 108: Roc Chapter 108: Roc [Are you confident?] Rakuzen asked casually but Lucien didn''t reply. For an entire year plus now he has been receiving notifications from the system but he didn''t bother to check any of them, only leaving them to pile up. While checking he realized many of them were notifications from the system, informing him that the Tania vige of spirit beast cultivators are under attack and also notifications of their victory. Amongst the notifications are congrattory messages on his breakthrough to the warrior realm as a spirituality cultivator, the souls he consumed were enough to allow him breakthrough further into thete stages of the warrior realm but a shaky foundation is something all cultivators fear the most, and Lucien is no exception so he chose to direct the excess nourishment to his spirit beast, strengthening it further. "Status" Lucien decided to push all the notifications aside and just check his current status. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3rd sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 1000] [HP: 110/110] [MP: 150/150] [SP: 100/100] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 7000] "Ooh?" Lucien muttered in surprise. Not only has his strength as a spirituality cultivator increased but his magical stats have risen as well. His experience points are so high, he barely knew what to do with it. Since he wasn''t in a rush to make such decisions, Lucien pushed the matter aside and focus on the figures moving below. [A roc] Rakuzen''s voice trailed off. Rocs are earth-type magic beasts almost simr to a rhino. At the soldier realm, they possess only the earth element but at the General and King level, they gain a rare element, Metal! Their defense is said to be outstanding and with its brute force, it breaks through all barriers standing in its way! An absolute nightmare for people whock extremely powerful moves. Lucien would have loved to fly past them but along the way, he noticed the Rocs gathering at one spot. On the tree branch were two kids, females. While one had fluffy rabbit ears, the other was a human. Knowing there are no settlements around this ce except that Bradford town, Lucien concluded that these two wandered too far from the vige! [Lucien] Rakuzen muttered. "I know" Lucien answered coldly as he watched the Rocs m into the tree, trying to break it. The clouds turned dark as Lucien felt the mana surging through his body. His eyes released a blue light as he slowly made strange movements, controlling the lighting surging around. The sudden change in weather caught the attention of the magic beasts and when they looked up, they saw a silver-haired masked man surrounded by lightning and a threefold magic array forming above the clouds. "Tier 3 magic: Lightning descent!" Lucien muttered as several bolts of lightning struck down viciously, obliterating all soldier-level beasts around the tree but not even a single bolt of lightning touched a branch or a leaf on the tree! The duo watched the masked man''s body vanished and the next moment he was levitating right in front of them. He spread out his hands without saying a word and even though they didn''t know this man is, their body instinctively jumped into his arms. There they felt safe DING! [Beast assimtion sessful] Lucien didn''t even bother to look at the notification and turned his attention towards the remaining rocs here. There were at least ten of them left after he killed close to four almost effortlessly. Gazing at the cold eyes of the masked man, these kids couldn''t help but feel safe. Even when faced with this number of magic beasts, he wasn''t flustered. "I am a friend Your parents sent me to save you Don''t worry This big bro will make sure no one in the vige gets hurt ever again!" Lucien''s voice was soft when the girls heard it but for the magic beasts around, they felt his killing intentions surging forward. "Go Kill them all!" Lucien''s eyes let out a bright silver light as his spirit beast manifested in front of him! The shapeless silver light quickly began to twist and turn, before taking the shape of the nightmare demon! [The faceless is nothing but everything It assumes the form of what it deems most suitable That is why it is considered a unique spirit beast That''s why your emotions need to be controlled properly when summoning it A year ago I would have advised against it but now, you are at your best!] Shriek! The faceless roared as it shot forward, releasing a massive veil of darkness that quickly engulfed the enemies! "Good!" Lucien gazed at the death storm surrounding the spirit beast and Rocs but he didn''t seem bothered. This can only be considered as a warm-up for his magic beast. [You don''t n to pay attention to the fight?] Rakuzen asked. "No need for that... It''s time I fulfill my own part of the contract" Lucien muttered coldly as he stretched his hands towards the empty space ahead and his eyes let out a yellow glow. "Old piece of shite out!" Lucien sneered as a contractor formation appeared a few meters away from him and from it, the Rupture magic beast emerged. The facial expression in its eyes was filled with shock at first but then it changed to rage! A year ago, it signed a soul bind contract with Lucien and ording to the agreement, Lucien should have summoned it the moment he exited the dungeon but since Rakuzen was the one in control of the body, the soul contract couldn''t force Lucien to summon it. Taking advantage of that loophole in the contract, Lucien didn''t bother summoning it until now. He gazed at the king-level magic beast appear but even then he feel fear like before. If Rupture is eager to exchange blows with him, Lucien had no issues! He would take on this old magic beast and put it down just like the rest. "YOU." Rupture bellowed as its surrounding became scorching hot! The girls in Lucien''s hands were terrified and they buried their faces in his robe. Chapter 109: Updating the soul contract Chapter 109: Updating the soul contract "When speaking to me I rmend you lower your tone" Lucien said calmly while holding the kids gently. Hearing Lucien''s calm and confident voice was like a painkiller to these kids. They calmed down and gazed at the masked man, only to see the same emotionless, cold eyes within the mask gazing at the terrifying magic beast. Even Rupture was momentarily stunned by the new Lucien. The old one he met in the dungeon was immature and weak, yet this one carried an air of maturity and confidence. Gazing at Lucien he couldn''t tell Lucien''s strength, shocking it as well. Unknown to the magic beast, the soul cauldron has sealing abilities, using it, Lucien could seal his strength, making it almost impossible for people to tell his cultivation level. The new Lucien was shrouded in mystery making people naturally anxious whenever theye face to face with him. "What happened to you?" Rupture asked but in a lower tone now. Beside it was a shadow storm the shape of a dome, it could feel the energy signatures dying off one after the other. Whatever is in there is killing off these soldier-level magic beasts as if they are defenseless kids and whatever that thing is somehow connected to Lucien. There are too many unknowns now about this beast-man, so he was naturally cautious of him. "Life happened This life is full of injustice and crap I needed to experience it for myself before I could mature I stumbled upon an unfortunate event that left me in a very sorry state for a year now I recently escaped death and here we are, me fulfilling my own part of the deal" Lucien answered inly. Gazing at his cold eyes within the mask, Rupture couldn''t tell what was going through Lucien''s head so it didn''t know how to reply to his words. Was he to apologize or just turn and leave? It has finally regained its freedom, yet it''s reluctant to move? Its instincts were telling it that if it tried to leave this ce without Lucien''s permission, both of them will get entangled in a life and death battle and the chances of it losing the fight is quite higher. The magic beast shook its head as if it were trying to shake off the thought in his head, it could tell Lucien wasn''t using any special means to mess with its mind, then why is it so anxious? "What do you want from me?" Rupture asked with a frown. Right before its eyes, Lucien spread out his soul aura, creating an illusionary silver hand that grabbed the two kids, keeping them airborne while he ''walked on the air'', approaching Rupture boldly. "Serve me as my real contracted partner Remove all the unnecessary uses added in the contract Let us form a proper contract" Lucien said calmly. "And what do I gain from this new partnership?" Rupture asked with a frown. It was clearly unwilling to ept this. "You gain my backing and that of a celestial being living within me Rakuzen" Lucien said calmly but this time he was already in front of the magic beast. cing his hand on its forehead, he pulled out a golden parchment were filled with information concerning their new contract. Lucien proceeded to pass it on to Rupture before saying. "With our help, you are assured to reach the god beast realm quicker than you can ever imagine I knew the secrets of godhood! All of it! I will guide you through that journey as your partner" Lucien said. Hearing this Rupture was clearly captivated by the offer. Not only was Lucien standing so close to it that he can be killed in a fraction of a second, but he also dared make bold statements about helping it reach the god beast realm! The fact that he was standing close to it, meant he was not scared of a surprise attack and is confident in his strength. "And what if I refuse?" Rupture asked coldly as the air around it began vibrating while its aura slowly surged out. "I n to do nothing But you see, I recently became a baron in the Fotia empire and I have a territory of my own and a people to rule I came here to wipe out the magic beast nests around here to make life safer for them I can have you lingering around here in this area I will have to deal with you as well!" Lucien said coldly. Roar! Rupture roared loudly while releasing its wild spirit energy but Lucien had no intentions of retreating! His eyes shed with killing intentions and the Habakiri appeared in his hands, summoning a lightning whip! "SCRAM!" Lucien growled as he struck forward fearlessly! ------------------------------------------------------------------ People residing in the town of Bradfield carried on with their daily lives while Instructor Han focused on creating the teleportation formation here. The town was silent but then everyone felt two different energy surging from afar! While one was wild like that of a magic beast, the other was more reserved and controlled! The Brown and Silver aura shing viciously caught the attention of people making many believe that two king-level beasts are going at each other but in fact, it was Lucien and the magic beast Rupture! Instructor Han knew this and calmly assessed the situation with his senses only to conclude that Lucien was not in any danger. Instead, he was actually holding his own against the king-level beast! This strength is rming! Even instructors will have a hard time against a beast of such a level! He found it shocking that Lucien didn''t go too far from the town but he had already encountered a king-level magic beast. Is this area really that dangerous? The Instructor couldn''t help but wonder how Lucien''s strength leaped up to a high level! Could this be the strength of a spirituality cultivator? Naturally, he heard of Instructor Emma''s encounter with the spirit beastdy who fought against her team with the cultivation level of the warrior realm, and almost won. ording to her, spirituality cultivators are far stronger than them! Chapter 110: Suppressing a King tier beast Chapter 110: Suppressing a King tier beast From the very beginning, Lucien has always known the thrill of fighting stronger foes is not something that can be overestimated, and right now he was doing it again. Bang! Bang! Bang! With the kids behind him, Lucien slides backward almost effortlessly evading the attacks of the enemy. Numerous earth spikes the size of a building shot out of the ground but none could put a scratch on him. To others,the king tier magic Bess, Rupture is an absolute monster with great offensive and defensive capabilities! Its control over the earth element far exceeds that of many, granting it the ability to directly manipte the earth around it but when faced with someone like Lucien, it could only suffer from frustration in silence! Lucien''s movements were swift! Before an attack would reach him, he has already evaded effortlessly with the two girls held by his spirit energy. At first, these girls were terrified by the quick movements but after doing it for a long time, the fear vanished and was reced with excitement! They are having fun! "Stand still and face me head-on, you cowardly human!" Rupture growled like a mad man. The voices of the two amused kids kept forcing their way into his ears! At this point, all he wants to do is shut these kids up! Roar!!! Rupture let out a roar as the earth around it began twisting and turning unusually! Gazing at it, Lucien realized that it moved like a crashing wave! The earth rose like a tsunami! Descending on Lucien but even then Lucien still wore an indifferent look while gazing at the massive wave. "Nameless" Lucien said casually as the nightmare demon appeared in front of him but it began changing form into the King tier magic beast, Rupture! With Lucien retreating hastily with the two kids behind him, his spirit beast went ahead to summon a wave of earth just like Rupture, shing with the enemy. "This" Lucien frowned as he watched Rupture''s earth wave overpower that of his spirit beast. While his spirit beast can take the form of anything and attain its abilities, its strength was still limited to Lucien''s cultivation level. Seeing the enemies attack overwhelm that of his spirit beast, Lucien didn''t get flustered, neither did he get anxious. With his speed he had already far enough to escape the range of the attack, the spirit beast was only a decoy and even with its death, Lucien could still revive and summon it with his soul energy. Bang! "Tier three lightning spell: Zeus" Lucien muttered calmly as he watched the enemy hidden within the earth wave with his spirit eyes. A great lightning spear appeared in his hand and surged dangerously. The two kids floating behind him were astonished by the light show and gazed at Lucien''s back thoughtfully. "Fall!" Lucien growled as he tossed the lightning spear. The second it left his hands, it felt like time had paused and for a moment they could see the lightning spear but the next second it vanished with a loud bang, shattering everything in its path! Arrrrrrgh! Rupture let out a scream while falling back. Its entire left hand had been severed leavingva red blood flowing uncontrobly. On a normal, a tier-three spell should not be able to harm it, but Lucien''s understanding of the mysticws was at a levelparable to that of the spirit realm masters. ording to Rakuzen, spells are only cast by mortals who have a shallow understanding of thews of nature. But at the spirit realm, one is considered to surpass the level of a mere mortal. Such experts have their lives extended to centuries! At this point, their understanding of the mysticws is profound. In this realm, people do not cast spells again. Instead of channeling spells through the mana around them and using it to create magic star patterns through which they can channel their powers, they allow the mana to pass through their body, and through their refined bodies, they conjure the elemental attacks. ording to Rakuzen, in the spirit realm, a person is more bothered with martial secret techniques and authorities. "How was that?" Lucien asked calmly as he gazed at the destroyed arm of the King-level magic beast with a slight frown on his face. [Your control over the element andws is profound but your strength is limited by your cultivation realm From now you should focus on increasing your realm] Rakuzen said. [Rupture was caught off-guard by your attack this time Keep it in mind that it will be difficult for you to hit him again!] Rakuzen added with a stern voice. It could easily take control of Lucien''s body and defeat the enemy but by doing that Lucien wouldn''t grow. One has to go through hardship and countless battles before he can consider himself a peerless expert! "I know!" Lucien said calmly with an eye void of any form of emotions. Dang! "Hehehehe I must confess you are quite capable! Very capable! For someone your age, you can be considered outstanding But it is a thousand years too early for you to challenge me!" Rupture bellowed as a newva arm slowly formed before solidifying. Lucien listened to his words with an indifferent look on his face as he summoned the habakiri, releasing the invisible wind whip! "A thousand years? Aren''t you overestimating yourself? I would say three years tops, I will have the strength needed to subdue you" Lucien replied calmly while he slowly approached the enemy. "You are cocky Really cocky!" Rupture bellowed! "Not really I am just confident in my abilities" Lucien answered indifferently. "Why don''t we make a deal" Lucien said calmly while his body descended slowly. "What do you have in mind?" Rupture asked calmly. After the short exchange with Lucien, it realized one thing. Taking on Lucien is just too tiring. His speed allowed him to evade attacks and this also means he can escape whenever he wishes. Fight such an enemy is too difficult and means it has to expend too much energy if it wants to win. But it was more terrified of something. Upon arrival, at this ce, it noticed the existence of three other king-tier magic beasts. When his battle with Lucien began it felt like three pairs of eyes were watching them from afar! Even Lucien noticed this and even he was reserving his strength for any sneak attacks. With both sides unwilling to fight each other, they could only open discussions once again. "Remove the unnecessary uses put in the previous contract and let us form a proper rtionship. As you have already seen I am a capable partner with enough talent to make others die of envy. With my help and that of the being within me, you will definitely reach the god beast level and beyond Also, we will be taking care of those three soon and make you the sole ruler of all the magic beasts in thisnd!" Lucien said calmly. Hearing him speaking Rupture couldn''t help but frown. Lucien said his words with so much confidence that he couldn''t help but believe him. "You have a territory to rule...A people to rule what are your ns?" Rupture suddenly asked. "Me? Hehehe! I intend to create the greatest empire that has ever existed A world where everyone can live as one...A world where humans, Beast men, and magic beasts can live in peace My perfect world but to do that I need power absolute power! And that''s why I wish to have the perfect partner!" Lucien said calmly. "You sweet lips piece of shit! This time I will work with you but if I ever catch you cking in the future, I won''t hesitate to get rid of you first!" Rupture said and Lucien only replied with a slight nod. _____________________________________________________ Barely two hours had passed and Instructor Han was getting worried. Unless when Lucien is fighting, his aura ispletely sealed, so it''s impossible for one to tell who the victor is. While Lucien''s aura vanished, that of the king tier beast remained to make Instructor Han suspect that Lucien lost and was killed but after thinking of everything Instructor Emma said he highly doubted Lucien will lose. "Someone ising!" Someone suddenly dered as two balls of silver and orange light could be seen shooting towards the town. Instructor Han stepped forward while the others stepped back in fear. No one knew what wasing so they felt a bit anxious. Boom! Smashing the ground heavily, the king-tier magic beast stood in its full glory, staring down at the human who dared to approach it. Everyone was so terrified of the magic beast that their body froze due to fear. Even instructor Han''s mind was racing! A King tier magic beast appearing means that Lucien lost! He haspletely forgotten about the silver beam shooting towards them and was mentally preparing himself to hold this beast off while evacuating the people here. "At ease everyone That is my partner" Lucien''s calm voice brought everyone back to their senses and only then did they look up to see Lucien levitating with two kids in his arms. Chapter 111: Upgrading the town Chapter 111: Upgrading the town Seeing the masked man floating above the incredibly huge magic beast, with two kids in his hands, the people of Bradford town couldn''t help let out a sigh of relief. These people knew about contractors and the only contractors they have seen were students of the Fotia academy on a mission passing by and usually, these magic beasts are soldier level at most, yet their new leader casually said a king tier magic beast is his partner! Even Instructor Han was stunned. He remembered Instructor Emma saying something about Lucien and the king-level magic beast in the dungeon, forming a pact. He would summon it out of the dungeon once he leaves and in return, it won''t kill them. ording to her, Lucien and the magic beast were on bad terms and it only agreed to sign the contract because of the ancient spirit living within him. Many spected that the king-level magic beast will most likely break its contract with Lucien when it breaks free and judging based on the two aura''s battling earlier, Instructor Han knew it was Lucien and this beast that fought. Did he leave so that he can subdue it? How many contractors in the empire have a king-level beast as their partner? Damn! The more he thought about Lucien, the more confused he got. The youth he once looked down on is shrouded in mystery and even the nobles of the empire had no choice but to be careful when dealing with a human realm kid like Lucien! He couldn''t help but think of Instructor Emma, Alucard, Lucy, and Titan who testified against Lucien when they came under the pressure of the nobles in the empire. If they knew Lucien would survive they probably wouldn''t have done it. "The teleportation has been set Leave now I do not wish for the empire to send its troops here, I alone am capable of defending this ce until these people are strong enough to assist me If I need your help, I will inform you" Lucien said coldly while staring at Instructor Han. The instructor had no other choice but to nod and vanish using the teleportation formation. Only after he left did Lucien calm down. His body descended slowly as he dropped the little girls on the ground and they ran to their respective families after thanking Lucien in a cute way. One of the main reasons why Lucien insisted on the Instructor leaving is because he had wished to upgrade this ce with his empire points and he felt like instructor Han would detect something. Now he is finally gone, Lucien can now look at the notifications he had pushed aside for so long. DING! DING! DING! [Congrattions on acquiring a territory of your own! The title of baron may be too small and insignificant for a future emperor but it is definitely a step forward!] [+5000 Empire points!] [After leaving behind the Raizen n, you have wandered the world as a nameless emperor but now, the host has acquired a new family name and lead this family to greatness! Well done!] [+5000 Empire points!] [Host has saved members of his small kingdom from the ws of viinous magic beasts! You have solidified your ce in their hearts and have earned their respect!] [+5000 Empire points] Ding! [Beast assimtion sessful.] [Beas name: Roc] [God beast: Unknown] [Phase: Adolescent] [Beast assimtion: 20%] [Abilities unlocked] [Tunneling: User can dig incredibly fast into the ground when using this ability. When below, the roc absorbs the nutrients from the earth around him and uses them to sustain itself underground. Allowing it to stay below for a long time without needing air!] [Earth skin: User can strengthen his body using the earth around. In this form the user can withstand the strongest of blows while gaining a considerable amount of strength as well] "Interesting!" Lucien couldn''t help but confess calmly. The method ofbat used by a Roc is direct and even though many ims this is its weakness, Lucien understood these magic beasts only did this because they are confident in their strength. "Remember our deal!" Rupture''s voice made many shivers but for Lucien, he could only frown slightly. "I know You will live amongst these people with me and protect them if you do that, I will not undo the summoning and have you sent back to that awful ce I will also find a way to sever your link with the dungeon Am I correct?" Lucien spoke calmly. Rupture only nodded in agreement. With that settled, Lucien had no intentions of speaking any further. He simply wanted to observe a little. Shooting into the air, he flew extremely high but even then he had to look far to see the boundaries of the Bradford town. The town was surrounded by a flowing river, filling the entire surrounding with green leaves, flowers, and many more. From above his new territory could be considered beautiful, the only problem now is that the town itself can be considered backward in terms of development. There was no castle, most houses were built with mud and only a few had bricks and even then, those buildings are in very bad conditions. The walls surrounding the town were in a very bad condition and Lucien couldn''t help but wonder if this is because of the constant magic beast attacks? The rules of the empire prevent one from cultivating in secret! All cultivators must be registered by attending the Fotia academy, that way the empire can keep tabs on everyone cultivator since they are considered the ones with actual power in the empire. Taking into ount the fact that a teleportation tform was just ced here, linking them to the empire, Lucien guessed that these people didn''t even have the opportunity to join the Fotia academy! They could only use their normal mortal strength to struggle against the magic beasts that attack them! Ending up with heavy casualties! To think this town suffered so much because of the insensitivews put up by the empire, Lucien couldn''t help but frown! He hated the empire even further and wished to take over even more than ever! With absolute strength, all this can be avoided! Ding! [Host''s territory is only at level 1. Does the host wish to upgrade it to a level two town?] [Cost 15,000 empire points] Seeing this Lucien frowned. Was this system trying to scam him or what? Yes! He nned to use the empire points to upgrade the ce and he was extremely delighted when he gained so many empire points from the notifications but he never expected the system to try and rob him of it. [Go ahead ept!] Rakzuen''s voice echoed in his head and only then did Lucien agree. Ding! [Town upgrading] Upon seeing this notification, Lucien watched as new changes began urring all over the town. The mud buildings lowly transformed into new stone houses seen in the empire. From nowhere, a stone castle began rising from the ground, and following it where the new walls of the town! These walls had magic symbols all over them and then about eight mighty magic towers rose from the dust as well! People from the town and Rupture watched the sudden changes with their mouths wide open! This is the first time they have seen something so magical in their life. They all looked up to see strange forms of energy, leaving Lucien''s body as these new things were formed, and only after the magic towers were formed did they lit up, forming a magic dome around the town! With this done, Lucien descended under the gaze of everyone present. He had to confess, he saved a lot by directly upgrading the town level, rather than buying the upgrades one after the other. "You did this?" Rupture asked calmly. Seeing Lucien nod, it felt strange inside. As a magic beast that has lived for a while, it knew of the various authorities granted to gods! This is the ability of the creation authority, so how did the little kid have such an ability, to this level! "My backer is a being that far surpasses even the gods You should know that" Lucien said weakly as he felt his body growing tired. Hearing this Rupture was stunned! Lucien never told it this and even if he told it this it may not believe. This exins why Lucien was so confident that he could get it to be a god beast and this is the reason why Lucien''s strength can be considered extraordinary amongst his peers. Itpletely understood everything now and felt extremely happy. "Lord Rakuzen!" The elderly man wished to thank Lucien with the vigers but seeing Lucien wave his hand they stopped. "To do all of this, I feel worn out I will return to my castle and restMeanwhile, help me get a list of everyone present and their ns. I want to know everything about the people I am going to rule so make no mistakes" Lucien said weakly before turning his attention to Rupture. "I am too tired and I don''t know what may happen next Although I know it''s very unlikely for someone to break through my defenses, I rather not take chances Take care of this ce until I return" Lucien said calmly. Chapter 112: Life of a leader(1) Chapter 112: Life of a leader(1) Lucien entered the castle and went straight to the closest room he could find andid down. His head was spinning, making him feel a bit dizzy and weak. "Status" Lucien muttered with a little effort. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 3rd sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 1000] [HP: 10/110] [MP: 10/150] [SP: 10/100] [Condition: weakened state] [Exp: 7000] Gazing at this Lucien frowned. It seems the system needed to draw some power from him just toplete the upgrading process without warning him. Considering all the time spent with the system, Lucien could help but admit that the system is a bit wed andcks a lot. [Upgrading the system and most of these issues can be resolved] Rakuzen replied calmly. Although he could tell why Lucien was angry, he couldn''t get annoyed as well. How dare a mortal look down on his greatest creation. He knew the reason why the system was designed like this was to force the host to upgrade it for better services. The more upgrades the user makes, the more he and the system fuse, giving Rakuzen greater ess to his mind and soul. This was set up in expectations that the person who gets the system would be a peerless expert but Rakuzen never expected the one to get the system would be weak so all those preparations were for nothing. Lucien didn''t pay much attention to Rakuzen''s words so he just concluded he would try and lessen his dependency on the system. After spending an entire year locked down, Lucien couldn''t help but moan lightly the moment his body hit the bed, his vision faded and he slept peacefully. An unknown time passed and when Lucien woke up, he feltpletely refreshed. His body felt lighter and his mana felt thicker. ''Did I have a breakthrough while I was sleeping?'' Lucien muttered. "Status!" He called out coldly [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 4th sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 1000] [HP: 60/120] MP: 100/200] [SP: 50/100] [Condition: weakened state] [Exp: 7000] Seeing this Lucien felt overjoyed but he controlled his facial expression and calmed down. He has been training himself to restrain and hide his emotions for a while now, that way it makes dealing with people easier. He tried to touch his hot face only to realized he slept with his mask on. Smiling bitterly he pulled the ma''s off and walked into the bathroom to wash his face. After that, Lucien changed his clothe and left the room! He wore his standard silver kimono and with his hands ced behind he walked towards the lowest floor. Moving down the stairs he noticed the loud sounds making him raise an eyebrow but that didn''t affect his mood at all, it only made him a bit curious. ____________________________________________________ The people gathered at the entrance of the castle, gazing at therge entrance and the king tier magic beast walking around the first floor with an apprehensive look on its face. They could tell that the magic beast had high intelligence but they didn''t know how to approach it. Since this is the living ce of their lord, they dare not enter since they were not yet sure the type of person their lord is. "It had to be you" Lucien''s cold voice entered the ears of these people. They were expecting to see an aged man but instead what they saw was a youth barely up to fifteen walking down the stairs with a calm look on his face. His eyes were cold, carrying a hint of killing intentions with them, making people avoid eye contact each time they look at him. Lucien was a bit stunned by Rupture''s sudden appearance. He didn''t think the cold and ferocious magic beast would take the initiative to look for him. "Get down here How can you sleep for so long! Youzy piece of shit;n" Rupture growled but Lucien only chuckled at his provocation. "How long was I out?" Lucien asked casually as he walked towards Rupture fearlessly. "An entire day!" Rupture said causing Lucien to frown. He was unconscious for an entire day? It seems he was more exhausted than he expected. "I guess using the creation authority got me drained considerably" Lucien said with a frown. He couldn''t believe that after resting for twenty-four hours he only recovered half of his stats. At that moment the elderly chief of the town bowed at the entrance and apologized. "I am sorry, I couldn''t stop it from disturbing your rest!" the old man said fearfully. Originally, everyone thought Lucien was as old as instructor Han because they were practically the same height and he gave off a matured vibe but after seeing his young face without his mask, they realized he was only slightly over fourteen. He heard of noble family kids getting titles and bing ruthless. He assumed Lucien only got the Baron title through his family background and may be as ruthless as people say in those stories. The others thought the same and couldn''t help but bow as well while apologizing. "These people are scared of you... you don''t look scary" Rupturemented calmly, making Lucien frown. He naturally understood the line of thoughts of these people and he found it offensive that they would just assume he''s like that without giving him a chance to showcase his true nature but he didn''t take it to heart. Either way, these people felt their hearts skip a beat the moment Lucien frowned! They may have angered him! Xiu! Lucien''s figure vanished and he reappeared in front of these people with a cold look in his eyes. His hands gently tapped the shoulder of the old man causing the man to shiver but after noticing Lucien had no intentions of harming him, he calmed down and looked Lucien in the face. "You are old You will only end up hurting yourself if you keep doing this"Lucien''s voice may havecked any form of emotions but it wants cruel at least. All those who heard it believed that he meant those words. "Come with me all of you" Lucien said and then turned and left. On the ground floor of the castle was a pair of tworge golden doors. Behind those doors is the courtroom filled with the statues of a Chinese serpent dragon. Rupture walking behind Lucien realized he found these statues familiar, it was the godly being living within Lucien. Rakuzen. Everyone watched as Lucien walked slowly towards the throne. When he sat down he slowly raised his hand and a blue serpent dragon mask appeared in his hand. The moment his face was covered, Lucien''s aura instantly turned cold and deadly. With Rupture standing behind him, he gave off a majestic yet tyrannic vibe with made his subjects sweat profusely. Even though Lucien noticed this, he didn''t bother himself with minor things. He casually stretched his hands and pointed towards the old man. "The list of people here their ns is it done?" Lucien''s tone was a bit threatening yet calm at the same time. Even the King tier magic beast standing behind him couldn''t help but feel anxious about the shing personalities. He didn''t know whether it was the mask that was causing this or maybe Lucien is crazy. "Yes!" The old man stuttered and dashed forward. When he was at the stairs leading to the higher tform where the throne was located, he bowed and stretched his hands forward, revealing a scroll, this left Lucien helpless! Was he supposed to stand and collect the scroll, or send Rupture? Looking at Rupture, he knew if he tried to order the king tier beast around, a fight will break out here, that''s just how the mighty magic beast is. "Hear my call!" Lucien''s eyes let out a yellow light as he aimed to summon the me pup but when it appeared it was something even he didn''t expect. "A me wheel hound?Did the me pup advance in its cultivation?" Lucien muttered in shock. Luckily his face waspletely covered so no one could tell he too was shocked. The me wheel hound was the size of a wolf but it had a thick orange fur with countless ck stripes all over its body like a tiger. Its face and limbs were covered in mes, giving it a ferocious look. The moment it saw Lucien the mes around it vanished as it barked and wiggled its tails. "Little guy" Lucien took his mask off and got off the throne. He crouched and let the magic beast jump into his embrace. The main reason he didn''t summon it this past year was simply because he didn''t want the magic beast anywhere near him while he''s in the dungeon. He didn''t want the cheerful little me pup to see him in such a condition since it might break its heart. The me wheel hound, turned its attention to rupture standing behind the throne. It kept gazing at the king-tier magic beast for a while. Hmph! Making that sound it looked away! Seeing this Lucien couldn''t help butugh heartily! Chapter 113: Life of a leader (2) Chapter 113: Life of a leader (2) Lucien found it hard to suppress hisughter, especially with the look on Rupture''s face. The king tier magic beast would have pounced on the little fire wolf but when it thought of Lucien it had to restrain itself. Even though Lucien had a smile on his face, his eyes remained cold, making the magic beast believe that even when putting on the mask, Lucien may have been smiling all this while but no one would notice because all they would see are his cold eyes. The ming wheel hound retrieved the scroll for Lucien and after looking into it, Lucien had a rough understanding of the capabilities of the people here. The humans residing here were up to five ns while the magic beast ns here were just three. The Rangy n belongs to the beast-men from the linage of the low tier Rangy god beast bloodline. This magic beast can be considered unique or unfortunate since it had no affinity to any element.It possessed great physical capabilities and incredible speed. Seeing the name, Lucien couldn''t help but remember the girl with the fluffy bunny ears. While many looked down on such a n, Lucien considered them amazing and unique even though their bloodline is low. The second beast-man n was the Saxes n. Their members had a unique affinity to an element that people barely know of. The poison element! Although they could never acquire another element, this could be considered lethal. Their bloodline may be low but even Lucien valued them greatly! This n came from a serpent god beast which Lucien knew nothing of. Right now he couldn''t help but wonder how many god beasts there are! And finally, thest spot belongs to the Tang n. This n is known for their powerful defense but amazing offensive fire abilities. Their affinity is limited to the fire element since their ancestor was a god level fire turtle who he knew nothing of again. Seeing the list of beast-men ns, Lucien couldn''t help but wonder if it would have been better if he is born a human. Beast men are limited to their god beasts. Once a persones from a family with a low bloodline their power is destined to be limited unless they can find an alternate source of power, their strength will be limited making it very unlikely that they can ever surpass their god beast ancestors. The beast-men simply had a head start in terms of strength whenpared to the humans but in the end, their limit is very visible meanwhile the humans have an uncertain future with no restrictions. They can end up extremely weak or extremely strong! No limitations whatsoever! Their future will be as a result of their personal achievement, strength, will, and hard work! This is something Lucien couldn''t help but envy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In a blink of an eye, a month passed and during that time Lucien remained holed up in the Bradford town, not daring to leave. He waited for aweek after his arrival to the town before he requested the aid of the empire to help create teleportation tforms, leading it directly to many important parts of the empire. Arriving seven dayster, Instructor Han was stunned to see the change in Bradford town! The mud houses were gone, the streets were decorated with the finest stones, the walls were enriched with numerous defensive formations, and the eight mighty towers littered around the town, surrounding it with a magic barrier while increasing the mana density of the town which made cultivation easier! This made it even safer than most of the territories of other noble families and ns! How Lucien managed to achieve this in such a short time was something he could not exin! Even when they asked Lucien refused to tell but there was nothing they could do since, Lucien had already made a deal with the empire, stating he would only share what he chooses to share in exchange for his services and Loyalty. Even though emperor Fei was curious as to how Lucien was able to do all of this, he also acknowledged the fact that the empire looked down on Lucien too much and now they can only remain on good terms with him if they wish to benefit from his secrets. In their opinion, Lucien is better off alive than dead! After the teleportation formations were secured, Lucien went ahead to do something that has never been done in history! The Town was locked down for three weeks preventing people from entering! During that period, Lucien took out the hundred gold coins he took from the spirit Beast cultivator vault. With it, he purchased arge number of materials and equipment. Within two weeks the first batch of magic weapons and armors were ready, with all of them bearing the special abilities of the magic beasts assimted by the system. While the body armors granted the users the earth skin skill weapons likences, swords, and so on had more offensive abilities. Even though these pieces of equipment were made of low-quality weapons, they were sorted by every n and noble family in the empire! Using just a hundred gold coins, Lucien made over 2500 gold coins in profit! The gains were just too shocking, even for Lucien. He knew his forge master skills were amazing but he didn''t know it would be this popr! Not daring to waste more time, Lucien deposited 500 gold coins into the Town savings. The remaining two thousand coins were used to purchase more materials for his foraging and surprisingly, he purchased standard building materials! For the remaining three weeks, the entire able-bodied poption of the Bradford empire focused on buildingrge houses with a good number of standard rooms. There are all inns! Soon the town was opened up to the public but each person who wished to enter the town had to pay fees! People were not allowed to own private properties so they had no choice but to stay in the expensive inns! Only those on official duty from the empire were exempted from these fees. In a short time, Lucien''s reputation rose to a high level but not in a good way. His unreasonable ways of doing things made even those who wished to befriend him for benefits hate him! No one would have expected that he would be willing to get on the bad side of the empire all because he had something they didn''t. For an extra month, Lucien remained indoors and focused on forging! This can be considered as the main source of ie of the Bradford town so he had to dedicate more time to it.Lucien used his forged weapons to exchange for rare materials and gold. In two months the town had acquired over a hundred thousand gold in savings! The demand for Lucien''s magic weapons was just too high. This made Lucien wonder how much he would make if he were not a part of any faction and just stayed at the center. With the three empires patronizing him, he will be the wealthiest tycoon on the continent. But the sad truth is that this world is too dangerous and without the backing of an empire, he may not evenst a month. The inhabitants of Bradford town did not solely depend on Lucien. They had so many people with so many professions,but Lucien didn''t find it surprising since they have been surviving for a long time even before his arrival. He never had the intention of carrying all the burden on his shoulders, instead, he only nned on lessening the burden on the people while providing the basic amenities needed for survival! Meanwhile, the visitors present dared not cause trouble! The presence of powerful King tier magic beasts in the city was enough to make them shiver deep down but that was not what they were truly afraid of. The main issue now was the magic towers and the stone statue of the Chinese serpent dragon located at the center of the town. In the past two months, a few people have tried to steer up some trouble here but they were instantly struck down by the city defenses! Not one managed to resist! Because of this, even the people of Bradford were scared they would be struck down too if they too tried to cause any trouble so the town was rtively peaceful. In the eyes of everyone, Lucien was neither good nor bad, he simply did what is necessary for growth. After two months of silence from their leader, Lucien finally released a statement! He ordered the n and family in the town to bring out their young one and prepare them for the fotia academy test taking ce only a week from now. While the town defenses and Rupture can be considered terrifying, one can never underestimate the strength of cultivators! If he could have his army of cultivators, he has no reason to keep hiding in this town. Once he has those, he can now trulypare himself with the noble families out there! Chapter 114: Returning to the academy Chapter 114: Returning to the academy Although Lucien felt that the other noble families would fail woefully if they ever try to invade his territory, he knew they had something he is desperatelycking. Experts! No matter how powerful his defensive formations are they will all remain within his territory. But once he leaves, he has to depend on his strength alone. At his current level, Lucien acknowledged there are things he can''t do alone and that''s why he wishes to gain powerful allies. Although he would have loved to bring the spirit beast cultivators into the empire, Lucien was well aware of the fact that this will not be allowed. He is already viewed as a threat, bringing in hundreds of spirit-beasts cultivators who are far stronger than normal body cultivators is too absurd! The nobles will rise against him and even the emperor would feel ufortable with a powerful force loyal to only him. "It''s either I take over this empire and change the rules or I create an empire of my own" Lucien muttered in his heart as he put on he decided to put away his mask before heading out of his castle. For the past two months or more Lucien hasn''t cultivated in any way. He simply focused on his forging and surprisingly, he could feel his body got stronger even though it doesn''t show on the status bar. Upon arriving at the town square, Lucien saw the youths gathered, all were of various ages, most younger than him and some older but all that didn''t matter to him. As long as they are willing to be cultivators, he is determined to help them in any way. They are his future investments after all. During these past two months, Rupture and the people of the town were now on speaking terms. Even though they only spoke to it when necessary, it should be enough and since the magic beast has a high level of intelligence, he didn''t have to worry about things happening. If things got out of control, Rupture should be able to inform it through the soul contract link, as well as the system. He urged the old chieftain of the town to inform Rupture when something goes beyond their control. _______________________________________ Xiu! Lucien appeared with arge group of people over fifty plus from Bradford town. The sudden appearance of so many people caught the attention of those standing at the main gate of the academy. There, Instructor Han stood in mid-air, gazing at Lucien and surprised that the youth wasn''t wearing a mask today. "The affinity test is about to start There pass mark there is no failure No pressure" Lucien said calmly before they started walking towards the main crowd. With each Lucien took he imed higher until he was visibly standing above everyone else walking towards Instructor Han. In the past few months, Lucien has be a celebrity in the empire! The man who was supposed to be dead but turned the case around and got the empire to make him a noble! For someone his age, his achievements could be considered outstanding but what is more stunning is his strength and mysterious nature. Rumor has it that his territory has a king-tier magic beast defending it! How he got a mid-tier bloodline magic beast to help him is something no one can exin. Even though his cultivation realm is low, his strength seemed to be on par with the instructors! People even asked why he was still in the academy! Whoosh! Lucien''s speed was extraordinary, coupled with his tier three wind walk ability, he covered arge distance with a single step. Since he had no business with the freshers, he had no reason to speak to Instructor Han either. Blitzing past the spatial mage, Lucien appeared on the teleportation tform located right in front of the gate. "Lucien" Instructor Han''s voice echoed in his head, causing Lucien to turn and look at the instructor with a raised eyebrow. "You are outstanding but there are people stronger than you people stronger than we instructors Don''t go back to ss thinking you are the strongest" Instructor Han said. Hearing this Lucien gazed at the old man with a raised eyebrow and a hint of disbelief in his eyes. Even with the system, he is not the strongest? Lucien pushed that thought aside and frowned. He preferred not to dwell in such thoughts so he activated the teleportation tforms and vanished. ______________________________________________ Xiu! Lucien appeared in a familiar hallway and a small smile bloomed on his face. He could remember walking down this hall each time he had to go to ss. Most times he ran down the hall as fast as he could just to make it to ss on time. "Good times" Lucien muttered as he flicked his wrist and the mask appeared in his hands. His appearance had already caught the attention of those present, seeing the stranger appear, they could tell he was different from them. ''Wee Lord Rakuzen I wish to inform the lord that your dorm has been moved This dormitory belongs to the freshers Shall I transport you to your own dormitory?'' A familiar voice reached his ears, causing Lucien to pause the moment he was about to wear the amount. It has been a while since he heard the Crux voice and once again he was reminded of how unpleasant it is. He also noticed that the Crux no longer called him Lucien but Lord Rakuzen! It was aware of his status and treated him ordingly. Does that mean he would gain some sort of benefits? "Yes" Lucien gave a dry reply as he put on his mask, leaving only his cold gaze for people to see as his figure slowly turned intorge particles of light and then vanishing! Xiu! Pa! Lucien appeared at a simr castle but it looked a bit different. There he saw a few familiar faces but chose not to act as he knew them. He would have loved to keep a low profile but his outfit and mask already gave him away. Today he was wearing the same long-sleeved silver robe with the blue serpent dragon design whichplimented his mask. His fluttering silver hair coupled with the attire gave him majestic yet dangerous vibes which made people interested but too fearful to approach. "Lord Rakuzen please follow my directions and I will take you to your room" Lucien was still okay with the fact that people were yet to remember his identity but then the Crux spoke up and called him by the new name which was popr in the empire. Rakuzen! The moment everyone heard the name they all gazed at Lucien in awe and disbelief! He never expected Lucien to return to the academy after he became a Baron! While many noticed his cultivation realm was low, it still didn''t stop them from taking into ount that Lucien cultivates both body and soul now. He may look weak due to his cultivation realm but he was far stronger than them. ''Hehe! I guess I have left behind a year''s worth of cultivation!'' Lucien muttered as he noticed the weakest person in this hallway was at least at the fifth sky of the warrior realm. A year had passed and he made no progress in cultivation so this is to be expected. He was stupid to believe that the others would remain stagnant and wait for him to meet up! They have gone through the beginner sses of all their courses, it''s only natural they got this strong. "Interesting" Lucien muttered calmly as he gazed at the crowd in front of him. Gazing at the energy created by the Crux pointing in that direction, he knew that was the forward and he had no intentions to answer a dumb question so he took a step forward! With each step, he climbed higher, until he was walking above the students calmly and gracefully. "It''s the tier three original spell he used during the trial! Wind walker! It''s the wind walker!" a feminine voice cried out and many female cheering voices could be heard but Lucien didn''t feel any better, instead, he felt annoyed. Images of his time with Miss Emma outside and inside the dungeon surfaced in his mind. After everything that happened, after all the emotions she showed to him even when Rakuzen took over his body. He couldn''t help but wonder it was all a lie? No! It wasn''t! Lucien isn''t the type to be fooled easily, he knew instructor Emma liked him but in the end, she chose the empire over him. She could have saved him a lot of trouble if she didn''t give out so many details but she ratted him out and told them everything. Including Alucard, Titan, and Lucy. He wondered if he would have avoided a lot of problems if he just killed them alongside the forces of the Libet empire. Maybe he would have been able to refine more soul-nourishing pills and use them to further increase his ability as a spirit beast cultivator. Chapter 115: Fame Chapter 115: Fame ''Well, it can''t be helped'' Lucien muttered in his mind. As convenient as it is to pin the me on instructor Emma and other members of his team, Lucien couldn''t deny the fact that they probably had no choice. In an empire this big with so many noble families trying to bring him down, he could imagine what kind of pressure these people were ced under before they spilled the beans. His only issue with them was that they never once tried to visit and exin while he was locked up. He assumed they saw him as a dead man and that''s why they never bothered showing up but even then, Lucien believed a dying fourteen-year-old deserved better at the very least. While engrossed in his thoughts, Lucien walked above the crowd and didn''t even bother to give a nce. He was lead to the highest floor of the castle where he was taken to a mighty silver door. Upon opening it, Lucien was stunned by what he saw. It was arge living room, richly decorated to his taste! On the floor was a whilefy rug that made the feet of people tingle! There were a few sofas and other essential furniture ced neatly in the living room. Going into the various doors, Lucien found a bedroom, a bathroom, a forge master room, and a cultivation chamber filled with different attires that suit his taste. He couldn''t help but wonder if these are the benefits he gains as a direct noble and not a member of a noble family. Without hesitation, Lucien stepped locked the door, and rxed. In his room was a window that gave him a great view of the academy. Seeing so many teleportation tforms, littered everywhere, Lucien couldn''t help but wonder how disastrous things would be if the empire gets invaded by a spatial mage capable of sealing off all spatial abilities in the kingdom. Although there is no known enemy capable of this in the continent, Lucien still couldn''t help but put it into consideration. He knew the empire was relying on these formations a little too much and he didn''t like it, that''s why the only teleportation formation in histerritory is the one leading in and outside the territory. Within his castle, there is no such formation that people can use. "Maybe I am just overthinking this" Lucien muttered calmly while pushing his hair back and taking off his mask. Many may wonder why he has returned to this ce and the reason is simply for the knowledge. Rakuzen in his past life was only a spirituality cultivator, while it knew a lot about the body and magic cultivation, it wascking the basics. Lucien couldn''tpletely rely on it to grow. Also, he had to reduce his dependency on the system. The current Lucien trusts no one and although Rakuzen could be considered his partner, he still had to put his guard up in case of unexpected plications'' Lucien spent the entire day indoors. Unlike the others that had to go to the cafeteria to get food, Lucien''s food was delivered to him. He was aware of the presence of the Crux monitoring his every move and although he could suppress it with the strength of the system, he chose not to do so. He has already angered the nobles in so many ways, he had to avoid antagonizing them when possible. Lucien woke up the next morning and went about his normal routine. He pulled out a mid-grade mana crystal and began absorbing its contents while remaining in a cross-legged position. He could use the cultivation chamber to rapidly boost his cultivation speed but Lucien knew this was that these ces needed a lot of resources and he didn''t bring much with him so he didn''t want to waste it. When the timees he will return to his territory. After cultivating for an hour or so, Lucien realized he sweated profusely but this time, he saw some ckish substance oozing out of his body. It carried a bad stench causing Lucien to wrinkle his nose and frown in response. He was not too far from the warrior realm so his body had already begun getting rid of the impurities, this is a good sign but to Lucien, it was not enough. He had hoped to directly breakthrough into the peak of the human realm. [You are getting too impatient! You will hurt yourself if you continue this way!] Rakzuen warned but Lucien paid no attention to his words. "I killed a squad from the Libet empire and nned to keep it a secret but Emma and the others ratted me out There must be spies in this empire and I believe the Libet empire stayed silent for so long because they wished to see how the emperor would handle things This time, not only was I pardoned but also given a noble girl, a territory, and special privileges! How long do you think it will take before the Libet empire starts demanding for my head? I need to get stronger fast" Lucien said as his eyes shed murderous lights. Thinking about this, Rakuzen was stunned. He never thought Lucien would think so far carry such thoughts with him. He had even forgotten about the matter and never expected that things would develop this far. Lucien was right, his position as a Baron gave him the reverse effects. His life is no longer protected by the empire since they all assume he should be able to handle himself. So in moments like this, he only had himself to depend on. [When the timees I will fight for you] Rakuzen said in a bid to calm Lucien down but he got an unexpected response. "Don''t do that From now on I have to depend on myself if you keep stepping in I have no room to grow Your assistance is not needed" Lucien answered coldly before he went to take a shower. He wore a silver mage sleeveless robe but this time he put away the mask. Gazing at his charming face in the mirror in his room, Lucien couldn''t help but smile. "I am back" He muttered. Chapter 116: The Messiah Chapter 116: The Messiah The ss was bolstering with students even on the first day, even instructor Emma was stunned. She didn''t expect to see so many people today! It showed they were dedicated to their cultivation goals and it made her happy. Amongst the old students were the new shining stars of their generation. Every one of theming from ancient families or the Fotia empire and surprisingly all of them were ''Mere Humans'' The boost in these people''s talents caught the empire by surprise and they performed amazing feats effortlessly, making Lucien looking average! Many called them thete bloomers, the others say they were hiding their true talent. Something everyone couldn''t deny was that the future of the human faction of the empire is brighter than ever now! Soon the other Instructors appeared alongside a familiar figure which they have been seeing more often since Lucien''s departure. It was Dean Xio! The man wore a blood red oversized mage attire making him look kinda silly but no one dared trash about him, neither did they look down on him. As the Emperor''s direct descendant, he is said to be the strongest spirit realm master in the entire empire. With each step he took, his aura grow, rising to the point that the entire hall began trembling. His eyes were like a pair of scorching suns descending on everyone who dared to look at it! The pressure he put on these students was so great many felt difficult and ended up sweating profusely. Bam! The moment he stepped foot on the podium, his oppressive aura vanished, leaving behind a calm elderly man who looked weird in his baggy attire. He silently nced through the entire hall, gazing at the students and their conditions. Amongst them he could see a select few human students who were stood unfazed by his oppressive aura, this made him give them a slight nod as a sign of recognition. He leaned forward and was about to speak but then the doors of the mighty hall were slowly yanked open and the creaking sound caught the attention of everyone. Everyone watched as the mighty doors were fully open and they couldn''t help but wonder, who is the person who dared to arrivete when they all knew the dean would be addressing them today. They also found it hard to understand why the person chose toe on foot and not through the teleportation tform! Seeing the familiar face walk in calmly everyone''s heart skipped a bit especially that of instructor Emma and many other instructors! No one expected Lucien would return to the academy after everything that happened. He was like a legend and the rumors of his return that has been spreading since a year ago had finally been confirmed causing the blood of all beast-men present to boil! Ever since Lucien''s departure, highly talented humans kept appearing and because of that, the beast-men were looked down on badly. As people who were used to looking down on others, it was embarrassing. They were alsocking in numbers and because of that the few moments a fight has broken out between the humans and the beast-men always ended in a defeat since they are outnumbered. Seeing Lucien walk calmly was like the return of the Messiah in their hearts! If he can just demonstrate his monstrous strength and talent once again, their race can regain some face in the academy. "You arete" Dean Xio said those three words coldly as his eyes let out a bright yellow light and his oppressive aura resurfaced again but this time it was aimed at Lucien! "Interesting!" Lucien replied coldly as his silver aura exploded revealing the faint image of a shapeless silver figure. He was making use of his spirit cultivation base to face the enemy! "Break!" Lucien growled as he punched out, releasing a wave of his spirit energy surging towards the man. Pa! At that moment, Lucien shot off the ground, shooting towards the Dean viciously! He took light steps as he ran on the empty air above the students leaving everyone shocked and the beast-men excited! Bam! The dean had no intention of dodging the spirit aura of a junior! Engulfing his fit with red hot mana he punched forward, meeting the attack head-on! The collision between the two attacks created a loud sound that left many people shocked but there was no time toment as Lucien was already standing on the podium! "Habakiri!" He growled as the magic weapon appeared in his hands releasing a ming whip. His eyes let out an orange light as he swung it at the dean ruthlessly causing many to gasp in shock! This kid dared to attack the dean! The head of the academy and the son of the emperor! Bang! The dean refused to retreat once again and threw his hand towards the attack, catching the whip with his bare hands! Boom! The shockwave released by the collision made the attires of bothbatants flutter wildly, revealing the cool side of the two. "Sorry I amte I was feeling a bitzy this morning" Lucien said while taking heavy breathes while the Dean lookedpletely fine. A rare smile appeared on his face after Lucien spoke. It seemed like he was pleased with Lucien''s performance. "You have kept yourself sharp all this time! Good! Really good!" Dean Xioughed. While he may not say it out. He too felt a bit anxious about the difference in the talent between the humans and beast-men of that generation! While it is his duty to remain impartial and groom both races, he couldn''t help but worry about the future of the beast-men in the empire! Lucien''s return and outstanding performance gave him a lot of hope. Even if it''s one noble beast-man family is standing, there is no way the beast-man race in the empire would fall. "Don''t tell me you were expecting to see a fat and worthless version of me I have only been a noble for two months give me a year and you may see it" Lucien said calmly. He had a good impression of the dean so he had no reasons to act too cold around him. Chapter 117: True cultivation path! Chapter 117: True cultivation path! Hearing Lucien''s words a smile appeared on Dean Xio''s face. Even though he cultivated the powerful fire element as his primary magic it didn''t stop him from feeling the heat oozing off the fiery fire whip in Lucien''s hands. ''Truly this is the work of a true forge master'' he said in his mind as had gazed at the youth who has aplished so much in a short time. He couldn''t help but remember the first test when he and the other instructors arrived just to realize that Lucien was battling a general-level beast! Seeing them do battle, he couldn''t help but feel like two magic beasts were fighting each other. At that time, Lucien gave off the aura of a vicious beast almost no different from the magic beasts. He looked wild, powerful, and incredibly talented! Those were the perks of a true beast man! But now, the Lucien standing in front of him was cold, collected, and calctive. His aura was hidden and his eyes revealed no emotions even when heughed. This is an absolute state of mind attained by a handful of masters who have total control of their emotions! "It''s nice to see you again Now get off this podium before I kick you out" Dean Xioughed. In the past, he acknowledged Lucien as a talented individual but their difference in status can be considered a barrier, preventing them frommunicating properly but with Lucien''s new status as a baron, they could speak more easily. Lucien nodded and jumped off the tform, not bothering to nce at the instructors. His descent was slow, giving many the opportunity to step away from hisnding spot, but Lucien did not hit the ground! Midway, he stopped descending and just stood there in mid-air. He soon sat in the air in a cross-legged position and watched Dean xio with a nk look on his face. Seeing this, Dean Xio just nodded and did not bother with him anymore. He turned his attention to the other students around and his expression turned stern again. "In the past year, what you learn were just the basics and nowhere near the true nature of our cultivation pathwayMany may think at a profound level in this pathway, spells would be needed and maybe some minor magic toplement but in reality, all these things are cheap tricks. You cast spells only because youck control When one understands the true nature of this cultivation pathway, you be your element" Dean Xio said as he opened his eyes and from his hand''s explosions rocked the entire hall. He wasn''t releasing normal mes butpressed balls of fire that exploded at will. "There will be a time when you will no longer cast spells but instead manipte the elements and transform them into your unique style That is why Spirit realm masters are said to practice Martial styles and not magic" Dean Xio said. Hearing this, even Lucien was stunned. While he knew a few things concerning the cultivation of spirit realm masters thanks to Rakuzen, but after listening to this he felt like all his knowledge is only a drop of waterpared to an ocean! Since he arrived here, he had been skeptical about his future here as a student. He wondered if he was just wasting his time but this helps him regain his trust in the academy. The rest of the speech had nothing to do with cultivation. It was a rundown of the academic activities of the year and what is expected of them. This time, they will be assigned to new instructors so Lucien had no reason to word about entering a weird situation with instructor Emma since he couldn''t trust himself much. He may snap and tear her apart if they meet and she says something wrong. The meeting ended and Lucien headed straight to his first-ss without bothering to see anyone. He got a brief understanding of the power ranking in the academy leaving him stunned for a while. Who would have thought the humans would suddenly surpass them after getting what looked like a talent boost. Indeed, the word talent boost sounds ridiculous but Lucien had no other way to exin this. He had saved the lightborn family from the nightmare demon during the first yes but gazing at them now, Lucien could understand that they are far more different. Amongst the various talented noble families, Lucien treated the others like air and set his eyes one! They are called the Wuxing n! They say it was thest family the emperor conquered before he could create this empire. The people of wuxing are cursed and can only master a single element.They are said to have some sort of deficiency that prevents their talent from nurturing a second element but what they mayck in that aspect, they covered up for it with their great mastery of a single element. These people were already terrifying but the moment the sudden talent boost spiked, these talented youths became beasts which no one canpare to. Lucien pondered on these things seriously as he walked to ss but this time he got there on time. Since it was the war mage ss, Lucien felt a bit excited. After finding a seat at the center of the ss, Lucien was a bit stunned to see somedies seating close to him. In this era, females love the young hero''s of their time and as someone who has achieved a lot at such a young age and is most likely to soar higher in the distant future, it was not shocking that these people would try totch on to him. ''Pests'' Lucien muttered in his mind while he silently waited for the ss to begin. He ignored all these trying to speak to him, up to the point where many were frustrated and left.He remained seated with his eyes closed but then an amazing fragrance reached his nose and he felt a familiar presence. On a normal asion, a person would be infatuated with the person who possessed such an impressive aura but then Lucien turned hostile and unfriendly. His eyes yanked open and he shot a vicious nce to the left only to see a familiar figure. ''Just as I suspected!'' He cried out in his mind. It was a fair-skinned Lady, with dazzling shoulder long golden hair and light blue eyes. She had a slender figure but her bosom and behind wererge enough to make any normal man stutter when faced with it, but Lucien didn''t flinch even once. His gaze remained cold as he slowly called his rampaging urges down. "You I remember" Lucien said calmly. Hearing Lucien''s voice, thedy smiled sweetly but Lucien frowned even more. He could tell the human faction in the empire are against him and the beast-men were almost indifferent about his existence. Whatever the reason is for her arrival he didn''t find it funny. "The name is Alice It''s nice to meet you again" Alice said as she gazed intently at Lucien making him feel ufortable. As much as he would have loved to deny it, thedy sitting beside him was incredibly pretty, making Instructor Emma look average. At this point he regretted not carrying his mask, it would have been a lot easier dealing with these kinds of people. "I guess you know my name Why are you here?" Lucien said tried to calm himself down as he asked. "Do I need a reason to attend my ss?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow, making an incredibly cute face that made Lucien''s face turn red! Pretty! That was all that came to mind! He noticed his breathing got heavy and his head felt unusually light! He felt hot underneath and he couldn''t help but agree that if thisdy made a cute expression again and wiggled her bosom while at it, he may not be able to suppress the feeling down there anymore! This was an internal battle not to humiliate himself and he was this close to losing! Was this all he is capable of? After everything that has happened to him? Yes! Everything! In a matter of seconds, countless images shed across his eyes. There were his moments in the cold and lonely dungeon. He could remember how he screamed for help when the iron chains were used to pierce his body and drain him of his magic! He could remember how painful it was and how much he bled all alone in the cold and lonely dungeon! How can he forget, how he sat in a puddle of his blood with nothing to eat or drink! How could he forget watching his blood dry! Where was she when he needed someone to cry to? Where was the emperor when he needed someone to save him from all that torment and pain! "No one came to save me" Lucien muttered lightly before lifting his bent head and looking her straight in the eyes. "Since you are here for the ss, I see no reason for us to speak to each other" Lucien said, coldly. Chapter 118: Wuxing Instructor Chapter 118: Wuxing Instructor A moment ago Alice could tell Lucien was flustered but just a secondter, he turned cold and calm. She could tell with a nce Lucien is not someone she can easily sway and talking further was of no point so she calmly nodded her head and looked away. The ss remained noisy until the teleportation formation on the podium lit up and from a man emerged. He is an average-looking man with dark skin, a heavy build, and a broad chin. His ash-colored pupils gave him a mysterious look, and even though he wasn''t overly handsome, he had this mysterious air about him that got thedies eager to get closer. This man wore a gray robe with firm cors. He looked more like a schr instead of a fighter and this left many doubtful of his capabilities since no one could sense any sort of aura from him. But while many looked confused a few members of the ss instantly cupped their fists and bowed respectfully. Only a few noticed this movement and Lucien was one of them. He instantly spotted the members of the Wuxing n and when they did this, he guessed the identity of the Instructor. "He must be really capable to havee from that n" Lucien said with a raised eyebrow. "You can tell his identity?" Alice was shocked when she heard Lucien''sment. The Wuxing n has always been the secretive type that has always kept a low profile, even many noble families have only seen their representatives but never the upper echelons of the n. So for Lucien to recognize it in one nce could be considered amazing. "Just a guess A very good one" Lucien replied calmly while gazing at the man. The instructor seemed to have noticed his cold eyes and turned his attention towards Lucien. The moment their eyes met a heavy aura sped towards him trying to suppress him but when faced with it, Lucien could only sneer and reveal a grin filled with contempt. After his dance with the members of the creed and a few other spirit realm masters, did this man really think he can suppress him so easily? He has fought for so long and met more terrifying foes, why would the aura of a mere peak mortal realm expert cause him to tremble in fear? "Cute" Lucien''s voice was not particrly high but to transmitted into the ears of everyone in the ss, even the instructor was stunned. They soon noticed the instructor and Lucien had their gazes pinned on each other and based on Lucien''sment, they quickly assumed the instructor tried to suppress Lucien but he failed. Seeing the silver-haired youth, seating majestically with his chin resting on his palm, they couldn''t help but gulp down a ball of saliva. Even Alice who was sitting beside Lucien turned and gazed at him and for a moment, she was stunned by the youth''s good looks. At that very moment, she felt like she was meeting Lucien for the very first time. "Ooh? Lord Rakuzen I presume?" The Wuxing instructor asked with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Hahaha! It is an honor to meet one of the esteemed members of the ancient Wuxing n The pleasure is mine" Lucien cupped his fists and greeted respectfully. The Wuxing n is so vast and powerful, no other n apart from the royal family can match them in strength and resourcefulness. Should the emperor and his Hayata n ever fall, it is an absolute fact that this n would produce the next emperor would be the Wuxing n! This is a n Lucien had no intentions of crossing any time soon. ''I am not arrogant enough to face that n yet'' Lucien said in his mind with a smile on his face and a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. The instructor gave Lucien a meaningful stare before nodding and turning his attention to the rest of the ss. The introduction was short but shocking! Instructor Hai of the Wuxing n had no intentions of letting his ss rot within the safety of the academy. In his opinion, the strength of a person is sharpened through countless battles! In his opinion, the cultivation base of these kids may be high but they are no far worse than Lucien who has been at the jaws of death countless times and that''s why he greatly appreciated Lucien. ------------------------------------- The ss left the academy and headed out of the empire through the western gate. To find a good training spot, they had to get past Lucien''s territory. Xiu! The teleportation formation avable to the public was located just a few hundred meters outside the walls of the Rakuzen n territory. Forcing people to make it to the gate on foot. Many had only heard of the excellence of Lucien''s territory that far surpasses that of the other noble territories but they have never seen it. Appearing far from the territory, they were forced to advance with mounts and after a few minutes of traveling, they finally reached the gates. Since Lucien is the sole master of this territory, the gates yanked open on their own leaving everyone stunned. There were no guards on the walls or the gates but to their greatest surprise, they were sure that if they made one false move, they will be obliterated by the magic tours around surrounding the territory! The gates yanked open and when they moved in, they felt an incredibly beautiful vicious aura shooting towards them! The aura was so intense even those considered geniuses amongst them couldn''t help but tremble! Could it be a powerful magic beast breached the defenses and made its way into the small territory? Countless thoughts ran through the minds of many and even Instructor Hai could help but feel ufortable. They only had to wait for a few seconds before the massive figure of the rupture magic beast came into view. It was like a massive meteor descending from the heavens! Its speed was so fast and threatening, many thought it would attack, even Alice had silently prepared some defensive spells. "Enough! You are scaring our guests!" Lucien''s cold and detached voice echoed in their ears. Before they couldn''t react, everyone saw Lucien''s figure shoot towards the magic beast and from his body, a massive silver orb appeared. This silver orb soon took the shape of a massive Azure blue serpent dragon, shing with the magic beast head-on. Roar! The loud cry carried a powerful shockwave that blew the blue dragon back but Lucien kept approaching! The magic beast threw a punch forward and Lucien reacted by throwing his palm towards the mighty rock fist! Has he gone crazy! He''s going to catch the punch with his hand! Peng! Many screamed out in shock but the greater shock came when Lucien shed with the magic beast and was sent flying back but he managed to halt the advance of the magic beast! Bang! Lucien''s feet struck the ground hard as he tried to regainposure but couldn''t help sliding a few meters back, only stopping when he was directly in front of the students. "Ouch.." Lucien said calmly as he shot his bleeding right hand and frowned. When his faceless spirit beast was blown back he recalled it and used its power to protect his hands, while trying to block Rupture''s attack. He expected it to go numb but he didn''t expect to get hurt this bad! Roar! The spirit energy gathered around his fist flew out and once again took the shape of a blue azure serpent dragon, hovering over Lucien''s head. Seeing it the first time was amazing but seeing it up close was even more breathtaking. Everyone watched in awe as Lucien calmly leaped up,nding on the head of the Azure Dragon and gazing at the earth magic beast with a slight smile on his face. He summoned a blue dragon mask from thin air and put it on, giving him a more oppressive aura! "Are you done ying around, Rupture?" Lucien''s voice sounded neither happy nor sad! But it had a threatening tone. Lucien dared threaten a King tier magic beast? Could this be the power of the new Baron of the empire? This is the power of a spirituality cultivator? "Hahaha! I guess I hit the right spot I was only testing out my strength This town of ours is really great for cultivation! My strength has increased a lot since I got here! It''s only a matter of Time before in reach the emperor level!" Ruptureughed heartily and treated the guests like air! His focus was solely on Lucien, making it look like the others did not exist! Everyone gaze at Lucien''s back with amazed looks, even Alice found Lucien extremely attractive at this moment. He may becking in terms of cultivation as a mage but his spirit cultivation can be considered impressive! The only member of the empire to possess dual cultivation pathways! In their opinion, Lucien is no different from the young heroes of legend destined to do great things! Chapter 119: Killing two beds with one stone! Chapter 119: Killing two beds with one stone! After the brief exchange between Lucien and the king tier magic beast, Rupture, the hearts of many were moved and they began to reevaluate their opinion about the young lord of this small n. They thought they had seen everything he had to show but the moment they stepped through the gates their hearts froze! They felt the mana density in this ce was far higher than what can be found anywhere. The entire city was no different from a cultivation chamber! Soon their shock turned to fear! No one knew how Lucien was able to achieve any of this on such arge scale and in such a short period. They soon understood why Lucien put up an entrance fee for people who wish to enter the city and even then they could only stay for a short while. They soon realized why even though manyined of Lucien extorting money from his fellow citizens of the same empire they still had no choice but to pay the fees ande over! Using his forging skills alone and his cities special quirks, he generated funds that could rival the ie ofrge ns in the empire. Many began to realize they have underestimated this kid! His resourcefulness and ability to create the impossible is not something a wise man would overlook easily. They couldn''t help but wonder why the empire is yet to force Lucien to spill his secrets since it''s something that will benefit all of them. Unfortunately, they knew nothing about Lucien''s deal with the empire. In exchange for his loyalty and services, he will be allowed to reveal only what he chooses to reveal. Back then, the noblesughed at this since they couldn''t help but wonder what sort of secrets could a kid this age with no background have. By the time they finally got to see all of this, they were urged to break the deal and force Lucien to share his secrets but they also remembered Lucien''s threat! They remembered vividly when he boasted of being able to escape the empire even if the emperor is after his head. Thest thing they would want to have is a youth like Lucien to go rogue and turn against the empire. Should he share his secrets with one of the three great empires in exchange for their assistance in getting revenge on the Fotia empire, then the consequences are unimaginable! No one could deny that this little fourteen-year-old youth was practically holding the entire empire hostage. They took various carriages bearing the Rakuzen banner on them, taking them towards his castle. On their way there, they noticed the huge blue serpent dragon located at the center of the city, leaving them stunned. The aura exuded by this statue alone was enough to make Instructor Hai shudder in fear. He gazed at Lucien sitting opposite him with his eyes shut tight and the Wuxing instructor couldn''t help but wonder why Lucien brought them here. Back in the academy, he dered they would embark on a few days of training in the wild and Lucien suggested he had the perfect location near his territory. Right now he couldn''t help but think, Lucien was bluffing and just wanted to show off his territory to him a member of the Wuxing n! "I have a few questions" Instructor Hai said calmly with an indifferent look on his face. Upon saying those words, Lucien''s closed eyes opened upzily as if it was reluctant to and he gazed at the man coldly. Looking at his eyes Instructor Hai felt no hatred, no love, no fear, no worry, just indifference! "Go ahead" Lucien only said those two words like nothing else. ''This kid has reached such a level at a young age Incredible'' He said in his mind. "All of this your n defenses they are beyond what anyone has ever seen since the creation of this empire I was told it took you seven days to set all these things up and entirely transform the town How did you do it?" Instructor Hai leaned forward and asked. Hearing the question, Lucien let out a slight smile and then leaned forward "I apologize... But this is my advantage over others, so I can''t reveal any information based on this" Lucien said calmly. Hearing this, the instructor frowned. He expected this answer but he was hoping for something more. "It can''t be helped and here is the second question Can you replicate these defensive formations in another ce?" Instructor Hai asked. Gazing into his eyes Lucien knew what he was thinking. If he says yes, the next thing Lucien would have to deal with is rejecting the man''s offer to replicate these things in the Wuxing territory. Unfortunately for the instructor even if Lucien can do this he iscking empire points so it wouldn''t work. "My grade 1 sealed artifact is quite different from what people think I acquired numerous abilities and quirks through it. Unfortunately like other sealed artifacts, there are certain limitations ced on the user for now, I cannot use this outside a ce regarded as my territory Sorry, but I cannot help you" Lucien said, causing the instructor to return to his original position and wonder why Lucien borough them here? He didn''t look like someone who had the intention of showing off his strength and hoping to get the recognition of others. "Then why are we here" Instructor Hai asked calmly. "For the training What else?" Lucien said with a yful smile. He leaned back and shut his eyes for a while before speaking. "When I was awarded thisnd I was warned about the powerful magic beasts that reside in this areaI had no reason to feareven if it were a king-level magic beast, I can still deal with it" Lucien paused a bit and let the instructor digest the first part of the information. "When I got here, I realized I was not dealing with just one king tier magic beast... But three The funny thing is that they are all watching once I make a move against one, the other three will strike.." Lucien said calmly. "So you want me to help you kill them?" Instructor Hai asked with a raised eyebrow. Chapter 120: Its time! Chapter 120: Its time! Hearing Instructor Hai''s question and considering the calm look on his face, Lucien nodded in his heart. His suspicion was right. Back in the dungeon, when they met Rupture for the first time, Instructor Emma was flustered. Even though she was at the peak of the mortal she was still terrified of a king tier magic beast, yet Instructor Hai who is also at the peak of the mortal realm heard of three king tier magic beasts and doesn''t even look flustered at all. Instead, he looked a bit excited. ''Just as I suspected, noble family experts are way different from normal experts Instructor Emma and Instructor Hai may be in the same realm but their strengths are not the same If I must say, Instructor Hai should be at least twice as strong as Instructor Emma'' Lucien said in his mind. "Kill them? NoI don''t need you for that While the other students take on the general and soldier level magic beasts I will deal with two king level magic beasts all I need you to do is to make sure the third does not interfere once I am done with the two, I will take out thest" Lucien said with a slight smile on his face but Instructor Hai was rmed by his words. He knew Lucien would bring rupture with him so he expected Lucien to ask him to deal with two king-tier magic beasts, but that didn''t happen. Instead, Lucien asked him to only deal with one, meaning Rupture will take on one king-tier magic beast while he will handle the second king-tier beast. A fourteen year old capable of handling a king-tier magic beast all alone! Only in the ancient families does such power reside! "I must say, you are quite talented and the Wuxing n won''t have any issues working with you Unfortunately, our race will always be their barrier between us" Instructor Hai said while gazing at Lucien, he wanted to see if Lucien''s facial expression would Chang when he talked about their Race. In reality, many may say that Emperor Fei conquered the Wuxing n but that''s not entirely true. In the war, he only had the upper hand but to attain victory, his side will end up getting badly hurt as well. Only after he promised to create an empire where humans and Beast men are equals did they submit. They too supported the emperor''s dreams and that''s why they have solidly supported him all these years. "What about it? I was betrayed by my n The ones who stood by me and watched over me during that time were the emperor and a human, Instructor Han Although the human noble families of the empire are mostly responsible for my long stay in the dungeon but then, the beast-men did not attempt to save me a member of their own and the most promising one at that In my opinion, race doesn''t matter anymore Anyone that treats me well...I will reciprocate the feeling" Lucien answered calmly and indifferently. While Lucien''s words seemed nice, instructor Hai picked up the hidden messages. ''Both the humans and beast-men messed me up When the timees, they will both be punished equally!'' ''This kid sure is scary'' Instructor Hai said in his mind. He kept gazing at Lucien for a while before letting out a light sigh and asking. "This is a ss exercise but here I am, helping you and putting the lives of my students at risk what do I stand to gain from this" Instructor Hai asked calmly. Hearing this a slight smile appeared on Lucien''s face but at that time the carriages stopped. They have arrived at the southern gate. It was there he fought Rupture and felt the three eyes pinned on him. "What do you gain? Let''s just say I owe you a favor...I may be small now but in the future, I am pretty sure it will be worth the effort" Lucien gave the man a slight smile and walked out of the carriage. He could see the other students have arrived and all of them had annoyed looks on their faces and Lucien could tell why. Normally, if he used the normal system of transportation that other members of the empire use, they could be here in just a second thanks to the invention of teleportation tforms! Carriages are outdated! They felt annoyed by the fact that they were forced to take a sit in a carriage for so long, unfortunately, they had no choice. This is Lucien''s territory so they have no choice but to go along with the rules. Unknown to these people, Lucien''s way of doing things is just a means of defending himself in case something happens to the empire. With fewer means of reaching his territory, his chances of survival are higher! Boom! The bro that has been following Lucien''s carriage finally smashed into the ground and Rupture walked out of the crater created by his descent. The king-tier magic beast looked annoyed but it didn''tsh out on Lucien instantly. It knew Lucien won''t dare pull him out of the city unless necessary. He walked towards Lucien with a straight face until he was practically breathing down on him before asking. "Why do you call me out here?" Rupture''s loud voice made the earth tremble alongside the heart of many but Lucien wasn''t moved. He turned his attention to those behind him and saw that instructor and the others were also waiting for his response. They were eager to know what Lucien''s real intentions are and even after speaking to him in the carriage, Instructor Hai was sure he didn''t get out all the information necessary. Whoosh! Lucien''s eyes let out a bright silver light before he put on his mask and turned to the Rupture, looking up just to meet its ferocious gaze. "I promised I will get you to emperor level soon I am only fulfilling that promise" Lucien said as his body slowly levitated off the ground. His words left many stunned and even Rupture was stunned as well! Chapter 121: Power of a King tier beast Chapter 121: Power of a King tier beast "Emperor Level? Me? Now?" Rupture stuttered as he gazed at Lucien''s back. Thanks to the thick mana environment of Lucien''s territory, it was sure it would enter the emperor level in two decades or more. The only way it could umte that much energy to prompt an evolution is if they can take down other king-tier magic beats and allow it to absorb their beast core. If it can do that, it should be able to rise to the emperor level in just a year. Does Lucien n to kill the king-tier magic beasts? "Hehehehe! Are you sure kid? It will be dangerous and you may die! I must warn you, I may not be able to protect you" Ruptureughed bitterly. Hearing Rupture''s words, everyone present understood Lucien''s intentions. If he seeds he would be one of the very few contractors in the empire with an emperor-level magic beast as a partner! Instantly bing one of the most powerful nobles in the empire since only a peak champion realm master or a demigod will be able to challenge his magic beast! Having such a thought, many shuddered and once again reevaluated Lucien. He was someone with wild ambitions and with the more power he gains, the lower the chances of the empire being able to hold him down. They gazed at his back withplicated looks on their faces, not knowing how to react. "I can''t help you" Instructor Hai said boldly. In normal circumstances, the empire would be joyous to have someone from the empire reach such a profound realm at a young age. If it were the old Lucien he would have readily helped but the current Lucien is an unknown variable! Someone, they don''t know how to deal with. He''spletely unpredictable and not trustworthy either. Unlike the students, Instructor Hai knew why Lucien ced no teleportation formation within his territory. It was to stop the empire from entering and leaving as they pleased. In his opinion, Lucien was taking precautions in case he has a fallout with the empire and this showed he is not someone loyal. As someone from the ancient Wuxing n, it will be considered a sacred crime if he helps such an unpatriotic person in his rise to power. Hearing those words, Lucien''s floating body tilted slightly and he turned his attention on the Wuxing instructor and his eyes within the mask revealed intense killing intentions! They were still within his territory so the towers lit up, gathering the mana around! Everyone could feel the air tremble badly as his power surged recklessly from all directions! The city defenses were responding to their master''s anger! Instructor Hai''s face turned terribly pale as he gazed at the silver-haired youth with the blue dragon mask. He never thought Lucien''s defensive system would be so powerful! Even a spirit realm master will find it hard to survive a single attack from these towers! Who the hell is this Lucien! What the hell is this Rakuzen being he serves? Whoosh! The intense power vanished just as soon as it came, causing Lucien to sigh. He didn''t think this man would change his mind halfway, affecting his n. It couldn''t count as him breaking his word since he never agreed in the first ce. "In that case, I will have to bid the instructor Farewell I and my partner will deal with the three King tier magic beasts alone For that reason, I will not be able to attend the ss training These carriages will send you back! " Lucien said calmly but this time his tone allcked all signs of respect. It sounded as if he was talking to a useless subordinate. The cold look in his eyes also revealed his disdain for the Wuxing instructor. "No!" Instructor Hai blurted out causing Lucien to raise an eyebrow. His mind was still in turmoil after the disy of power he just witnessed. "I mean I still wish to carry on the training session in your territory I hope you don''t mind" Instructor Hai said hastily. Hearing this, Lucien frowned badly. He could tell this man is scared of his defenses they why would he be willing to stay back and since they are not helping him, why are they still needed around? What is his true goal? To spy on him and evaluate his power? "Do as you wish Just don''t get in my way" Lucien said coldly before shooting towards the clouds! Rupture shot the instructor a cold nce before chasing after Lucien. Only after they left did the students and instructor Hai calm down. They breathed out a breath of relief before turning to look at each other. "Lucien is scary" one of the students whispered those words. He was afraid the torrent would turn on him if he said it out loud. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Status!" Lucien growled in an annoyed tone. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 4th sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 1000] [HP: 120/120] MP: 200/200] [SP: 100/100] [Condition: Annoyed] [Exp: 7000] Gazing at his stats Lucien was so lost in thoughts that he didn''t know when Rupture arrived beside him and asked. "What now? Do you n to call it off?" Rupture said with a sad tone. It understood Lucien''s n after Instructor Hai spoke. He could tell Lucien wanted the instructor to keep one of the king-tier magic beasts away while he and Lucien handle the other two. At its current level, it''s not sure Even Lucien was stunned, he never thought magic beasts experience such normal emotions like them. He shot his partner a meaningful nce for a short while before answering. "We will keep movingwe only have to change strategy now " Lucien said calmly with a frown. "What do you have in mind?" Rupture asked with an excited look on their face. As long as Lucien decided to continue, it means he is confident in his chances of seeding "Each magic beast colony is about 200 kilometers away from each other The least we can do is kill off the first target as fast as possible and then wait for the other two to make a move I am sure they are sure we are heading for one of them, they will all make a move we can''t afford to hold back!" Lucien said thoughtfully. "Impossible... We can''t deal with a king-tier magic beast so easily do you really think you can one-shot a powerhouse at my level?" Rupture said while shaking his head. "It doesn''t matter the worst happens, I will just hold off the two while you deal with the enemy I just want to be sure you can deal with the enemy alone" Lucien said with a stern look on his face. If he was going to risk his life dealing with the enemy, he had to be sure Rupture can win against another king-tier beast. The Roc is an earth type magic beast with a low bloodline the fact that the other king-tier magic beasts are yet to conquer it is because they are also low tier in bloodline" Rupture said calmly before his expression suddenly turned serious. "Are you trying to say a mid-tier bloodline magic beast like me can''t deal with a low-tier trash?" Rupture asked with a frown. "Good" Lucien was not moved by Rupture''s annoyed tone. [Wind rider activated] Suddenly a cloud of wind appeared beneath Lucien and Rupture "What are you doing? I can fly without your help!" Rupture was a bit flustered but Lucien did not mind its strange reaction. "I fly faster speed is necessary if we choose to increase our chances of sess" Lucien gave a simple exnation before he and Rupture turned into two beams of light and should towards the mountain ranges around his territory! This is the territory of the king-tier magic beast, Abok! ------------------------------------------------------------ Those below watched Lucien and Rupture speak for a while above before turning into two beams of light and shooting towards the mountain ranges not too far from the southern gate! "They are really going? Did he really need my help?" Instructor Hai spoke with a frown. He assumed Lucien wouldn''t be able to do it without him and that''s why he refused to help. That way Lucien would be forced to give up the n. Right now if Lucien can do this without him, it simply meant he has made a powerful enemy. As much as he would have loved to interfere directly he knew it wouldn''t be proper and if by chance Lucien survives, he will be executed by the empire for treason. Lucien is a noble and not anyone he can just mess with. "Protected by the empire he seeks to destroy This life is just too messy" Instructor Hai Lamented. Meanwhile, the other students gazed at the directing which Lucien disappeared to. In their mind, if Lucien manages to pull this off, he will be acknowledged as the best member of their set! "I have to get on his good side! No matter the cost!" Alice said as her sky blue eyes glittered. Chapter 122: Price for power (1) Chapter 122: Price for power (1) Whoosh! "They are making a move!" Rupture growled the moment that reached the mountain ranges! The two other King tier magic beasts seem to have noticed their movements and they guessed their intentions so they moved out! "Are they alone?" Lucien asked with a frown on his face. He could tell when someone is spying on him but he is unable to tell what the other king-tier magic beasts are doing because the distance is just too great. At this time, he can only rely on Rupture to give him the information he needs. "No!" Rupture answered hastily. "Carrying general level and solider level magic beasts with them will only slow them down so they areing alone!" Rupture added making Lucien heave out a sigh of relief. He was at least thirty percent sure he can keep the enemy distracted but IG they should bring with them a horde of magic beasts, he would have no choice but to flee! "There!" Rupture growled, snapping him out of his daze! Gazing at the mountain range, Lucien could see countless magic beasts from the Abok bloodline but at various levels! Since these magic beasts are earth types with their specialty being meleebat, they had no way of stopping the approaching human and his king-tierpanion. Magic beasts from the mountain surged forward like a tidal wave, shooting down the mountain like a flood. They came expecting the enemy to barge into them but to their greatest surprise, Lucien and Rupture shot past them heading directly towards thergest mountain present. There, what looked like a mighty rock snake,rge enough to wrap around a mountain peak! Compared to it, Rupture was only half its size! Sensing the iing foes, the Abok yanked one of its eyes open, pinning its gaze on the weakest member of the pack! Lucien! ''So this is the Abok! What intense pressure!'' Lucienmented in his mind with a bitter smile but this did not mean he had any intentions of retreating! Roar! Lucien let out an inhuman growl as lightning began surging around his body fiercely. Even those at the southern gate could see the shing blue lights surging around a tiny being. "Tier three lightning magic: Zeus!" Lucien growled! [-20mp] [MP: 180/200] Lucien had no intentions of just releasing the attack halfheartedly! If he held back against such a powerful beast he will end up dead and this time the magic beasts won''t be holding back as Rupture did against him. He took a deep breath but this time he wasn''t aiming for air but the mana in the air. Lucien allowed the mana to surge through every vein in his body! It felt like his body was about to explode but he endured and continued the process! The lightning spear taking shape above his head kept increasing in size considerably while bing thicker! "He''s doing it!" Instructor Hai eximed as he saw that lighting spear increase in size!He could tell it has already surpassed the strength of the original spell! Lucien was fueling it with mana to strengthen it! Whoosh! A massive figure shot above Lucien garnering the attention of the Abok! Gazing at the Rupture it showed hints of fear and hesitation! "Follow my lead, Kid!" Rupture bellowed as its body expanded increasing its body size whileva poured out of its body! From a small wave, theva kept increasing in size until it was practically the size of a tidal wave with rupture riding atop it! Hisssssss! Abok hissed viciously as its brown stony skin turned gray! It was using its metal element to reinforce its body! The massive serpent lunged towards the sea ofva, aiming for Rupture! For it to dive forward meant it was quite confident in its overwhelming defense! "Impudent fool!" Rupture bellowed! It seems to be angered by the gusty move of the lower bloodline foe! In its own opinion, it was like amoner trying to fight a noble! It''s just disrespectful! Boom! Lucien was standing some hundred meters behind Rupture buy the collision created a powerful shockwave that threw Lucien hundreds of meters back, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. [-10HP!] ''Seriously! Just from a shockwave! Does that mean all this while Rupture has been holding back on me!" Lucien gasped in his mind! The strength showcased by these two juggernauts was far beyond his expectations! The strength of a king-tier magic beast is truly terrifying! This exins why they can kill spirit realm masters! Bang! Abok seemed to have emerged out of theva unscathed, smashing into Rupture with its steel head, causing Rupture to retreat by a step! Boom! Bothbatantsnded on the mountain peak creating another powerful shockwave but this time it threw off all the magic beasts running up the mountain, hoping to aid their leader! Hisssss! Abok hissed as it maneuvered through Rupture''s attacks and wrapped around Rupture, binding it and restricting its movements! Even if the Abok is from a lower bloodline, it is known for its strength and its steel element made it one of the most powerful magic beasts of its level in terms of physical strength! Its head soared high and its vicious gaze was fixated on Rupture''s neck! Bearing its fangs, it dived down for the bite but then something unexpected happened. Thebatants have long forgotten about Lucien so they never saw iting! The lightning spear tore through the air, urately striking the spot it couldn''t harden with its steel element! Its eyes! Aboki hissed and its grip loosened, giving Rupture the chance to break free. Bam! Rupture gripped its body firmly and pulled down violently! Bang! The massive body of the Abok was pulled down forcefully, causing the entire mountain to tremble. "Burn!" Rupture bellowed as theva surged out of its body consuming both it and Abok! Bothbatants could be seen shooting into the air as theva wrapped around them forming an orb! At this point, it didn''t matter how powerful, Abok''s steel skin is! Under the constant heat of theva, it is bound to melt! As long as they are not interrupted, Lucien was sure that Rupture would emerge victorious. "That is if they stay uninterrupted!" Lucien said coldly as he turned his attention to the distance! It was faint but he could feel it, they areing! "Status!" Lucien said calmly [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 4th sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 1000] [HP: 110/120] MP: 180/200] [SP: 100/100] [Condition: Anxious] [Exp: 7000] "I will do my part just do yours!" Lucien said with a frown as wrapped his hands around his chest and waited patiently. He couldn''t go-ahead to meet them since they areing from two different sides. Also head to stay close by if he wishes to absorb the beast essence that Abok when it dies. He didn''t know how he would be able to stop these two from reaching Rupture but now wasn''t the time to think of what he can and cannot do. Right now, all he can do is focus on what''s ahead of him. [I have gathered enough faith power If I fight for you, your chances of victory will be a lot higher!] Rakuzen screamed in his mind but Lucien paid him no heed. This fight is his, win or lose it all depends on him. He had already decided not to depend on any power that isn''t his so allowing Rakuzen to interfere is out of the question! He finally felt death looming over him as the two king-tier beasts approached but he didn''t cower in fear! He felt his blood boiling and his power surging! He didn''t know why but he was more excited than afraid! "Faceless!" Lucien growled viciously as his aura exploded! The faceless appeared above his head and promptly took the shape of the Azure blue dragon! It was probably deemed its most powerful form since its copying the power of an ancient God. "System Overdrive!" Lucien growled as his body lit up with power and four figures appeared over his head.It was the nightmare demon, Rakuzen god beast, General level Hell hound, and the soldier level Roc! Raising his hands, he promptly summoned the habakiri into his hands and from it, a powerful burst of shadow energy exploded filling the skies above them! [Shadow storm skill activated] Slowly theva sphere housing the two magic beasts levitated even higher until it was lost in the shadow! Without saying a word, Rupture had already understood Lucien''s intentions and cooperated to the best of his abilities. "Good luck kid It won''t take much longer! You can do it!" Rupture''s voice echoed in Lucien''s head causing him to break a smile. "Luck? Luck cannot save you in this situation! I will survive because I am strong!" Lucien growled with all his might! "Hahahahaha! That''s what I like to hear!" Rupture''s voice finally faded as hisva orb sank deeper into the shadow storm! Leaving behind only Lucien and two furious King tier magic beasts heading his way! Chapter 123: Price for power (2) Chapter 123: Price for power (2) To the right was a King tier magic beast which looked more like a Lamar with the only difference is a more buffed body. Its eyes were bright purple and it''s sure had a light green shade. Gazing at the magic beast one couldn''t feel restless around it since it exudes a calm and harmless aura that naturally calms someone down. This magic beast was barely up to five meters tall making it almost considerably smaller than rapture but even then Lucien didn''t dare let his guard down. He shot a nce to the side only to notice that the second king tier magic beast was still far enough so Lucien quickly assumed it was a magic beatscking in the speed department so he let out a sigh of relief before shooting towards Lanka. Shhrrrrrrrr! Lanka''s eyes released a dangerous light as it saw the human approaching! Its fur shivered greatly as a slightly faint purple substance began surging out of its body. Originally one would think it''s just its overflowing aura but it was different and Lucien knew it! He quickly stopped and even backed up continuously! He gazed at the Lanka with a raised eyebrow as he watched the trees and vegetation around it melt away. Acid? "Damn!"Lucien muttered as he retreated even farther! He couldn''t exin how a seemingly harmless magic beast would have such an ability. "To think a half-blood like you would have such sharp senses You are not that bad!" The Lanka said with a sly smile on its face. "Hehehehe A beast with such a low bloodline dares speak to me in such a manner? You must be cocky!" Lucien retorted with a sinister smile, making the face of the Lanka twist with anger! Roar! At that moment the faceless which has taken the form of the blue serpent Chinese dragon shot past Lucien and towards the enemy. Hum! Hum! Hum! The air around Lucien trembled as he shut his eyes tight and focused on the images of Rakuzen fighting the creed members in his mind.The faceless is a unique spirit beast the ability to take the form of any and retain its abilities. If he can muster as much power as Rakuzen could with his body then the strength of his Azure blue serpent dragon would be on par with that of Illusionary blue dragon scale began appearing all over his body giving him a more domineering look. His body jerked backward abruptly as he took a deep breath erging his neck that gave out a faint blue light. Seeing Lucien with an erged neck and his solid blue dragon scales gave him an imposing look that even made the Lanka frown! "Spirit Bess: Azure Dragon breath!" Lucien roared as he spat out a powerful wave of blue mes, surging forward like a tidal wave as it chased after the faceless tightly. Hmph! Lanka snorted disdainfully as Its massive body slightly leaned to the left and vanished! Following countless rumbles and flying chunks of trees and wood could be seen as well! How could something so big be so fast? Does that mean the Lanka got here because it was faster and maybe the iing magic beast may not necessarily be slow, it just the Lanka is faster! Whoosh! The faceless in the form of the Azure blue dragon quickly followed regardless of how fast the Lanka is, it could follow with its eyes! At that moment the Lanka was too focused on therge Azure blue dragon, it almost didn''t notice the massive fiery whirlpool brewing behind it! "Heed my call! Azure dragon spear!" Lucien growled with zing blue eyes! A faint image of the Azure blue serpent dragon appeared behind him and then surged towards his hands taking the shape of a bright blue dragon-shaped hilt with a blue dragon scale de. "Roar!" Lucien growled as he let go of the spear but it did not fall! Instead, it stayed airborne and began spinning fiercely! Soon blue mes began surging fiercely around the spear until it got big enough to look like a fiery blue whirlpool surging violently! The size of this attack was so great even people within the city could see this!They watched in awe as the fiery blue whirlpool kept getting fiercer and fiercer while the Chinese blue serpent dragon was entangled with the goat-like magic beast! "what the hell Is that?" Many asked but they were not fearful since they hadplete trust in the defense formation protecting the city. They soon remembered that Lucien had gone towards that direction with his king-tier magic beast, Rupture! "It must be Lord Rakuzen! Only he can wield such power!" Someone in the crowd screamed and many began cheering merrily! The students and instructor Hai watched from a distance and they too were left dazed! How is someone this powerful still a student in their academy? With this level of strength, he can be an instructor! In fact, many who believed Lucien was too young and weak to be a noble began rethinking everything. "It cant be him! If he is this strong then he wouldn''t need to be in the academy!" One of the students cried out! He just couldn''t get himself to ept the fact that Lucien is far stronger than them. Hearing this, many students were eager to agree with this exnation but what came next was unexpected! "ording to the information given to us by your former war mage instructor, Emma. Lucien used this same ability when facing two outer disciples of the creed Mind you those two were spirit realm masters surpassing other spirit realm masters yet Lucien won... I heard a spirit beast cultivator at the warrior realm beat instructor Emma and three other students and she is at the peak of the mortal realm Lucien is a skilled spirit beast cultivator who far surpasses the girl that beat instructor Emma It is very logical he is capable of this! By the way, Heonly excels as a spirit beast cultivator and not a mage He wants to push his cultivation as a mage too and that''s why he is still in the academy If he excels at both then it means we are witnessing the birth of a new beast emperor! One far stronger than all three great emperors" Instructor Hai said all this with lingering fear visible in his eyes. It was simply because he didn''t know the kind of person Lucien is so he doesn''t know what he will be in the future. "YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE GUTS TO FACE ME ALL ALONE? HOW ARROGANT!" Lucien''s enraged voice was like powerful thunderps making people shudder. The students who wanted to argue further shut their mouths! Lucien''s words were enough to prove he is the one responsible for the fiery blue whirlpool! Meanwhile. The Azure dragon had sessfully suppressed the Lanka by turning into the Abok the moment it got close enough and using its massive body to bind it. The Lanka was caught off guard but it didn''t stop it from reacting quickly! It soon released a massive surge of purple gas which began corroding the body of the Abok! Hiss!!! The faceless hissed in pain as it used the Abok''s signature skill to transform its entire body into steel and bluster its defense but unfortunately, it could only mimic the form and power of an enemy and not the cultivation level! Even with its increased defense it could barelyst against the Lanka and could only watch as its body was shattered by the magic beast''s true strength! "DIE HALF-BLOOD!" Lanka cried as it leaped towards Lucien, attempting to smash him with its massive skull. "YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE GUTS TO FACE ME ALL ALONE? HOW ARROGANT!" Lucien growled viciously as he pushed downwards and a massive blue whirlpool surged down! BOOM! The collusion made the world around them tremble terribly before a loud painful cry rang into their ears making the hearts of those who heard it skip a beat! "Aaaaarrrrggggggh!!!" Lucien cried out painfully as he felt like an ant getting head-butted by a giant goat! "This." Lucien muttered as his body flew high and even went above the clouds! Why did he challenge the king-tier magic beast head on? Was he enraged by the fact it looked down at him? Was he always this careless? His vision felt blurry, he felt like all the air in his body as pulled out the moment he was hit. Visions of his entire life shed all through his eyes causing him to ask one question. "Am I dying here?" Lucien muttered as he watched images of his sad life sh across his eyes. All his dreams, goals, ambition, gone just like that! [WAKE UP, LUCIEN!] Rakuzen''s enraged voice rang in his head forcing him to yank his eyes open! "HELL NO! I REFUSE TO GO DOWN THIS WAY!" Lucien suddenly yanked his eyes open and growled. Brrrrrrrr! His body was soon consumed by blue mes as the faceless formed above his head once again and took the shape of the Azure blue serpent dragon! "Let us end this!" Lucien growled while standing atop the head of the dragon! Chapter 124: Price of power (3) Chapter 124: Price of power (3) "Let us end this!" Lucien growled while standing atop the azure blue dragon''s head. His body shivered as he felt all his joints hurting but at this moment it would be extremely foolish to pay attention to something so insignificant. "Status!" Lucien muttered and the screen popped up in his face. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 4th sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 1000] [HP: 20/120] [MP: 180/200] [SP: 20/100] [Condition: Dire] [Exp: 7000] With a nce, Lucien could tell his health had dropped by at least 90 points just for taking one hit from the enemy. Should he take another hit from the enemy, it''s most likely he would die and his body will be reduced to a bloody paste. But what else can he do about it? The price for power has never been light and should he seed he knew his strength will rise considerably. Imagine having the abilities of three king-tier magic beasts and then an emperor beast as his partner? "I agree Die!" Lanka roared as spat out a mouthful of acid but to Lucien, its mouthful of acid was like a massive ball of acid! Seeing this, all Lucien saw was death approaching really fast! His heart tightened as he flew backward hastily with a frown on his face! Right now he had enough Spirit energy for only one attack and he knew that his spirit attacks are his only means of harming the enemy so he was a bit reluctant to attack now. "This!" Lucien growled in his mind as he gathered his strength causing his mana to erupt! Boom! Wam! Just as he was about to cast his spell, a powerful gust of wind surged past him, smashing into the ball of acid without care as it rammed into the Lanka violently. Thankfully Lucien was already retreating so the power of the shockwave was not enough to harm him.The attacker was a massive eagle-like creature withrge silver wings and golden ws. Its ws dug deep into the Lanka''s neck, causing it to bleed terribly. At this point, Lucien realized something important. Originally he assumed the other king tier magic beast was slow and that''s why the Lanka got here first but he soon realized that he was wrong. The magic beast is a wind type and possesses amazing speed. The fact it didn''t get here first was because it slowed down on purpose! ''Cunning piece of shit'' Lucien cursed in his mind while retreating even further. This beast must have a means of seeing them from a very long distance! That exins why it knew the best time to strike. Thinking of this Lucien couldn''t help but shudder! He had really underestimated the intelligence of king-tier magic beasts! [It didn''t attack you because it doesn''t consider you a threat so this is your chance! If it kills the Lanka you are next!] Rakuzen warned with a stern voice but Lucien''s expression didn''t change. His pride wouldn''t let him leave these magic beasts without throwing a punch. How dare low bloodline magic beasts y with him for this long? If the god Bess Raizen was here would they dare act arrogantly ROAR!!!!! Lucien''s growls spread across thend as fierce lightning surged around him. All he needs to do is to give Lanka a chance to fight back. If the two can take on each other, his chances ofing out of this alive and victoriously will definitely increase by leaps and bounds! "Habakiri!" Lucien growled as he jumped off the head of the azure blue dragon, falling towards the two struggling magic beasts! "Argo!!!!" Lanka''s eyes were bloodshot as it struggled fiercely with the magic beast but it could not break free from its grip. It could feel the talons of Argo piercing even deeper into its neck! If it isn''t for its insane vitality as a king-tier magic beast, it would have been dead already! "Hahaha! I saw an opportunity and I took advantage of it! Don''t me me for being ruthless!" Argoughed viciously as it tightened its grip. All it needed to do now is tighten its grip and take flight while dragging Lanka along with it. This is akin to hanging the massive goat! "You!!!" Lanka growled viciously but it could do nothing about the enemy. "Tier three lightning magic: Lightning descent!" Lucien''s vicious growl reached their ears and at that moment cruel smile appeared on Lanka''s bloody face. Boom! Numerous bolts of lightning struck its lightning whip repeatedly increasing its size and intensity by leaps and bounds as it swung down ruthlessly! Bang! Although Lucien''s attack wasn''t enough to leave a reasonable wound on the magic beast, it still hurt enough to make the huge eagle loosen its grip! "You bastard Half-blood!" Argo screamed viciously as it turned its attention towards the fleeing Lucien but then its talons felt extremely hot forcing it to turn its attention on Lanka! Screech! Letting out a painful cry the Argo let go of the Lanka and flew up with talons covered in acid! It could only watch helplessly as its once prideful talons were getting reduced to a bloody paste! "You! I will make you understand there are fates worse than death when this is over!" Argo swore at Lucien but didn''t dare take its eyes off the Lanka. In its opinion, the real opponent here is Lanka! It can kill Lucien whenever it wishes afterward. Lucien, on the other hand, kept retreating on his wind rider spell but then something unexpected happened to cause a smile to appear on his face. Ding! [Beast assimtion sessful] [Abok assimted] [+20HP] [+20MP] [+20SP] [+1000exp first-time kill] [All injuries healed] [Host has returned to peak state] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 4th sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 1000] [HP: 140/140] [MP: 220/220] [SP: 120/120] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 8000] Lucien felt warm energy surging through his body! It has been a while since he has felt this way! His body was swelling up its power, it looked like his body could barely contain it! With this kind of power, he can directly break into the peak of the human realm! Chapter 125: Price of power (4) Chapter 125: Price of power (4) DING! [Beast Assimtion sessful] [Beast Name: Abok] [God beast name: Unknown] [Type: Earth and steel type] [Abilities Unlocked] [Steel body: The user can turn his skin to steel, granting him greater defense and strength. This ability does not affect the user''s mobility in any way] [Earth maniption: The Abok is blessed with a terrifying control over the earth element around it but barely uses it because it prefers to use its steel element instead] [Soft body: The user can make his body soft and flexible enough to mimic the movements and actions of a serpent. It grants the user the ability to stretch his body almost twice its original size!] [Steel bite: Should the Abok ever sink its fangs into an enemy, it can spread its steel element into the enemy body, turning them into a steel sculpture in a matter of seconds!] Seeing thest ability, Lucien''s heart skipped a beat. He could remember the Abok binding Rupture and while preparing to sink its fangs into its throat. If it wasn''t for the lightning spell he used to distract it enough for Rupture to break free, it should be safe to say Rupture would have died at the spot! Argh! Lucien felt the energy burning fiercely in him. He could feel his body was yearning for a breakthrough but he dared not do it here and now, at least not with so many powerful enemies around. "Hahahahaha! You managed to survive this long You are not as useless as you look!" A loud voice erupted from the shadow storm above! It was the Rupture! From the shadow storm, the remains of Abok fell to the ground and slowly Rapture emerged. Its rock body had so many cracks showcasing the intense battle he and Abok fought within theva sphere but the grin on its face made it look like it wasn''t hurt. Its eyes scanned Lucien shortly before revealing a hint of surprise! Lucien was covered in blood and while I was still within the shadow storm, it noticed Lucien was hurt badly by the Lanka making it feel anxious. It didn''t think Lucien would be able to hold out for much longer but the current Lucien waspletely fine even though his body was covered in blood! ''This kid what the hell is he?'' it muttered in its mind before forgoing the thought. In his opinion, Lucien has his secrets! Secrets that have made hime so far and have helped him progress so fast. It''s only natural he can do this much! If not Rupture would not consider him a worthy partner! "You made it out alive? I''m shocked" Lucien sneered causing the face of Rupture to twitch but it ignored Lucien''s words and focused on the two king-tier magic beasts in front of them. Since his appearance Lanka and Argo have stopped fighting,pletely focusing their attention on Rupture and Lucien. Their ns of profiting from this battle have failed and now they have to survive. "Two of them" Rupture said with a frown. The Abok was far stronger than he expected and he got hurt badly because of this. While it is confident that it can deal with any of them, it''s another thing entirely taking both of them on all alone. "You don''t have to worry I will deal with the little bird you handle the goat" Lucien yawned indifferently, stunning all three king-tier magic beasts. Did Lucien really intend to take on a king-tier magic beast alone? Thinking about it, Rupture, realized Lucien chose Argo because he knew it was a wind-type magic beast with an incredible speed! It will be difficult for an average speed magic beast like Rupture to deal with it. Meanwhile, the two king-tier beasts were fuming now! If it isn''t for Rupture who is standing beside Lucien they would have gone in for the kill! "Are you sure?" Rupture asked calmly. After going through so much with Lucien, its fate in this little youth is far more than before. If Lucien said he can kill a god right now, Rupture would believe him since he knew Lucien isn''t the type to brag. "Yessssss." Lucien''s word suddenly sounded like a hiss, stunning everyone! In front of their eyes, Lucien''s body began gaining brown snake scales while his eyes changed, resembling that of a serpent. He grew fangs and behind him, a faint image of the Abok appeared hissing viciously! [Beast Assimtion activated!] That very instant, Lucien''s aura changed, improving tremendously! He gave off the aura of a true King tier magic beast, leaving everyone stunned! Who the hell is this kind and what kind of sorcery is this? Isn''t he giving off the same aura as Abok that was killed a minute ago? How did he attain its powers? The two king-tier magic beasts frowned upon seeing this. After living for centuries they have never experienced something this strange. Since Lucien owned the territory close to theirs and with the Rupture standing beside him if they allowed these two they are done for! This is their best opportunity to get rid of the problem! They once harbored the thoughts of fleeing but after seeing Lucien''s strange ability they knew it would be best for them to kill Lucien or he will soon be a being they cannotpare to. They who each other a meaningful nce before nodding in agreement without saying a single word! Lucien had to die here! That''s all that matters! Rupture kept gazing at Lucien with a strange look in its eyes. It could remember its battle with Lucien back then. He kept giving off the aura of different magic beasts but he never paid any attention to it, since those magic beasts are considered low tier. But now he finally understood this strange power Lucien had and even now it couldn''t help but shudder in fear while turning its gaze to Lanka and Argo. With Lucien''s strange ability active, if they kill these two King tier magic beasts, doesn''t that mean he would absorb their power as well and gain the strength of three king tier magic beasts? Chapter 126: Warrior realm at last! Chapter 126: Warrior realm atst! Gazing at Lucien for a while, Rupture nodded in satisfaction. Lucien is truly the perfect partner he always wished for. Someone unfathomable even for a king-tier powerhouse like him. "As soon as I am done with Lanka I will help you with the Argo" Rupture said after a while but Lucien only shook his head in response. "I said you deal with the Lanka while I deal with Argo I do not need any assistance You don''t have to worry about me" Lucien said calmly as he began wind walking towards the king tier wind magic beast fearlessly. Seeing this Rupture only nodded before charging towards the Lanka viciously. He slightly hovered above the ground leaving trails ofva wherever he went. ROAR!!! Rupture roared as it smashed both massive hands on the ground creating a massive field of earth spikes but Lanka was already prepared for this and leaped high into the air as its body wiggled strangely releasing a massive amount of purple acid, spreading across the field, reaching even Rupture! "Basic!" Rupture growled as it pushed up, releasing a massive wave ofva shooting into the air, shing with the acid and still surging forward. Soon the entire field began was covered withva but strangely It didn''t overflow and wash down the mountain, towards the city, it was obvious that Rupture was suppressing it purposefully! "Let''s see how long you can stand against me!" Rupture bellowed as he shot forward. Meanwhile, Swoosh! Argo turned into a beam of silver light and shot towards Lucien at an incredible speed but Lucien did not show any sign of fear, instead his lips curled slightly as shot towards the magic beast fearlessly! BOOM! Both sides collided causing the entire area to tremble and this time a painful scream could be heard but it came from Argon! The small Lucien had suddenly darkened and his skin became as strong as steel, strengthening his serpent scales visible all over his body! ''How?'' Argo muttered with a trembling voice in its mind! Not only did Lucien possess the abilities of Abok but he also had its physical capabilities! It suddenly realized that once again it has underestimated this human who subdued a mid-tier bloodline magic beast at the king tier and made it his partner! Even King tier magic beasts like them could never have someone like Rupture as an ally, instead, they will just end up in a servant/Master rtionship but Lucien did it! How could it be so short-sighted when it matters the most! "It''s toote You cannot flee" Lucien said while firmly gripping the golden beak of Argo preventing it from breaking free! ROAR! Suddenly the massive blue dragon could be seen shooting towards them! The moment it got close, the azure blue dragon soon changed form and became an Abok! Its body changed to steel as it fell on the Argo and wrapped its body around the bird binding it. "No!" Argo growled at that moment. It had already been noticed that the entire battlefield has been transformed into arge pool ofva! If it fell in right now, death is the only thing it can expect since it didn''t have the skin hardening ability of the Abok! "Silence!" Lucien said calmly as he raised a fist and punched down! Boom!. Even though he had a small body, his punch was no different from the steel Abok ramming into you with its body! Following the loud so un, Argo began falling and while it fell the Abok wrapped around it sank its steel fangs into Argo slowly turning it into a stone sculpture! "Another king dies today because it was too cocky to fight cautiously against a half-blood whose true abilities are unknown! Pitiful!" Lucien said calmly with an indifferent look on his face. He watched as the two fell into the massive pool ofva and the painful screams of the Argo erupted! Ding! [First time kill! 1000exp] [Beast Assimtion Sessful] [All injuries healed] [+20HP] [+20MP] [+20SP] Seeing this Lucien nodded in satisfaction and was about to turn his attention to Rupture but he soon got another series of notifications. Ding! [First time kill! 1000exp] [Beast Assimtion Sessful] [All injuries healed] [+20HP] [+20MP] [+20SP] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 4th sky of the human realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 1000] [HP: 180/180] [MP: 260/260] [SP: 160/160] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 10000] Ding! [Warning!!!] [Host has umted energy far beyond what his body can handle! In order to stabilize the situation, the Host must breakthrough into the warrior realm directly or risk suffering a severe bacsh from energy overload!] Seeing this, Lucien''s face turned ugly, and only then did he notice his body was lit up like amp! He understood the dangers of what was about to happen but even then he didn''t flutter! First of all, if he ns on increasing his soul cultivation as well, he needs to take advantage of the situation and seal the souls of the king-tier beasts with the soul cauldron! That way he can refine them to soul pillster in the future! "Seal!" Lucien growled as a purple suction force resonated from his body, directly consuming the helpless souls of the three king-tier beasts! He with that done Lucien couldn''t suppress the energy boiling up in him anymore. He shivered and wrapped his hands around his body while jerking hack and fort in mid-air. The light surging from his body slowly got brighter and brighter until Lucien''s figure waspletely consumed by the light! Jumping a realm is naturally against thews of nature so it''s only normal for it to fight back! In normal circumstances, Lucien shouldn''t be able to umte this much energy because of his low energy reserves but the system has always allowed him to bypass thesews and limitations! At this point, Lucien was no different from the moon in the night sky, shining brightly! Even Rupture dared not get too close! "Aaaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhhh!"Lucien''s painful scream reached everyone''s ears and what followed next was a loud explosion! Chapter 127: Libet empire arrives Chapter 127: Libet empire arrives Lucien''s painful cries shook the hearts of all those who heard it in the city but since they couldn''t see what was happening, the people could only wait silently while silently praying nothing serious has happened. Instructor Hai and the rest were meant to have left the city by now but because they were too engrossed in what was happening, they decided to wait behind and see the oue of Lucien''s actions! Whoosh! A massive figure could be seen heading towards the city making people cheer but when they looked closely they saw the silver-haired city master covered in blood making them shiver! Boom! Rupturended roughly but his eyes never left Lucien, people could see genuine worry the magic beast had for his partner. "We did it kid.." Rupture said as it gently ced Lucien on the ground. The silver-haired youth who once looked perfect and intoxicating was no different from a brutally beaten beggar now. His silver kimono had torn badly at many spots, his hair was scattered and in his hands was a broken blue dragon mask. Seeing Lucien struggle to get on his feet, the heart of many felt their heart skip a beat because even in this condition, he wore a charming smile on his face. He is just like the young charming hero many dream of! "Hehehehe You did most of the work You kill Abok and Lanka You are the hero of the day" Lucien said with a weak voice but Ruptureughed loudly in response while shaking his head! " You saved me from the Abok when I got careless You held your own against two king-tier magic beasts while I was busy with the Abok and you even killed Argo with one move I think you are the star here Well, it''s not too shocking You are a kid worthy to be my partner so this is expected" Rupture said. Hearing Lucien''s achievements from Rupture, people were stunned! They couldn''t help but look at Lucien with a shocked look on their face. Just how strong is this kid? Lucien finally got on his feet and pushed his silver hair back, revealing his bloodied face but even then his eyes were still glowing with power! Warrior realm! He broke into the warrior realm! Wasn''t he at the fourth level of the human realm before he left? He jumped two levels! Is that even possible? Many questions were thrown around and only instructor Hai kept quiet and observed Lucien. He finally understood why the bright light appeared and why Lucien is hurt so badly. This meant he wasn''t hurt because of his battle with the two king-tier magic beasts! ''Terrifying!'' Instructor Haimented with a frown on his face. "We both benefited from this You finally get to be an emperor tier beast with those three king-level beast cores in your hands" Lucienughed lightly! "Ha! Don''t act like you didn''t get anything. Not only the double breakthrough, You now possess the strength of three king-tier magic beasts! I am sure right now you can be considered strong even amongst the powerful nobles!" Ruptureughed. Hearing his words everyone''s face turned fearful as they remembered the most important ability that they have forgotten! Lucien''s beast assimtion ability allows him to attain the power and strength of all magic beasts that die around him. At this point they watched Lucien tear off his shredded shirt, revealing his buff body with three major tattoos visible. One was that of a serpent tattoo seen curling around his right hand. On his back was therge tattoo of the eagle and then on his abs was the image of the Lanka drawn boldly there. Only at this point did people notice Lucien''s shadow was not as simple as it seems. It did not reflect his body structure and looked rather strange but when they looked closely, they realized that his shadow was a cluster of all the magic beasts he had consumed so far. "He is truly a monster" Instructor Hai said lightly. Lucien was about to leave for his castle to rest but then a carriage could be speeding towards them. Seeing this he frowned and stared at the carriage coldly. Judging based on the fearful look on the face of the coachman, he knew someone important wasing for him. Finally, the carriage stopped a few meters away from them and from it''s a red-haired middle-aged man appeared. He wore red knight armor and in his hands was a scroll with the royal seal. "You are?" Lucien asked calmly as he walked towards this man. Hearing Lucien''s words he was taken aback since all he saw was a man badly hurt, he didn''t think the city master would be in such a condition. Was this ce invaded? "A royal summons from his majesty Members of the Libet empire have arrived seeking justice for their dead You have been summoned for questioning!" The man said calmly. Even though he wasn''t from the main branch of the emperor''s n, he still considered himself a royal so it was natural for him to look down on a mere Baron. "Is that so? They finally came" Lucien said with an amused look on his face stunning the messenger. While the people are restless because this matter may bring about a war between the two empires, Lucienughed! In his opinion, Lucien is the reason for all of this and he wished that Lucien was executed! A lot of things would have been avoided. Did this kid hit his head or something? "This matter is quite serious and I request you treat it as such" The man clenched his fists and said those words coldly. But even with this, Lucien shot the man an indifferent nce. When he saw that hatred in the man''s eyes, Lucien sneered. "Peak of the warrior realm? Trash! Piss off!" Lucien quickly guessed the man''s cultivation before asking him to f%&k off! "You!!!" The man growled viciously as he unsheathed his sword and it was instantly set aze as he hacked down mercilessly! In his opinion, killing Lucien here is of great merit to the empire since it will save them a lot of trouble! Chapter 128: Too domineering! Chapter 128: Too domineering! "You court death!" Lucien frowned the moment the man attacked him. He didn''t expect a messenger of the royal family would dare try to harm a noble like him, but since it has already been done, there is no use crying over spilled milk! [Steel skin activated] Instantly Lucien''s hand turned dark as it struck towards the ming sword fearlessly! Peng! The ming sword shattered in an instant and before the red-haired man could act, Lucien had already gripped his face and without giving him the chance to plead for his life, Lucien crushed his skull viciously! Aaaah! Someone screamed and the people around watched in horror as a headless body in red knight armor fell to the ground while chunks of flesh and brain sipped steadily from Lucien''s clenched fist. Even in this condition, he effortlessly beat a peak warrior realm master! In the eyes of his people, Lucien is an invincible being while in the eyes of the instructors and students he was a man with the talent meant for ten people! "Lucien" Instructor Hai finally spoke up but Lucien quickly interrupted him. "Your ss can continue in my territory As long as you bear no malicious intentions, you won''t be targeted by my defensive formations You don''t have to worry, the king-tier magic beasts are dead I believe your students should be able to handle the rest" Lucien said indifferently before flying away with Rupture following him tightly behind. They both left without bothering to hear what Instructor Hai had to say. In his opinion, this man has lost his chance to create a good rtionship with him so there is no need to act polite! Arriving at the castle, Lucien washed himself and put on a new silver sleeves mage robe with a new blue dragon mask. He passed the three king-tier beast cores to Rupture and led the magic beast to an underground cultivation chamber, where he would stay and cultivate until he breaks through, meanwhile Lucien kept the bodies of those magic beasts. After setting everything he had to do in the city, Lucien decided to give the notifications while riding the carriage out of the city. [Beast assimtion sessful] [Beast name: Argo] [God beast: Unknown] [Wind type beast] [Unlocked abilities] [Eagle eye: Argo''s incredible eyes allow it to see kilometers ahead of him while suppressing its aura! This allows it tounch sneak attacks on distracted foes] [Golden reach: Argo charges towards a target from a distance, striking the enemy at a fatal point with its talons or beak! Most at times, when such an attack connects, the battle is as good as over] [Gale domain: Argo summons a domain of terrifying hurricanes covering thousands of meters, forming an inescapable gale domain meant to suppress the enemy] [Wind des: Argo ps its massive wings creating countless des of wind, capable of even piercing Abok''s steel skin!] Seeing all these abilities, Lucien couldn''t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva while letting out a dryugh. He realized that he only won effortlessly because the magic beast underestimated him and lost his life because of it! [Beast assimtion sessful] [Beast name: Lanka] [God beast: Unknown] [Acid type beast] [Unlocked abilities] [Acid spill: Lanka releases acid from any part of its body! This acid is capable of melting through even the strongest defense!] [Acid domain: User releases a purple mist around him, spreading thousands of meters far! Once within this domain, a target will slowly be reduced to a bloody paste!] [+10000 Empire points] "Just two?" Lucien said with a hint of surprise in his eyes.He felt that Lanka was a bit stronger than Argo yet he had only two notable abilities. "It''s still alright, it doesn''t matter much" Lucien said as he quickly called up the status interface. After ranking up to the warrior realm, he was yet to see his stats. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 11,000] [HP: 250/250] [MP: 300/300] [SP: 160/160] [Condition: Healthy] [Exp: 10000] Seeing the increase in his health and mana Lucien was a bit stunned. He had to confess the gap between the human and the warrior realm is indeed far and even though he is yet to check his abilities, he could feel the difference in his body. Lucien would have loved to dwell more on this thought but the carriage had already reached the teleportation formation outside the city so he walked out and used it. ------------------------------------ The royal courtroom''s atmosphere was tense as the Libet empire representatives sat there with their eyes pinned on the Fotia empire nobles sitting opposite their location. At the higher tform by the side, Emperor Fei remained silent as he watched the two sides probably ready to tear each other apart if he wasn''t here but what caught his attention was the representatives of the Libet empire! There were three of them and each of them was at the peak of the spirit realm with one already taking a half step into the champion realm! If mere representatives are this strong, how strong is the emperor? ''Maybe I have been careless in my cultivation'' Fei thought but then the massive golden doors of the grand hall swung open and a silver-haired masked man walked in majestically. On his right hand was an eye-catching serpent tattoo and his body exuded a mixed wild aura which made people ufortable! Lucien walked in and didn''t even bother to gaze at the Libet empire representatives. Using the sealing power of his soul cauldron, his cultivation level remained hidden from the others but everyone could tell he was far stronger than he use to be. "My emperor" Lucien said calmly with a slight bow. With only his eyes visible, no one could tell his true intentions or his facial expression. "Your messenger thought it was wise to attack me I assume he felt killing me will solve all these issues" Lucien said lightly. "And?" Emperor Fei asked with a raised eyebrow. "I am here to return him to you Lucien said as he waved his hand and a headless corpse fell out! Chapter 129: Suprises! Chapter 129: Suprises! Seeing the headless body drop and fresh blood pouring over the red rug. Everyone gasped in shock and even the representatives of the Libet empire were stunned, they never expected to see someone so disrespectful even towards an emperor! Even they wouldn''t dare act this way in front of their emperor, not to speak of a fourteen-year-old. "Hmmm I guess he didn''t stand a chance?" Emperor Fei asked while leaning back with a smile on his face. "He used his ming sword to attack so I broke the sword with my and crushed his head as well" Lucien answered dryly to show it wasn''t an interesting issue. Hearing this, many would expect the emperor to re up but instead, the smile on his face widened as he leaned towards Lucien with an apprehensive look on his face. "I was told a major activity was going on at your territory, do you mind sharing?" Emperor Fei asked. "It''s nothing serious, my emperor I only found myself and my soul seal partner under the siege of the three king-tier magic beasts residing near my territory We fought and won With their beast cores, my partner should reach the Emperor tier in a year or two" Lucien answered calmly but his words stunned everyone. They have heard of his king-tier magic beast partner and the three king-tier magic beasts surrounding his territory. They all expected him to seek assistance from the empire sooner orter when dealing with them but now, Lucien came here, iming to have fought off not one but three of them! "That exins the new tattoos on your body it seems your beast assimtion ability came in handy here You have really profited from it this time!" Emperor Feiughed and Lucien bowed lightly in response. His eyes remained cold as his body bent slightly and only after the emperor spoke did these people realize what the emperor said is true. Doesn''t that mean that this kid has the abilities of three king-tier magic beasts in one body? Doesn''t it mean he will have an emperor-level magic beast as a partner soon? Doesn''t that make him one of the strongest nobles in the empire? A fourteen-year-old! "You are Lucien" a gray-haired elderly man amongst the Libet representatives spoke up. His eyes were always shut tight and he always wore an innocent smile on his face but that''s what makes him even more terrifying. He is the one who is close to entering the champion realm! A realm where only emperor Fei and the other two great emperors are in. Lucien gazed at this man meaningfully for a while before answering "Yes" Hearing it the old man nodded repeatedly with a bright smile on his face. His slightly yanked open as his gaze prated Lucien''s body! It seemed as if he was trying to view Lucien''s soul but for some reason, his smile faded and was reced with a frown. He was trying to see all the secrets hidden in Lucien''s body but some sort of veil was preventing it! How can a mere fourteen-year-old stop him from viewing his secrets? Yanking both eyes open, they both revealed a golden sh as he pushed his ability to the max! His all-seeing eyes broke the veil surrounding Lucien but what it saw next was darkness! Within the darkness, a pair of blue reptilian eyes yanked open and soon the darkness began to fade! "You wish to see me? Very well then" Rakuzen''s cold voice echoed in his ears as the darkness around him faded! "Aaaaahhhhh!" The elderly man suddenly let out a painful cry as his eyes exploded leaving behind empty eye sockets!Blood poured out of his wound as he fell off his chair and rolled on the ground like a child while covering his eyes with his palms and crying. What the hell? How! Everyone was stunned including the emperor! They all turned their shocked gaze at Lucien who remained rooted to that same spot while gazing at the old man. Thanks to the mask no one saw the surprised look on his face! He too was stunned by the oue! "None may see the face of god, stupid old man" Lucien said those words so calmly but it sent shivers down the spine of everyone in the hall. Even the Emperor felt a bit terrified of the youth. They couldn''t understand what Lucien meant by that statement but they could see the oue clearly so no one dared refute his words. Once again Emperor Fei remembered the day he asked Rakuzen for his name and the reply he was given. "You are not qualified to know!" Those words kept ringing in his ears. He finally started believing those words slowly after seeing Lucien perform one miracle after the other. "I heard you came here for me, so I will give you face and exin the situation Your expedition troops tried to steal from me in the dungeon They forcefully tried to take away a gift given to me by the emperor and because of that, I killed all of them This world obeys thews of the jungle The strong get whatever they want and that''s why they tried to steal from me and even attempted to take my life I am stronger so I killed them. That''s all there is to it if you came here seeking some sort ofpensation then you will be disappointed" Lucien said coldly at the two men holding onto the screaming old man. They gazed at Lucien coldly, knowing fully well that even if they wanted to attack him, the emperor won''t let them and after what happened to their leader, they couldn''t help but doubt if they stand a chance against Lucien. In as much as the nobles of the empire hate Lucien, they wouldn''t let a member of their empire get bullied. They didn''t expect Lucien would give such an amazing speech and they couldn''t help but apud him loudly. To hell with the Libet empire! If it were Lucien who died at their hands and had the Habakiri stolen would they return it and apologize? Bunch of hypocrites! Chapter 130: Pure Qi body Chapter 130: Pure Qi body You!" One of the Libet representatives growled but he dared not attack Lucien here. The man knew that everything would go wrong if he dared to make such a careless move. They couldn''t exin what happened to their old leader whose eyes exploded and they were not too keen to find out why and how this happened. All they knew right now is that Lucien is responsible for this as well and this may cause a war to break out between the two empires if care is not taken. "Me? I only did what was necessary for survival Our group was the weakest and I am pretty sure they would have ambushed us after we took the sealed artifact me your people forcking fair y their rotten characters got them killed As for your old man, he tried to see something beyond even I dare not look it directly in the faceThat was a really dumb thing to do" Lucien chuckled lightly. "You did this! The emperor will hear of this!" The old man screamed while covering his eye sockets tightly. "Huh? I did this? Last time I checked I am only a beast-man who just broke into the warrior realm an hour ago Are you going to tell your emperor a warrior realm fourteen-year-old, reduced you to this? Hahahaha! Cute" Lucienughed lightly but his eyes were still cold. No one could understand how this kid could remain calm and cold even when he is standing in the presence of the most powerful figures on the continent. Although Lucien expected the Libet empire toe for him, he didn''t expect them toe so soon. But even though he was worried about them, he was more concerned about the creed. In his opinion, those are the real threat and he truly wished he could raise his power quickly. "If this is all, I will be leaving I have some work to do" Lucien said while bowing slightly. "Mhmm" Emperor Fei nodded lightly in approval. He was happy with the way Lucien handled things since he originally thought the kid would be timid when faced with powerful characters. Yet, Lucien showed no fear, and thanks to whatever is residing inside him, One of the most powerful figures in the Libet empire lost his sight! He just watched silently as Lucien walked out of the hall without bothering to turn back. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Lucien didn''t bother returning to his territory, he directly went to his dorm in the academy. With the king-tier beasts gone and instructor Hai with other students hunting magic beasts at random, Lucien did not need to worry. Even if someone tried to make trouble within the town, they would be struck down instantly. Entering his room, Lucien took off his mask and sat down in a cross-legged position, meditating! It is one thing to break through into a higher realm and it''s another thing to stabilize your realm. Lucien may have reached the warrior realm but his understanding of his capabilities could be considered shallow and this will be crucial in a life and death situation. "Huh? Do I still have this much energy stored up? King tier magic beasts are more precious than I thought" Lucien raised an eyebrow in shock. When meditating, he realized that his body was still filled to the brim with world energy, absorbed from the king-tier beasts. He guessed his body used a good portion of the excess to jump from the 4th sky of the human realm to the 1st sky of the warrior realm but that''s not all! He got hurt because even then the energy was still too much so his body forcefully expelled the excess, harming him in the process. Unfortunately, that''s not all! He still had enough energy stored up for one more breakthrough but Lucien could tell his body is yet to recover. If he should attempt a breakthrough he may sustain a permanent injury. "What to do?" Lucien muttered thoughtfully. [Refine your body with it then. Many cultivators focus on strengthening their realm with their umted energy and only when they reach a profound realm do they begin strengthening their body. If you can start now, it will be easier for you to form a perfect god vessel in the future!] Rakuzen said. "A perfect god vessel? What''s that?" Lucien couldn''t help but ask but he met only silence. It was obvious Rakuzen had no intentions of answering so he let the matter slide after causing the old being for piquing his curiosity for no reason. With nothing else to do, Lucien began circting the excess energy all through his body. At first, it felt warm and rxing but soon I got hotter and hotter! Lucien shut his eyes tightly as he continued this process without losing focus. His skin soon turned red hurt and slowly some sort of ck jelly substance began sipping out of his body from different areas. This continued for a while and when Lucien finally felt like most of the energy umted has been used up he slowly opened his eyes only to realize that he was surrounded by lots of ck stinky substances. His nostrils twitched as his eyebrows knitted together. Shooting a nce at the nearest window, Lucien realized it was gettingdark, making him believe he spent at least three hours doing this. Without hesitating, Lucien looked at the series of notifications received and a smile bloomed on his face. DING! [Pure Qi body acquired!] [By refining one''s body using pure Qi energy that can only be acquired from living organisms capable of cultivating, a person can acquire a pure Qi body! This holds a lot of benefits but more information will be released as the host progresses] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Spirit realm: 1st sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 11,000] [HP: 250/250] [MP: 300/300] [SP: 160/160] [Condition: Healthy] [Pure Qi body: 3%] [Exp: 10000] Even though Lucien was annoyed by the fact that he couldn''t get more information on this from the system, he wasn''t too bothered. He isn''t stupid so he already guessed that the pure qi body is something on peak existences in the continent know off. He assumed that many have a different way of umting it but thanks to the system, it''s as simple as killing magic beasts for him. Even though he got a three percent increasing on his stat, his body felt lighter. Even though it felt lighter, it was stronger as well and also released some sort of unique scent. Lucien went to the mirror first only to realize he had gotten a lot stronger. His muscles and shapes were well aligned and his skin looked fairer than usual. Lucien has always known he is good looking but he had to confess that he looked better now. "Interesting" he muttered. --------------------------------------------------------- After Lucien was done washing, he walked into the living room, only to see Dean Xio sitting there. Even though he wasn''t shocked he hated that fact that someone else can enter this ce made him feel less safe. "I would appreciate it if you knock next time?" Lucien said coldly. Dean Xio on his part didn''t feel offended. He nced at the room and after a while, he turned to look Lucien in the face. For a slight moment, he was enchanted by Lucien''s looks. He knew this kid looked good before but now there was some sort of alluring feeling that made him more attractive. Seeing the three new tattoos on his body, Dean Xio nodded his head in confirmation. He knew Lucien had in three king-tier magic beasts. With their powersbined, he has enough strength topare to other top noble families. "I wish I could chat with you about your achievements and the way forward but it''s urgent!" Dean Xio said decisively, catching Lucien''s attention. "Ooh?" Lucien said as he sat on a sofa opposite that of the dean. With only a white towel draped around his waist, it left his upper half exposed. "I am sure you are familiar with the empire''s rtionship with the Libet empire because of past events" Dean Xio chose his words carefully. He was trying to imply that the situation was not Lucien''s fault. "What about it? I am pretty sure I made my stand clear with them a few hours ago" Lucien answered with a slight frown. "Well, I guess they got the wrong message Recently, students from the Libet empire have been attacking our Fotia academy students out on missions Some died many injured I find this quite annoying" Dean Xio said. Hearing this, Lucien''s face twitched with anger but what appeared on his face was a vicious smile. "Why hasn''t the empire sent out guards to deal with them?" Lucien asked. "Doing that may lead to war. They too have casualties on their side but they remain silent because it''s a brawl between students I want to keep it that way and that''s why I am sending you out" Dean Xio said. "Hehehehe! Sending me out to do what?" Lucien asked coldly. "Hunt!" Dean Xio replied immediately. Chapter 131: The Hunt Chapter 131: The Hunt "Hunt? What makes you think I want to be a part of this little skirmish?" Lucien asked with a raised eyebrow. Yes, students were getting hurt because of him and even some died because of him but does that mean he has to bother about it. He fought for this empire and this is just the aftermath. If they can''t handle it, they only have themselves to me. "Amongst the casualties are Hex and Brian their condition is quite bad" Dean Xio said those words so calmly that it felt like he isn''t Hex''s family. "Their team was sent to help recover a few badly hurt students, unfortunately, they were ambushed and their partner died... They barely made it out with their life" Dean Xio added casually. Hearing this Lucien flinched, he may hate the entire empire but these two were his real friends before everything went down. He couldn''t remember their faces anymore because he has been too distracted to find them. "Where?" Lucien asked coldly. "Just go past the western walls and keep moving. Those bastards will find you and most likely ambush you" Dean Xioughed cruelly as he said those words. Lucien didn''t need to turn towards his direction to know he must have been wearing an evil grin. Who would have thought the Dean of the entire Fotia academy is a vengeful person. He most likely came here because of Hex! Pushing his pride aside and asking Lucien for help. "What if I meet capable of defeating me What happens if I get hurt or worse even killed" Lucien asked coldly but Dean Xio only chuckled and got on his feet. "You are the strongest person I know in the academy" He answered calmly while walking towards the door. "Surely you are pulling my legs Amongst the third and fourth years here, there are many more capable than most noble n heads" Lucien said with a bitter smile on his face. He knew the true strength of the Fotia empire. The pride of the empire lies in the younger generation. Amongst them are many geniuses with more potentials far beyond the older generation. Many spirit realm masters can be found amongst them. "They are strong but you are capable You get things done because you are more resourceful... If I send them out I would also have to worry about their safety but you are different With you I never have to worry about anything even if a champion realm expertes for you, you can still give them the slip" Dean Xio said as he opened the door. After saying this, he gave Lucien a nod and just walked out of the room. Seeing this Lucien frowned slightly and started at the food before walking towards his room. He refused to lock the doors since they can be unlocked by the Crux. ___________________________________________________ [You only took the job because you want to test your abilities right?] Rakuzenughed. "Hex and Brian are one of the most talented people I know We have been together for a while so I know what they are capable of They are only slightly weaker than me If someone is able to defeat those two together then it means that they must be extraordinary In normal circumstances, I would love to avoid fights like that. But this time is an exception" Lucien answered casually. He wore the same sleeveless silver mage robe and blue azure dragon mask. He didn''t want to look too intimidating so he didn''t bring any more weapons. He decided to fly above the clouds and thanks to the great sight of the Argo magic beast, he could see distant things so clearly it felt he wasn''t far. After a twenty-minute flight, Lucien spotted a team of six hiding in the thick forest surrounding the area and a vicious smile bloomed on his face. Whoosh! He dispelled his wind rider spell and began free falling. Boom! The team of six was too focused on the path below. People needed to move through these paths If they wished to reach the main route leading to other ces. Suddenly a loud explosion was heard behind them, causing them to jump and their feet and turn to see the invader. They were expecting overly powerful enemies but what they saw was a silver-haired kid wearing a blue dragon mask. He looked harmless and weak but strangely he gave off no aura so they couldn''t tell his power level. This youth could be considered the most mysterious person they have seen. "Who the hell is this guy!" a burly-looking man with green hair asked with a slight frown on his face. He failed to understand how why his instincts were asking him to run! Faced with this he didn''t know how to react, neither did the other five. "The rest of you where are they hiding?" The masked silver-haired man asked with a calm tone. Looking through the small holes on the mask all they could see were cold ruthless eyes. Lucien''s words struck them like lightning forcing them to freeze. Most of them were even too scared to breathe! The sun was already setting and Lucien''s shadow expanded, revealing the shadows of numerous magic beasts of various levels. "Who the hell are you?" The Burly man seemed to be the leader of the team of six so he had to step up and ask the question. But the silver-haired man did not answer, instead, he nced aroundzily after which his body shed. In an instant, the silver-haired youth who vanished appeared in front of him, throwing a weak-looking punch! The burly man frowned as he saw this! A man who dedicated himself to physical training for over four years, he could be considered as one of the physically strong humans in the Libet empire! He was afraid of Lucien''s powers and not strength! Bang! Puti! The moment the fist connected, his eyes yanked open as it shot back like a rocket, smashing into it and shattering it in the process! He rolled a couple of times before stopping. The other five watchedwith horrified expressions on their faces as the burly man struggled to rise on his feet. No one would have ever thought a day woulde when they will meet an enemy powerful enough to contest with their leader in terms of physical strength! This young looking youth seemed looked like he sent him flying so easily, they found it stunning. He didn''t look like he used any special technique in his attack, they can tell it was only a normal punch.At first, they were shocked butter they found it reasonable. Someone who was able to descend from above andnd with his feet, creating a meter deep crater is definitely not normal. The question now is who is this kid? ''The strength of the Lanka is more stunning than expected I didn''t think it would be this amazing for a low-tier magic beast with a lousy bloodline'' Lucien cursed in his mind without reserves. He had a cold look on his face but what stunned him more was the fact that the Burly looking man took a direct hit from him and was actually able to get on his feet the next moment. "Students from the Libet empire are really something This exins why we have been losing ground in these puny fights" Lucien said as he took bold steps forward. Hearing his words, the faces of all six students turned grim, and only then did they see the phoenix symbol on his silver robe! "He''s a Fotia academy student!" The burly man said with a deep frown. Even if the masked man is a Fotia academy student, he is still too young! At most he would be in the second year, so why is he this strong? "You the reason for all of this, right? A person named Lucien killed members of the expedition group of your empire He was jailed for a year and finally, when it was time for him to receive punishment for his actions, he was awarded a noble title and given his own territory" Lucien spoke lightly. As he spoke, anger could be seen on the faces of these people, it was obvious they knew of the story and that''s why they are here trying to repay the favor! Most likely their empire will act like they are not aware of this and let them kill as many Fotia empire students as possible! Lucien soon understood that whatever is going on now will probably end this night. The Libet empire is trying to retaliate by killing many of the Fotia empire''s little geniuses, directly affecting the growth of the empire. "We know of the story and that is why we are here!" the burly man growled. It is extremely surprising that he is strong enough to talk like this after taking a serious hit from Lucien. This made Lucien conclude that this world is too vast! No matter how strong a person is, he will always meet someone stronger! "I am that person!" Lucien dered coldly while his aura exploded! Chapter 132: Night demon Chapter 132: Night demon "I am that person!" Lucien''s words were like bombshells exploding in the ears of all those who heard it. They were told a person from the Fotia empire murdered members of the Libet empire exploration team, but they were not told the person is a fourteen year old kid! How does the Fotia empire have someone so powerful amongst their ranks and who the hell is this kid? They couldn''t confirm his words but these people knew he was not weak, neither did he have a reason to lie to them. They watched the figure take bold steps towards them, making them tremble! Lost in fear and too terrified to work, their brains began cooking up crazy reasons needed to quench their fear! How could someone his young kill a captain at the spirit realm with a team of at least ten mortal realm masters? What if this kid only finished them off because they were too weak from fighting the members of the creed organization? This makes sense since there is no way someone this young can kill off a spirit realm master all alone, talk less of a spirit realm master with ten mortal realm experts. These people are giving him more credit than he deserves! Roar!!! The burly man growled as he leaped high into the air and when he descended, he came down with his fists smashing heavily on the ground! Boom! The ground trembled terribly as the east around Lucien caved in and two rock arms shot out of the ground and shot towards Lucien, trying to crush him! While this happened the only female in the team kept into the air and a lightning spear formed above her. Upon seeing this Lucien couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow in shock.l He only mastered all the spells in the grimoire because he had the system and that''s why he was called a monster back then because something like this should be impossible! The tier three lightning spell, Zeus is considered the most powerful tier three spell for all elements yet, this girl who is only at the beginner stage was casting such a spell! ''Maybe I wasn''t as talented as I thought I was'' Lucien considered if this past him without the system would reach here in a short time and the answer is no! Gazing at the two attacks, Lucien couldn''t help but appreciate the coordination of these two. Behind him was a bed of earth spikes that wouldn''t be visible to any normal person and by his sides were two massive earth arms stretching towards him like the grim reaper. Finally, if he chooses to take a step forward, he will have no choice but to take the tier three spell on, directly! With so few options a normal person would panic but Lucien remained calm! Tap! His feet tapped the ground lightly for just a moment and the next moment, he could be seen shooting into the skies like a rocket. With the lightning spear shooting towards him, Lucien let out a sinister smile as his body turned ck! Bang! Like a tank, Lucien rammed through the attack and into the girl. Before she could react, Lucien has already gripped her head smashing it into a tree, leaving behind a headless corpse and a crushed skull in his hands. The entire battlefield went silent! He just killed a student considered one of the best amongst her peers, just like that! How can he have such defense and possess immense speed as well? Who the hell is this kid? "Ouch! Even with my unbreakable defense, that lightning spear still hurt a bit As expected of the spell imed to be the strongest tier three spell She should have known she had to die the moment she showcased such power!" Lucien said with a slight chuckle in his tone, but his eyes were as cold as ever! He took a few steps backs and turned his attention on the burly brown-haired man and his eyes released a silver sh. "You tried your best I won''t hold you responsible for the actions This is war It''s kill or be killed You all are strong but it''s unfortunate, you met me" Lucien''s voice was calm and from nowhere a ck hilt slowly appeared in his hands. His eyes let out a bright sh as he tightened his grip on the habakiri, creating a fire whip from it! Pa! The fire whip swung forward ruthlessly, aiming for the skull of the burly man but the man As quick to react, summoning an earth wall to take the hit! "Break!" Lucien growled as the me intensified and burst through the wall, decapitating the head of the man in one go! "Explode!" Lucien turned his back on the headless corpse and began walking towards the others when he said those words. The body quickly lit up, releasing a loud explosion that made the earth tremble! "Monster!" a pale-looking man screamed with tears rolling down his eyes as he dashed forward. For this man, Lucien didn''t even bother to look his way as he switched the fire whip to a wind whip! He swung it towards the man, releasing a whistling sound as the man was cut clean in two! Seeing this the other screamed and ran in different directions but with Lucien''s speed, he caught up to all of them and killed them! He had the sensory skills of King tier magic beasts and the all-seeing eye of Argo, no one could hide from him. He only allowed one to flee simply because he wanted the youth to inform the others of his arrival. sping his hands together, the image of the nightmare demon appeared behind him! Soon his body began levitating until it was at the same level as the clouds! Seeing the moonlight, Lucien frowned and focused on his next target but this time it is a team of 3rd year students of the Libet empire with the weakest at the mid-stages of the Warrior realm and the strongest at the peak of the warrior realm. "This night, I will be your demon!" Lucien muttered. Chapter 133: A worthy foe Chapter 133: A worthy foe Lucien began descending like a death god with a shadow storm looming over his head. While he moved, the shadow storm slowly blocked out the moonlight until there was nothing left but darkness! The three students hiding along a mountain pass were rmed but they did not panic. As elites amongst elites, they decided to stick together and push their senses to their limit waiting for the foe to attack within the shadow but to their greatest surprise, the attacker didn''t make use of the darkness, instead, he revealed himself by releasing a silver light surging from his body, making him visible. He slowly took off his azure blue dragon mask, revealing his charming, youthful face, stunning them. "A kid!" A yellow-haireddy said lightly, showing some hints of reluctance in her voice but Lucien could not help but notice the killing intentions shing in her eyes. If it were any other person, they would let their guard down just by hearing her words and the innocence in her tone but Lucien can''t be fooled easily, especially since his senses are more of a beast than a person. "I apologize but you all will die here for the sake of my fallenrades who died by your hands This is war" Lucien said inly while his hands moved at a strange and slow pace, creating a blue circle in the air. "Faceless" Lucien said calmly as silver energy shot out of his body and into the air above him. It twisted and turned violently before taking the shape of the azure blue dragon, dancing over Lucien. "Impressive" A purple hairs kid named Par said. He has short purple hair with bright purple eyes. While he looked slightly paler than usual, he had anky build too, making him look sickly. There was this aura surrounding him that made Lucien feel ufortable. Meanwhile, thedy who spoke earlier was blond and had a nice hourss shape. Her bosom and behind are so massive even Lucien found it hard to only look her in the face when he arrived. Finally, thest member of their three-man team was a dark-skinned bald youth with an outstanding build, but sharper eyes. Even though he could notpare to the burly man of before in terms of strength he definitely looked more dangerous. "He is strong I could have sworn this shadow storm is maintained with mana But that dragon, is maintained with the soul energy? How can someone have two forms of energy in him! This kid is not simple" The dark skin kid said calmly, after inspecting Lucien for a while from a distance. Hearing his words, the other two were stunned but even then they showed no fear. Their eyes moved from Lucien to the azure blue serpent dragon and finally the shadow storm around them and only then did they realize that Lucien actually had two forms of energy in him. "Wow" Par dropped a simplement as usual and said no more. "It doesn''t matter if he has two types of energy! Against my partner he is nothing!" The yellow-haireddy growled as aplex magic formation appeared beneath her feet, revealing a bright yellow light! Right in front of her, the ground exploded spider-type magic beast jumped out! While he may not know about it, he could tell it was a king-tier magic beast making him feel a bit more bitter. He could only have a king-tier magic beast partner because of the system and Rakuzen yet someone performed this feat without any sort of cheat code. "You fail to understand something This shadow storm was not meant to hide me I created to prevent people froming in and for you guys from leaving" Lucien said coldly. Hearing this, the dark-skinned manughed heartily while gazing at Lucien as if he is the biggest idiot he have seen in a while. "Doesn''t that mean you are trapped with us?" He asked with a raised eyebrow while waiting for Lucien to realize his stupidity but to his greatest surprise that didn''t happen. Instead, Lucien revealed a sinister smile a said some words that sent shivers down their spine. "No! No! No! You have got it all wrong! I am not trapped in here with you You all are trapped in here with me!" Lucienughed crazily as he said those words. "Kill him!" the blondedy couldn''t hold down her anger anymore so she attacked first. Rumble! Rumble! The spider magic beast was over at least three to four times the size of an average man! Yet its body shot forward like a bullet, leaving behind a trail of dust and rumbling earth enough to make a man wet his pants but Lucien wore a sinister smile on his face! In his opinion, this is another chance for him to assimte another king-tier magic beast and make its power his! Peng! The scene made the jaws of the enemy drop as they watched the spider stab down with one of its long ck pointy legs but what stunned them was that Lucien only raised a hand and weed the attack with an open palm, causing the entire ce to tremble ridiculously while the earth beneath them sank in! "You think a mere king tier magic beast can beat me? You must be getting cocky by the day!" Lucien growled as his aura surged forward violently and from above the azure blue dragon mmed into the spider magic beast! Unlike the other king tier magic beasts Lucien has faced so far that possess powerful bodies and incredible strength, this spider magic beastscked all that so it was only slightly stronger than the faceless. While both sides were entangled in a heated battle, Lucien shot back and into the air with zing blue eyes. He pushed both hands forward as the image of the azure blue dragon appeared behind him and his power exploded. "Heed my call Azure dragon spear!" Lucien roared as the blue dragon spear appeared in front of him, and immediately it began spinning, creating a massive whirlpool of blue me! Chapter 134: A massacre! Chapter 134: A massacre! The three figures watched as the bright blue dragon scaled spear began spinning violently, causing bright blue mes to surge forward endlessly! Soon the small blue mes evolved to a bright blue whirlpool surging towards them and what made the attack more shocking was that it waspletely made of soul energy! The weakness of a mage and fighter. "Kasir!" The yellow-haireddy cried out loudly as the fire befell them like a curtain! Shhhhhhh! The massive spider let out a loud screech before charging forward. From its behind, it released countless amounts of webs which slowly formed a defensiveyer of its own! It was trying to form a barrier capable of withstanding the soul attack in one go! Boom! The two abilities collided creating a powerful shockwave and a loud explosion sound but this can only be heard by those within the darkness! Those outside the shadow storm could not feel a thing, or hear a thing! Knowing this, Lucien had no reason to hold back or fear a third party interfering! "Nice!" He growled as his body shot forward like a missile, allowing him to cross hundreds of meters in an instant! Using the speed of the Lanka, Lucien''s speed was fast enough to make the enemy magic beast tremble in fear as it shot a ball of web towards Lucien and waited for Lucien to dodge, that way it can strike him down with its next move. But that didn''t happen! [Acid spill activated!] The faint image of the Lanka appeared over him as he took a deep breath and when he breathed out, he spat out a massive wave of purple acid! In a mere second, the entire web was reduced to nothing while Lucien steadily advanced. This is his best chance to kill the enemy and gain its power! If he can murder the Kasir in one go, he can gain its power before the yellow-haireddy can dispel it. [Gale domain activated!] Seeing the spider wished to retreat and widen the gap between them, Lucien frowned as his eyes let out an immense wave of silver light! The faint image of the Argo appeared behind him as numerous hurricanes suddenly began emerging from all sides of the battlefield, creating a powerful storm! The shadow storm set up to protect them and prevent interference was quickly shattered under the force of his domain skill! The storm and hurricanes covered kilometers! And every single member of the enemy team had to put in so much effort just to stay grounded! They were sure the moment they are dragged off by their feet, they will be torn to shreds by the ruthless hurricanes! In the midst of the Hurricane was the silver-haired youth, whose body kept giving off the vibe of a terrifying magic beast, more than that of a person. Above him, the blue azure dragon twisted and turned violently, as it suddenly took the shape of the Argo, a mighty wind predator with golden talons and beak. "Get them off the ground!" Lucien growled. In response, Argo cried out loudly as it activated the same skill Lucien used earlier! The gale domain! The entire area trembled violently as the clouds gathered towards the battlefield, garnering the attention of all nearby teams hiding around the area waiting toy ambush on the students of the Fotia empire! The entire battlefield became a natural disaster and the cause of all of this was still the young-looking silver-haired kid who dared to wander alone! Lucien had no intentions of holding back with the enemy so he directed most of the hurricanes on the spider, directly pulling it off the ground and into the air. He knew if the yellow-haired girl dies first the magic beast will vanish and return to its original location so he lessened the pressure around her area and pushed it over to the side of the spider magic beast! "Here we go Faceless!" Lucien growled as killing intentions shed in his eyes as his body let out a golden glow. [Golden reach activated!] Lucien and the faceless turned into two beams of golden light and who froward at an incredible speed! Before the enemy could react, Lucien and faceless had already torn two massive holes on the belly of the spider! Everyone watched as the spider magic beast let out a painful cry before its death! "Just like that? He killed a king tier magic beast Just like that!" the yellow-haired woman cried out in disbelief and her teammates were too dumbfounded to speak! Lucien''s strength far surpassed what they expected and they didn''t know how to deal with it! They could only watch as Lucien stored the corpse of Kasir into his omini spatial zone before releasing the gale domain. The faceless reverted to its normal form while he took a nce at the notifications popping up. Ding! Ding! Ding! [Beast assimtionplete] [Artificial magic beast detected] [System has no records of its abilities!] [Error!] [Error!] [Error!] Seeing all of this Lucien was stunned. Not only do the systemck information on the beast he consumed it imed the beast is more artificial than natural. Face with such things even Lucien was dazed. [A magic beast created with pure science and magic! An abomination that should not exist! What the hell are the people of the Libet empire doing?You must report this! It has to be stopped!] Rakuzen said coldly! Hearing this, Lucien had no intentions of staying here any further! He knew its time for him to return and prepare for his meeting with the emperor but with so many people here, Lucien didn''t n on letting them go either! His body let out a bright red light as the image of the Kasir appeared above him, stunning everyone. In his opinion, if he is unable to get information about the magic beast through the system, he just has to find out himself! "Isn''t that Kasir? " The yellow-haireddy muttered in fear as she watched Lucien''s approaching figure get closer by the second but she had no more strength in her legs. "I I know him! He is Lucien! The one who got hold of a tier one sealed artifact that allows him to assimte the power of magic beasts killed by him! All the abilities he has used so far are at the king tier level! Does it mean he has killed so many king-tier magic beasts?" The bald man was more fearful now than usual. Hearing his words, the other Libet empire students who have been watching from a distance began retreating. If they had a final year student with them here then they wouldn''t bother much but there was none so they didn''t have the confidence of dealing with Lucien "It is no use runningNone of you will make it out of this ce alive!" Lucien said with a sinister smile on his face as he charged forward! ------------------------- That night the Libet empire''s younger generation suffered greatly and many were killed! They found a staggering hundred bodies and that ounts for the corpses that were found in one piece! Many more were reduced to chunks of meat and bloody paste! The Libet empire remained silent on the matter empire may have remained silent but everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before the main battle begins! Meanwhile, Lucien''s actions spread wide and far, and in just a night, he was given a name; the night demon! The upper echelons of the empire were happy with his actions and many invited him to parties but he respectfully declined all. Upon return to the academy, he sort the audience of Dean Xio, who he asked to prepare a private meeting with the emperor! ---------------------- "It has been a while since west met in private Considering our current rtionship that is barely hostile I didn''t think it would be possible for me to meet you in this manner ever again why are you here today? Isn''t it a bit toote for you to call this old man out?" Emperor Feiughed lightly as he spoke. Lucien''s silver robe was dyed red with blood and even his hands were covered with the dried blood of the enemy giving him a more ferocious look. He was pissed by the fact that he requested a private meeting yet the emperor went ahead to invite the heads of the various ns and high-ranking officials. "This is not the private meeting I requested for! Are you okay with me exposing the nature of my abilities to them?" Lucien asked coldly with clenched fists yet the emperor didn''t seem moved. "I assume this is a matter that affects the empire, it''s only natural we get them involved" Emperor Fei replied calmly. His words pissed Lucien off even more but since he didn''t want to get on the bad side of so many nobles he pushed the matter aside and focused on the task at hand. "The Libet empire has found a way to manufacture artificial magic beasts of various levels if this is allowed to continue it won''t be long before we are wiped out in an instant!" Lucien said coldly Chapter 135: Confrontation Chapter 135: Confrontation "Artificial magic beasts?" An elderly man said with a frown on his face. He was not much older than the emperor and apart from the emperor, he is the leader of the Wuxing n! On normal asions, an important figure like this whose power is almost on par with that of the emperor rarelyes out in public but after all that happened with Instructor Hai and Lucien, this peerless master decided it is only reasonable for him to step outside and take a nce at this youth. At a certain level, a master can utilize the all seeing eyes to peer deep into a weaker target and learn all his secrets but after what happened to the Libet empire representatives, this old man dared not use it on Lucien. He watched Lucien and smiled. Gazing at Lucien, he could tell this youth was riddled with so many mysteries even the empire may not be able topare. Whatever he got in that ck water cave may be beyond a grade 1 sealed artifact which the emperor imed he got. Hearing the question, Lucien shot a nce at the elder with long well kept gray hair and a slightly pale body. He wore a traditional purple robe with a strange Chinese-looking symbol which was the symbol of the Wuxing n. Seeing this, he instantly knew this man was the patriarch of the Wuxing n. "Whatever is in me has the knowledge of all magic beasts in this world and that''s why when I assimte a magic beast, I can directly get what is more like a guide on how to be the beast. I am thought all of its abilities and there is no need for me to research on the beast" Lucien said this and paused. He allowed the gasping sounds to spread across the hall and he soon noticed the look of the enemy has turned to fear whenever they looked him in the face. Knowing the full extent of his abilities, Lucien was now perceived as more of a beast than a man. "When I killed this Kasir, whatever is inside me tried to reject it like it was some foreign being I can proudly say I know all magic beasts recorded all through history but this one is something I have never encountered! Before! I know it sounds ridiculous but it''s the truth The Libet empire is artificially manufacturing magic beasts up to the king tier if they can mass produce this in thousands and control them, then none of the two empires can ever stand against them!" Lucien''s voice was calm but as he spoke the face of all those who heard him kept turning ugly. "He is joking right?" "No way, is that even possible?" "If this is true we must inform the Drakon Empire, and have them help us deal with the enemy! The bnce has been brokenthe continent will soon plunge into darkness soon!" While the nobles chatted amongst themselves, Emperor Fei and the Wuxing n patriarch just kept giving Lucien a meaningful gaze. "Were you able to utilize the abilities of these artificial magic beasts?" Emperor Fei asked after giving the matter some thought. Whoosh! Screech! Unlike other magic beasts which just showcase a faint image of themselves. A reddish aura exploded from Lucien''s body andpletely took the shape of the Kasir with Lucien floating within it. His body was red hot and it felt like his blood was getting pulled out and evaporating!He seemed to be in pain! After the demonstration, Lucien reverted to his normal form, breathing heavily and looking more tired than usual. "Yes, I can use it But as you can see, it''s quite different from how the normal ones are and it hurts a lot... I can''t maintain it for too long but that doesn''t mean it is weak either... It is just different" Lucien said calmly while trying to control his breathing. "Thank you for your report You will be greatly rewarded soon" Emperor Fei said calmly but when Lucien heard this, his eyes revealed a hint of his murderous intentions towards the emperor! "I don''t need any reward from you You don''t have to worry about it!" Lucien''s voice was so venomous, even the emperor felt chills running down his spine when Lucien spoke. -------------------------------------- Lucien didn''t bother to stick around, he quickly left the courtroom and started making his way out of the royal pce. His beast assimtion can be considered his trump card so when he is forced to reveal detailed information about it to a group of people who are no different from enemies waiting for an opportunity to strike him down, he felt greatly annoyed with the emperor. Before his feelings towards the Emperor were indifferent but now it''s hate! [Lucien you are being followed!] Rakuzen warned but Lucien didn''t panic, instead, his eyes turned cold as he shot a nce towards the shadow at the corner of the room. "Come out!" He ordered coldly as his aura began rising tremendously. If this person sneaking up on him has no reasonable exnation for his actions, he will let hell loose upon such a person! "You seem angered, young n head" An elderly voice rang in his head as the figure emerged from the shadow, revealing the Wuxing n head. "How did you find me?" the old man was a bit stunned that Lucien was able to spot him. "I have assimted a few beasts possessing the shadow element So It will be difficult for someone using the shadow element to sneak up on me" Lucien lied and tried to maintain his annoyed appearance. In his opinion, the Wuxing n is not in any way weaker than the royal family, so he had no ns of crossing them unless necessary. By the way, he has never been the type to let people push him around. "Hmmm? You truly have great talent and skill but you are an unknown variable, that''s why everyone in the empire is wary of you and tries to keep you far but not too far" The old man said with a bright smile. Chapter 136: Emperor candidate Chapter 136: Emperor candidate Lucien gazed at the old man with a frown on his face. Escaping this man was not an issue but if he left, where else would he go? He had a feeling that the moment he left the empire the creed will most likely make a move against him! In such conditions, Lucien had no other choice but to remain calm and mentally prepare for the worst. The old man''s words were more of a question, in which he is meant to pick sides. In such a situation, Lucien knew lying is not an option! "The empire I served and adored, failed to consider the fact that I was only thirteen when I went for an expedition that involves a grade two sealed artifact! They failed to realize my effort even after I killed two members of the creed organization and went ahead to make sure no member of my expedition group got harmed. The sealed artifact I consumed was an attempt to save my life so that I can save others from getting ambushed along the way! Yet! I was treated like amon thief, locked in a dungeon for more than ayear, and had my integrity and loyalty questioned! I almost got executed for a crime I am still unaware of! Now tell me, old man! If you had to go through all of this at the tender age of thirteen, how will you deal with it?" Lucien''s voice kept getting higher the more he spoke. At a point, his usual silver eyes turned blood red and unknown to him, the faceless was already hovering over his head, ready to act based on its master''s true feelings! Seeing Lucien speak, the old patriarch of the Wuxing n knew this boy was letting out his pains and for a moment, he didn''t know how to respond. His instincts kept telling him that if he gave the wrong response, he will die at the hands of this little boy that everyone is looking down on. He was not afraid of Lucien, what he is afraid of was the being residing within Lucien''s body. Right now, Lucien''s aura was ovepped with a fiery blue aura, it was only a matter of time before Rakuzen manifests itself! ''Can I win against it'' ''If it was a year ago I would have been confident but this kid has gotten even stronger, meaning his body can withstand more of its power!'' ''No, I won''t lose but I may get killed as well.'' "I apologize on behalf of the empire! But I beg you not to act recklessly and let your anger affect the innocent here!" The old man said calmly while bowing lightly! Seeing this gesture, Lucien who waspletely immersed in the thought of tearing this old man apart was stunned and pulled back to reality! He never for once in his life expect that this man of high status almostparable to that of the emperor to apologize humbly! "I can''t ask for your forgiveness but I wish that you remain loyal to the empire not because of we, the old generation but for the sake of the new generation who have nothing to do with your suffering! Take charge and change the empire, that way no one else will have to go through what you went through!" The old man said loudly. In response., Lucien gazed at the old man for a while for turning and walking away. Seeing Lucien leave without saying a word, the old man was a bit disappointed. He wished to have a proper chat with Lucien but now, Lucien just walked away without saying a thing. As he turned around and was about to leave, he heard Lucien''s voice from afar! "You don''t have to tell me that! It has always been the n from the start!" Hearing this the old man couldn''t help but smile and at that moment, a figure appeared from the shadow he originally came out from. "This is why I overlook all his disrespectful actions so far Even if he ends up killing me, he will still be an amazing emperor!" Emperor Feiughed bitterly. "What do you think about him, old man Feng?" He asked. Hearing this question, the old man remained silent and kept gazing in the direction, Lucien walked towards with squinted eyebrows. "He did warn us about the artificial magic beasts created by the enemy If he wished he would easily run off to the Drakon empire and live there peacefully I think his heart is in the right ce but because of his experiences, he has be a bit more twisted but mature I am sure you agreed to let him be a noble because you wanted to see the kind of leader he is" Wuxing Feng said calmly and coldly. "Well, if he was just like any other noble in that courtroom I would have personally gone over to the Rakuzen territory to execute him with my own hands but he is different and he has proved that time and time again He knows how to show mercy andpassion to those who merits it and when its time to pick up the sword, he does not hesitate to cut down the enemy! Just like he did tonight! Killing over a hundred students is a heavy blow on the enemy empire''s future! No one can deny that he is the perfect candidate to be the next beast emperor!" Emperor Feiughed lightly while he spoke. Listening to this the old man nodded in agreement but he didn''t show it on his face. His eyes were still cold making it look like two rivals staring each other down. "Why are you so serious about finding a sessor? You still have centuries to go if you choose not to use the phoenix rebirth technique!" Feng said apprehensively. "Hahahahaha! It is just a gut feeling Something tells me that my time is nearing its end I need to be sure someone capable of taking over is properly groomed. "And you don''t have ns of letting someone from your linage take over?" Feng asked. "Nope, they are allcking. What about yours?" Emperor Fei answered casually. "They are allcking too" Feng replied while shaking his head Chapter 137: Dual cultivation technique: Soul and Body harmony! Chapter 137: Dual cultivation technique: Soul and Body harmony! This time Lucien didn''t head back to the academy, he decided to go back to his territory and focus on his cultivation. At this time he had a lot of things to focus on but he decided to build himself first. ording to the little he knows, once this war begins, it''s only natural he is at the frontlines as a noble of the empire and this may be considered the best opportunity to attack and capture him, if not kill him. In his opinion, the Libet empire is childsy whenpared to the creed. Returning to his castle, Lucien could feel the energy fluctuationsing from the underground chamber where Rupture is cultivating. Lucien was a bit stunned by the fact that Rupture''s power level has risen this much in just a day. "At this rate a year should be more than enough for it to evolve!" Lucien said with joy. As long as he has an emperor Tier magic beast by his side unless the leader of the Creed appears personally for him, Lucien has no reason to worry. "Well I guess I can''t sit still and do anything I need to meet up with that old freak unless he will abandon me" Lucienughed bitterly before running up the stairs and heading to his room directly. He sat on his bed and raised his hands creating three purple pills that were created from the souls of the three king tier magic beasts that he murdered. "Only this much? I expected more from them" Lucien said since he could feel the quality of the soul nourishment pills. They were only slightly better than what he got from the Creed duo he killed in the dungeon. Without hesitation, Lucien threw the three pills into his mouth but he didn''t chew. The pills melted and rolled down its throat, from there it spread all through his body. Remaining in a cross-legged position, Lucien could feel the sweet-bitter taste the pill carried. He could feel his spirit sense rising until it slowly became an entity of his own! ording to Rakuzen, spirit cultivators attain their sea of consciousness when they get to the peak of the warrior realm and most at the mortal realm, yet. His spirit consciousness had already taken a bold step to be a sea of consciousness. Mesmerized by the great feeling of creation, an idea popped up in his head and before Rakuzen could advise against it, Lucien began pouring all his powers into the swirling sea of consciousness! Both his elemental abilities and his assimted beasts surged into this new world within him revolving quickly and more violently. [What have you done child! You dare try tobine the physical and the spiritual? Madness!] Rakuzen growled but Lucien did not listen. He felt his body rejecting this unholy union but he paid it no heed and focused on the merging for the two powers. Soon he was bleeding from his eyes, nostrils, and ear but he didn''t bother to stop. He watched as the two different energies blended in perfectly and only then did he heave a sigh of relief.He felt the pain subside slowly but he still felt exhausted. His sea of consciousness was formed too early so it was only a silver space with two alters. One represented the soul and the other represented the body and mind. In this world, Lucien walked toward both alter only to notice lots of strange-looking letters there but he couldn''t understand a thing. He felt like whatever is written there is something no one has ever explored and that''s why Rakuzen advised against it. The union of body and soul is something that has never been done before and as the first person to achieve this Lucien felt extremely proud. "While you rejoice, keep it in mind that from now on, I may not be able to be of much assistance to you anymore! You have chosen a foreign pathway which even I know too little of Consider yourself a pioneer and your growth in life can only be determined by you There is nothing much I can do now"Rakuzen''s voice echoed in his head, causing Lucien to frown. He didn''t think this through but that didn''t mean that he regretted his actions. The ability tobine two powers to form a martial technique of his own can be considered outstanding! "It may not bepletely bad normally a person waits until they get to the spirit realm. Only when they reach a profound realm like that, are they able tobine their magic with their martial technique to create what we call a spirit martial technique But thanks to this, you have already created your martial technique at such a young age I believe you have enough time to deeply explore the boundaries of your ability" Rakuzen said calmly and Lucien nodded in agreement. With that settled, Lucien released himself and let his body descend from the sea of consciousness. He kept getting this descending feeling until his eyes yanked open and he jumped on his feet. Lucien wasted no time as he tried to reach the nearest mirror and just as he suspected, his body had changed drastically. A person''s body tends to take drastic or subtle changes when they reach the spirit realm and create their spirit martial technique. Upon reaching the mirror Lucien was stunned. His once silver eyes were pitch ck with no hint of life in it! His body seemed hazy and if one should just nce at it casually, they would naturally overlook his existence unless they try to pay attention or he personally tries to make himself known! He looked like a being existing in both the physical and spiritual ne. "This" Lucien frowned since he never expected to endure so many drastic changes! [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Cultivation technique: Soul and Body harmony dual cultivation technique] [Cultivation realm: 2nd sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 11,000] [HP: 500/400] [EP: 500/500] [Condition: Healthy] [Pure Qi body: 4%] [Exp: 10,000] Seeing his new stats, Lucien''s jaw fell open in shock since he never expected his power to grow so much from just a single action. He noticed that the spirit realm cultivation points are gone and right now, body his body, and spirit cultivation has beenbined to form one cultivation realm. He also noticed he had risen to the second sky of the spirit realm which can be considered amazing for someone of his age and finally, he no longer had a mana point of soul point in his stats. Instead, it has been reced with his energy points. He soon realized that the Libet empire captain who he killed in the dungeon was most likely a low-level spirit realm master who us yet to create her own martial technique. "Soul and body harmony dual cultivation technique? What does that mean?" Lucien muttered in thought as he took a few steps back. [Bnce!] Rakuzen''s voice echoed in his mind, causing him to jump on his feet and allow a smile to bloom on his face. "Yes! This cultivation technique represents the bnce of the universe that must be maintained! Yes, many may say the spiritual is more powerful but the sad truth remains that each ne of existence needs the other to function properly! I was only able to stumble upon an amazing spirit cultivation realm because I am probably the only person who has managed to master both aspects of this power!" Lucien said in realization, shocking himself. Bam! He stomped his feet on the ground and slowly waved his hands in a circr motion, releasing a powerful mist around him. His legs moved in ordance with his body movement, creating the ck and white Chinese symbol of bnce. "I am the absolute!" Lucien muttered to himself but at that moment a bang sound pulled him back to reality. "Come in!" Lucien answered coldly. He patiently waited for the door to yank open and then the old man appeared in the room with a grown on his face, leaving Lucien stunned. This I the first time he is seeing the old man worried and annoyed. Upon seeing the new Lucien the old man was stunned and he was taken aback. He never expected to see Lucien in this strange condition. For some reason, he felt like his mind just wanted to skip Lucien. It felt like he didn''t exist but he existed all at once. Apart from the subtle mental war he had to endure, Lucien''s changed appearance was enough to startle him as well. "Why are you here?" Lucien asked calmly without looking at the old man. His eyes were pinned on the constant notifications pouring in from the system. Lucien knew he must have gained some good stuff after his little evolution. He felt the urge to check it but judging based on the expression on the old man''s face, Lucien knew it must be urgent so he put all his little thoughts aside and focused on the man. "What happened?" He asked coldly. "Libet empire! They are attacking!" The old man yelled out after hesitation for a while! Chapter 138: An invasion! Chapter 138: An invasion! "Attacking? Impossible" Lucien said with a frown on his face since he found thispletely unexpected! Or rather, Impossible! Just tonight they had their studentsy ambush for members of the Fotia academy, leaving them empire. He got dispatched to put an end to the entire operation and he ended up killing at least a hundred students! All in one night! He knew the information would reach the Libet empire just as quickly as it reached the Fotia empire but he didn''t expect them to mobilize an army in the space of an hour! No, it is impossible! "Give me details!" Lucien demanded coldly, making the old man shiver. "The Instructor and the students who came with him were attacked near our borders! A few students were killed and many were injured, the instructor is in the castle now he should know more!" The old man said timidly and Lucien nodded in understanding. Whoosh! With a step forward and a light leap, Lucien turned into a gray gas with a piece of silver clothe seen within it! The gas surged forward, filling the stairs, the passageway until it reached a room where the injured instructor Hai was receiving treatment! ------------------------------------ It was a grand hall of the castle, where Instructor Hai and other students of the war mage ss were getting treated by healing mages sent by the academy. From the looks of it, these people may have been here before he got back since he didn''t sense them or maybe he spent more time than expected when cultivating his new martial technique. Those in the room were shocked when the gray mist surged into the room violently, shooting towards instructor Hai at top speed. The instructor was badly hurt and the other students were too weak to keep up with the gray mist so they could only watch as it sped towards their instructor! Thud! Upon reaching, Lucien''s figure began to show as he lightly stepped on the ground with his toes. Only a small portion of his body has been formed and as the gas gathered his body kept forming slowly. "What happened?" Lucien''s voice was more ethereal, giving those who heard him speak a weird feeling. The entire room was silent and it took them some time to recover since they have never seen something like this before. It is general knowledge that only when a person reaches the spirit realm, will he be able to create a martial technique of his own. And only after creating or picking a martial technique will one''s body adjust to suit the martial technique they choose to cultivate. Seeing the new Lucien made it obvious he had created his martial technique and even though it should be impossible for someone at his cultivation realm, they weren''t bothered about that. What kept them confused for a while is that Lucien''s new condition has never been recorded in the history of the continent before. No man has ever cultivated the technique Lucien is cultivating now. "It is a technique formed only after fusing my body and soul techniques into one I stumbled upon it by chance so don''t think too deeply about it" Lucien said casually without a hint of emotion in his pitch-ck eyes. He roughly guessed the reason for their actions and since there is nothing to hide, he let it all out without restraint. "Now, tell me what happened" Lucien''s voice was like ripples, reaching every part of the room without any issue. "We were out there hunting magic beasts and slowly we left your domain and ventured deeper soon we were ambushed by a small human army from the Libet empire, led by spirit realm experts! While we escaped one of them said something ''Inform Lucien Rakuzen that his precious territory will be conquered before dawn!'' That''s all I know" Instructor Hai said while gazing at Lucien hoping to get an exnation but none came. Lucien was lost in thought as he considered the possibility of something like this happening. Instructor Hai may not have known what transpired between the two empires because he was away all the time, hunting magic beasts with the students, so it is only natural, he doesn''t understand why this happened. As for the countless possibilities in Lucien''s head, he filtered most of them out and finallynded at the best conclusion he coulde up with. The entire Libet empire may be powerful but it would still need some time to mobilize an army! To do this, a noble must be involved. Only a noble can mobilize such a small force on such short notice. Lucien concluded that the only reason why they must have done something like this is probably that he must have killed someone from a reputable family during his midnight hunt. Unable to bear the loss, they gathered their forces and sent them out without the empire''s approval! That exins why they just want to destroy his domain alone and not the entire empire! "Conquer my territory? I would love to see you try!" Lucien sneered viciously. He turned to the instructor after shooting the other students a nce and said. "I will deal with this personally You don''t have to involve the empire!" Hearing this everyone in the room was stunned. They expected Lucien to be worried yet he looked more pissed off than usual and even imed he would deal with the problem alone. Everyone knew the situation of his domain! He is the only expert there and without the king tier magic beast who is focusing on its cultivation, he has to fight off an army of at least a hundred people without help! No one could deny how amazing his defenses are but he couldn''t help but confess that when going up against three top-tier spirit realm experts, it''s only a matter of time before his defenses fall! "There is no way of us reaching the empire anyway We have been surrounded and since you only have one teleportation formation at the borders of your territory, we cannot leave most of the healers who came here were ambushed and killed There is no way out so we can only depend on the lord of thend I suspect they even let us escape because they knew we have nowhere to run but here" Instructor Hai said with a bitter look on his face. He had lost one hand in the battle and with no other choice, he could only watch his student fight fiercely and die! The three spirit realm experts were just too much even for him! "Like I said You don''t have to worry!" Lucien said before gazing at the notifications below. Amongst them was a warning notification! [Hostile forces are marching towards your domain!] Ding! [Enemy has reached the border, defense mechanisms activated!] "This won''t take long!" Lucien said coldly before he turned into the gray mist and shot out of the room through the nearest window! As he moved, he realized he is the only one that was not aware of the attack! Right now the barriers surrounding the domain were getting bombarded heavily! It was just a matter of time before it falls! Seeing the people below very restless, Lucien felt enraged! "LIBET EMPIRE DOGS DARE ATTACK MY DOMAIN! GOOD, VERY GOOD! NONE OF YOU WILL LEAVE THIS PLACE ALIVE!" Lucien''s enraged voice echoed throughout the domain causing people to look towards the sky and only then did they see arge amount of gray mist surging towards the city gates! It was their Lord! The fear they felt vanished and they all began to cheer! The fact Lucien dared to make bold statements meant that he is capable of protecting them! After numerous battles and consecutive victories and pleasant surprises from Lucien, these people viewed him as some sort of deity! Their leader is invincible! Whoosh! The mist gathered, revealing Lucien''s figure shooting towards the borders! "System, disable the border shields and focus the energy on protecting the city! Have the defense towers support me as soon as the enemy steps foot on my territory!" Lucien ordered [Affirmative!] ------------------------------------------------------- "Focus on the barrier, bring it down! Once it is down and we take care of the magic towers, this territory will fall!" a brown-haired man growled. He wore a purple mage robe and based on the respectful looks in the eyes of all those who gazed at him, it was obvious he must be an important figure from a noble family. "That rascal dares kill my little brother! Even the emperor will not be able to save him!" The man growled and was about to give new orders but then, he heard Lucien''s enraged growl and even he couldn''t help but shiver in fear! Lucien''s words showed he knew of their arrival and he was confident of victory! He felt uneasy and just as he recovered the barrier they were trying to destroy suddenly vanished! "Something ising!" someone in the army cried out causing everyone to look to the far distance, allowing them to see the massive mass of mist surging towards them and within it was the silver-haired youth everyone knows as the Night demon! Chapter 139: A fierce battle! Chapter 139: A fierce battle! Roar! Lucien''s vicious roar caught the attention of everyone and they watched as the ghastly figure kept shooting towards them at an incredible speed. Within his ck hollow eyes was a little, yet bright blue light shing fiercely. BOOM! The space around Lucien exploded as his body sped up, even more, creating powerful shockwaves and ripples that can be seen visibly with the naked eyes! "Isn''t this kid meant to be at the warrior realm?" Someone in the army said with a fearful look on his face. "They said he killed a new spirit realm master who is yet to master a martial technique, yet why does he give off enough pressure that makes me think our masters are weaker?" Many beganining, drastically affecting the morale of the army, meanwhile, the three spirit realm masters just stood there and watched the ghastly figure hidden within the gray mist shooting forward. He didn''t exude an evil aura to show that he has fallen into the cultivation of evil techniques but instead, he had this mysterious air around him that made even powerful spirit realm masters with a martial technique unwilling to face him alone! Bang! Lucien finally stopped advancing! No matter how powerful he is, taking on a hundred-man army of warrior and mortal realm experts, with a touch of three mid-tier spirit realm experts is something he is not capable of, even now. With the city defenses, he is confident he can hold these three down as long as their strength is average! Either way, the main reason foring out like this alone, is simply because he intends to test his strength against the enemy. "Why do you attack mynd? You have five seconds to give me a sufficient reason or you may not live long enough to see tomorrow!" Lucien dered boldly. He originally refused the help of the empire because he knew its useless. The fact remains that, as long as the academy got the news of the events and sent healing mages, nothing stops them from sending fighters too to help defend this territory but they didn''t. By now the empire knows of the enemy''s presence yet they do nothing, not because they are afraid but because they wish to observe. Since the creation of this great empire, Lucien can be considered its greatest secret! They wished to take this opportunity to see how powerful Lucien''s city defenses are and how strong Lucien is as well. He once imed he had the ability to escape the emperor and the entire empire as a whole the nobles and emperor Fei decided this is the best opportunity to see everything! If Lucien''s life is in danger, they will definitely step in and save the day. "You cocky brat! Get out here and fight us if you dare say such arrogant words!" A gray-haired elder screamed angrily. Judging based on his physical appearance, Lucien knew he was somehow rted to the old man who tried to peer into the darkness of his soul and saw Rakuzen, costing him his eyes! The current Lucien had no intentions of retreating! Neither did he have the intention of crossing his borders and facing these people without his city defenses, so he treated the man''s words as air and ignored him! His spirit sense kept warning him of the young brown-haired youth in a purple robe. ording to his instincts, this man should be the most dangerous here! This exins why the other two elderly spirit realm masters kept looking at this youth respectfully. "The Libet empire does have some young heroes It is impressive that someone your age can reach a profound realm and the age gap between should be barely more than four years" Lucien said while his gaze was still pinned on the youth. Hearing hisments, everyone present was stunned! While it is true that the brown-haired youth is the most powerful amongst them, it is hard to notice his strength due to the nature of his martial technique. To think Lucien could see through him almost instantly and urately guess his age, everyone could help but reevaluate Lucien''s strength again in their hearts. "You have good eyes! hahaha hahaha! It''s a pity such marvelous talent is wasted on a mere beast-man who is no different from a savage! But I, Zhao Li respect the strong! You don''t have to worry! Even after your death, your body will not be mutted and you will be given a hero''s burial! I can assure you of that!" The brown-haired man said proudly and many behind him cheered. "Young master is too kind!" "You should be kotowing and thanking our young master for acknowledging you, Ungrateful savage!" Many people screamed at the top of their voices and even the older spirit realm masters kept trying to suck up to the youth, making Lucien frown. It seems this person is from a very influential family in the Libet empire, that''s why he can mobilize such a powerful small army in just a few hours. Lucien didn''t know the person''s current status in the empire and the consequences of killing him so he was a bit reluctant. DING! [New mission acquired] [The enemy has gathered to destroy you and your people, as a future emperor, you must prove to the people you are capable of protecting them! Win this war without outside help and kill Zhao Li!] [Rewards; Unknown] Seeing this, Lucien was stunned. He barely gets missions from the system but when he does, he gets priceless rewards that have helped him till today! "Sorry, a second ago I was considering sparing your life but it doesn''t matter now, I will have your head and use your skull as a cup in my pce!" Lucien growled as his aura exploded! Ding! [Beast assimted activated! Does the host wish to send out the beasts?] Seeing this Lucien was stunned and almost didn''t know how to react. He guessed this new ability is as a result of his new duo martial technique so out of curiosity he clicked the ''yes'' button in front of him! Boom! The gray mist surged out violently and as soon as they left his body, they began taking the forms and shapes of the magic beasts Lucien has assimted! Only then did Lucien realize that the tattoos on his body were gone and he had six huge ghastly magic beasts standing behind him. "What the hell is this?" Zhao Li asked as he took a step back. The greatest fear of a true expert is the unknown. As long as onecked information about an enemy, they will be unwilling to take him on due to unforeseen circumstances and that''s why he was a bit reluctant to charge forward as soon as he saw the six ghastly figures surrounding Lucien! "Do not fear, young master! The enemy does not look solid, therefore they will most likelyck their abilities This may be illusions! Order the charge let the men charge in first, we will support from the shadow and have them tire Lucien out!" The gray-haired elder said respectfully. After hearing this, the brown-haired man calmed down a bit. Even though he was against the man''s spections about Lucien''s abilities, he still couldn''t help but admit the only option now is to attack! They cannot afford to return to the empire empty-handed after sneaking out! By the way, he is using the weaker people as shields. That should give him enough time to understand Lucien''s strength and prepare a n to take him down! Whoosh! The brown-haired man began levitating higher, catching the attention of his men. He slowly advanced and the moment he entered the borders of Lucien''s domain, one of the magic towers let out a bright light before releasing a blue mana beam straight towards the man but before the attack could even get a hundred meters close to him, it struck an invisible barrier and was unable to breakthrough! Xiu! Two towers lit up and shot two beams of pure energy but just like before they all struck an invisible wall, unable to breakthrough! Even Lucien couldn''t help but frown because of this. By now he was seriously wondering what martial technique this youth may be mastering! "As long as I am here, you have to nothing to fear! Charged forward and destroy thisnd! Only victory is eptable! Whoever brings me Lucien Rakuzen''s head will be paid five thousand gold coins and also be given the opportunity to peak a magic weapon from my Zhao n armory!" Zhao Li roared! Seeing their leader block the attacks of the terrifying magic towers effortlessly, then assuring them of his protection while giving them a mouth watering reward for killing Lucien, even the other two spirit realm masters were hyped! Their morale reached its peak and under Zhao Li''smand, the hundred-man army charged into Rakzuen n borders with murderous intentions! Seeing this, many spies observing from afar couldn''t help but gasp as they watched the small hundred-man team charge towards Lucien with killing intentions! Everyone wished to know how Lucien nned to respond to this! Chapter 140: Its not all about strength! Chapter 140: Its not all about strength! Seeing a hundred men charging forward, Lucien didn''t feel flustered, instead, he sped his hands together as his ghastly body drifted backward and with huge beams of mana shot towards the enemy. Bang! Bang! Bang! Just like before the attacks just hit an invisible wall and failed to breakthrough! Further boosting the morale of the small army as they kept charging forward relentlessly! "Such insolence!" Lucien growled as lightning surged violently around him and without casting a spell, he released countless bolts of lightning surging towards the iing army! [-2EP] Lucien was not only stunned by the power of the lightning he casually released which could rival tier three spells but he was also stunned by the fact that it cost so little energy! The lightning attack was no differentfrom an AOE spell cast to bring down twenty to thirty people all at once and to his greatest surprise, it did! These people charging forward were expecting the protection of Zhao Li so they didn''t bother to defend themselves. While about ten people were protected the others were struck by the lightning spell, causing them to fall to the ground and tremble greatly. While the spell may be able to rival a casual tier three spell, its destructive capabilities are far below that of a basic tier three spell! At best it will only leave them shocked for a short while but this didn''t matter to Lucien. His original intention when casting the spell was not to kill the enemy but to spot the loophole in the martial technique of Zhao Li! ''His base element is the force element and his martial technique allows him to hide his force abilities from in sight but thanks to my spirit sense I can see it clearly the main reason for this little experiment is to know how many force walls can he conjure all at once! And now I have seen it Just ten, that exins why he can block the attacks from all eight magic towers and still have two shield walls to protect himself!: Lucien muttered in his mind. He is no fool! There is no way someone like Zhao Li would spend all his abilities on protecting nobodies and leave himself open. The fact he can spare ten shields for his men, simply meant he should have at least two more force shields ced on standby! Lucien had no time to remain lost in thoughts! This is war and a moment of distraction should be enough time for the enemy to take his life! The moment about half of the enemy forces crossed his borders, a sinister grin appeared on Lucien''s face! " Reactivate the border defenses!" Lucien growled as the ground lit up with several magic runes and a transculent barrier rose from below, cutting anything above it in two as it quickly converged and formed a dome shaped defensive wall, preventing the other half of the army from entering while trapping those inside! "Deactivate city barrier, focus all energy on strengthening border defenses!" Lucien said calmly. [Affirmative!] The system responded as its energy spread forth, strengthening the dome. The barrier set up at the walls of the city crumbled instantly as well. Back then all hundred mortal and warrior realm experts joined hands and could barely bring down this dome but now the dome has strengthened and they only have barely half of their original strength positioned outside! "To think you will stoop so low as to use a silly trick!" Zhao Li growled viciously as he felt the threat of death looming over his head. He had charged in first to show his power, in a bid to boost the morale of the people, yet he got caught in Lucien''s little trick. "In war, it is not all about strength I simply used what I have to even up the ying field!" Lucien growledas he shot towards Zhao Li While he is able to keep them here, Lucien knew his advantage won''tst for long. With the help of the two spirit realm masters outside the barrier, it is only a matter of time before they break the barrier. By the way, with the creation of his spirit Martial technique that no one is familiar with. Lucien knew nothing about his abilities because he hasn''t gotten the chance to explore and find out more about his abilities. Right now he can only depend on his old abilities to face the enemy. The moment Lucien made his move, the ghastly versions of his assimted magic beasts dashed forward , shooting past him at an incredible speed! Roar! The nightmare demon growled as it threw its shadowy ws forward, mming into the enemy forces without restraint! While this happened Argo, Kasir, Lanka, and Abok jumped into action as well.With four king-tier magic beasts on his side and many more general-level beasts, Lucien''s forces were strong enough to keep the enemies busy while he made his way towards the enemy with killing intentions visible in his eyes! "Show me, what you are capable of!" Lucien growled as the silver formless creature shot out of his body and quickly took the form of the azure blue Chinese dragon! "I will get rid of you and this will all end!" Zhao Li growled as he charged forward as well, taking Lucien by surprise. He had assumed Zhao Li was dedicatedto the role as a support mage, so he wasn''t expecting him to charge at him recklessly! "Reckless! Azure dragon me!" Lucien growled as he took a deep breath and he and the azure blue dragon spat out massive waves of scorching blue mes. Bang! "Tear!" Zhao Li roared as he didn''t attempt to block or dodge, instead he swung his hand recklessly at Lucien and suddenly the mes surging towards him began parting continuously. A normal person won''t notice what was happening but Lucien could see the transparent de piercing through his mes and heading towards him. "You can attack?" Lucien barely finished those words as his body turned into a cluster of gray mist as he quickly fled the location. For some reason, his instincts kept telling him that if he takes this man''s power head on, he would lose. This conclusion is not because he iscking in strength but simply because his enemy''s martial technique is too strange. Just like the magic tower beams, everything seems to disintegrate the moment theye in contact with the shield. He realized his attacks were not even shaking the barriers neither was it affecting it. "This!" Lucien frowned as he was forced to constantly retreat from the invisible de chasing after him. He watched as the army outside constantly attacked the barrier making little progress but judging from the rate at which it is going, he knew they would break through before his beast assimtions can deal with the foot soldiers! [It is not blocking your attacks, instead, it is just negating abilities!] Rakzuen said with a shocked tone in his voice causing Lucien to frown even more. Martial techniquese in various forms and carry various effects. For it to be able to negate attacks simply shows how amazing Zhao Li is. The only word that came to Lucien''s mind is the word ''Absolute defense'' but he quickly rid himself of that thought and focused on the task at hand. He finally realized why they dared attack his territory! If the enemy can negate any ability, he can simply send his shield toward his barrier and with his power it will just deactivate, forcing him to face three spirit realm masters and a hundred man army. Yet he hasn''t done this, maybe to show his strength? No! Lucien could tell that Zhao Li was truly flustered and he is still flustered even now which means, there is a catch attached to his ability. What if it can only repel offensive abilities meaning that any defensive and support ability cannot be affected by the shield. Just like Zhao Li, Lucien had little information about his foe so he spent more time specting rather than fighting. The two kept circling each other and throwing random attacks while observing the other. While Lucien was pondering on how to bypass this unbreakable shield, Zhao Li was extremely flustered and could barely stay calm. His ability allows him to create absolute barriers that can block both physical and spiritual attacks without any issue. He has lived long enough to see countless enemies try and fail so he had a solid understanding of the way martial techniques work yet he has never seen a martial technique like the one Lucien is using. He could smell both physical and spiritual aura emanating from it and he couldn''t tell whether Lucien was holding back or not! Be it the seemingly immortal ghastly magic beasts he released upon his people or the silver formless spirit beast that can take any form, he was left utterly confused! Nothing about the enemy followed theid downws of cultivators giving him a mysterious and unfathomable vibe that can make even the greatest experts ufortable! Chapter 141: Genius vs monster Chapter 141: Genius vs monster Lucien watched from a distance as he kept circling the enemy. He hated the fact he knew nothing about his spirit martial technique, leaving him with no choice but to face the enemy without the aid of his dual cultivation martial technique. Roar! Suddenly the zing blue azure dragon charged forward releasing a mouthful of blue mes but just like before it was effortlessly blocked by the invisible wall but this didn''t stop the faceless''s assault, as it continued pouring out blue mes "Break!"Zhao Li growled as he swung his hands forward, releasing two invisible des of force energy, tearing through the sea of mes and sessfully splitting the faceless in two, causing it to decimate but even that wasn''t enough to make him jubte! "Where?" He screamed hastily the moment he noticed that Lucien had vanished! His heart skipped a bit as his eyes darted around the room madly! He originally assumed Lucien was still trying to break through his imprable shield with his dragon me, unknown to him, the blue dragon me was just a cover for him to block Zhao Li''s vision and give Lucien a chance to sneak away andunch a sneak attack. Puff! Blood squirted out as Zhao Li narrowly manage to redirect Lucien''s attack, ultimately saving his life! Originally, he felt restless that Lucien could see his force shields which should be invisible for any normal cultivator yet, this is why he was terrified of Lucien. Now, with this attack, he was sure Lucien has found out another secret rted to his martial technique again! An average fighter or mage would try to attack him with magic from his blind spot and every time this happens, the attacks are negated by the invisible force shield ced to protect his back from friends and foes at all times but now Lucien didn''t use any power, instead, he used his fist! Like an animal, he threw an open palm forward, purely based on instincts, and watched his hand pierce sink into the invisible force field like it never existed and reach the enemy''s neck! Zhao Li''s reaction speed could be considered superb and that''s why he was able to deflect the attack, allowing Lucien to only graze his neck slightly but this is enough to put a sinister smile on the face of the silver-haired youth! "It went through! You are not as invincible as you look!" Lucien sneered as he quickly withdrew his hand and tried to retreat but Zhao Li had no ns of letting him go! Peng! His back struck a purple force shield that appeared behind him the moment he tried to retreat, catching him by surprise, and at that moment a purple force de shot towards him! Peng! "Habakiri!" Lucien growled as a lightning whip appeared in his hand and he promptly deflected the force de shooting towards him! Puff! He promptly turned into a gray mist as he retreated farther and soon regained his original form! "I see" Lucien said calmly as he gazed at Zhao Li with a look of understanding in his eyes. Seeing this, Zhao Li''s face turned terribly pale. He felt like all his secrets has been exposed and there was nothing else to hide from Lucien while he is yet to understand a thing about Lucien''s martial technique! "Why did you block instead of fleeing?" Zhao Li asked after swallowing a ball of saliva. He asked in hopes of getting an answer from Lucien, that way he can know whether the youth has truly grasped the real nature of his abilities. "Instincts" Lucien answered calmly. "I simply felt like I can block this attack and I did it" Lucien added after a while. Hearing this, Zhao Li''s face twisted in rage at first since he assumed Lucien was toying with him but when he was about tosh out a thought reached his mind causing him to calm down and rethink the whole situation. Before today Lucien is arguably the most popr character in the continent since the day he got the grade one sealed artifact. The three great empires have been watching his every move and with each sess, his fame kept rising until it surpassed the level of ''Genius'' and he was now given a new title ''Monster''. Many imed he was given this title because he was more of a beast than a man now, meanwhile many said he got this title because his talent far surpasses that of a genius. As a young man who has always been regarded as one of the top talents of his empire, Zhao Li has always dreamed of the day he will prove to the world that Lucien I just overrated and today should be that day but things are not going the way he expected. Upon meeting Lucien, he realized something important. The two spections about the reason why Lucien was given the title monster are both correct. In the warrior realm, he is already able to create his martial technique and this is something even spirit realm masters find it hard to do but he did it, proving to the world that the so called genius is inferior to him. Finally, the rumor about him bing more beast than man can be considered true as well. Throughout their short exchange, fighting Lucien was like fighting different magic beasts at once. His actions and reactions have always been done based on pure instincts! To be able to use his hand as a weapon and leave a clean cut on his skin showed he possessed strength that even fighters and warriorsck! He is a monster! "It is only a matter of time when the barrier falls do you think you can win?" Zhao Li asked as he gazed at the web-like cracks on the barrier behind him! "Do you think you can kill me before myrades make it through?" Zhao Li asked again but then a sinister smile bloomed on Lucien''s face making his heart skip a beat. Right now it can be said that this young master is genuinely afraid of Lucien for reasons the even he cannot exin! "You have two forms of barrier The invisible and imprable barrier that stops all forms of abilities and spells but is weak to physical attacks without magic or any forms of enhancements. And the second is the normal barrier that any force Mage can cast but due to the conditions given to you by your martial technique it can only block physical attacks but it is weak to magic attacks I must say your ability is unique even amongst spirit realm masters but even then, it still has some weak points and loopholes" Lucien said casually as he gazed at the fear growing in Zhao Li''s face. His experiments truly paid off and with this he now understands the enemy almost perfectly, giving him the advantage he needs in battle. "Now to answer your question Yes, I believe I can kill you...Even if the other two are here and for the sake of decency, I think it''s best I give you a heads up! Behind you!" Lucien said as the hell hound beast assimtion pounced on him from behind but thanks to his advice, Zhao Li was able to get away on time. Gazing around, Zhao Li realized that the fifty or less mortal and warrior realm experts that were stuck in this ce with him were already dead! While he was too busy with Lucien and too focused on his fight to pay attention to his subordinates, Lucien''s city magic towers kept killing off these experts inrge numbers! On normal conditions, Lucien alone even with his undying beast assimtions who regenerate even when damaged will not be able to beat this many enemies but thanks to the powerful magic towers that can only be challenged by spirit realm masters, all fifty enemy forces were wiped out in just a few minutes. Right now, Zhao Li was surrounded by all six beast assimtions and above them was the azure blue dragon with Lucien levitating not too far behind! He still had eight or so magic towers pinned on him and only at this moment did he know the true terror of death. The spies from afar watching the battle take ce were stunned and impressed by how Lucien was able to suppress a small army and a few spirit realm experts without outside help. Everyone was sure if any other noble family head was put in Lucien''s position, they would most likely fail. While many were excited they also felt disappointed. They came here to see Lucien''s true capabilities but he has managed to subdue the enemy without showing much. With limited resources, he had managed to subdue the enemy and now he had an important person from the Libet empire begging for mercy. "Do you know I can kill you in three moves?" Lucien''s question made many gasps in shock as they switched their attention to Zhao Li to see his reaction. Just as expected, Zhao Li''s face was scorching red with anger and embarrassment. Never in his life did he think a mere warrior realm kid would speak to him, a spirit realm expert in that manner! Chapter 142: Scourge! Chapter 142: Scourge! As much as Zhao Li would have loved to reject Lucien''s ims and try to prove him wrong, he knew Lucien wasn''t lying! While he may be strong and have a higher cultivation level, he could not best Lucien in a short time because he was more of a support type mage than abat type. With little means of killing the kid, he had let the battlest long enough for Lucien to gain the upper hand. Should all eight magic towers focus their attacks on him, alongside the six beast assimtion phantom images and the nameless with Lucien aiding from a distance, he may not even survive one joint attack not to talk of three. A great man knows his strength and also knows his weaknesses. Once a man is aware of his weaknesses and is ready to admit defeat when necessary, he or she will definitely live a long and peaceful life. "Stop attacking!" Zhao Li gritted his teeth as he gave the order and even though his subordinates were reluctant to obey, but they had no choice but to do as they are told. Their master is now at the mercy of the enemy so it would be considered foolish antagonizing the enemy! "Just name your price, we will pay!" The gray-haired spirit realm elder said with a reddened face due to embarrassment as he bowed respectfully towards Lucien''s fleeting figure. Many considered Zhao Li''s order an act of good faith and as someone from an important background in the Libet empire, a mere Baron like Lucien would be eager to negotiate with him and try to form rtions from this event but contrary to their beliefs, that didn''t happen. The sinister smile on Lucien''s face didn''t fade and his eyes were still pinned on Zhao Li as he asked a question. "What are you doing?" Lucien asked with a confused look on his face. His question left everyone presents confused as well since they noticed Lucien was genuinely confused. "What do you mean?" Zhao Li asked as he felt cold sweat trickling down his back, making him feel ufortable. "Why did you stop the fighting? Why did you stop your men from attacking? I remember you all shamelessly came here in masses to take my head but now you are at a disadvantage, you think you can just stop the fight? DON''T MESS WITH ME!" Lucien''s calm tone slowly grew furious as his silver aura exploded and he shot forward! Roar! The Chinese blue serpent dragon over his head let out a loud scream as shot towards the enemy while the blue azure dragon spear appeared in Lucien''s hands. "RIP!" Lucien growled as the spear began rotating and a massive whirlpool of scorching blue mes filled the entire sky and surged down like the divine judgment of a deity! After his new upgrade, his strength could easily rival that of Rakuzen when he took over his body, so Lucien was no inferior in any way, making his techniques more shy and captivating! "Has he gone mad?" "He dares try to kill Zhao Li of the Zhao n! They are the fourth most powerful n in the Libet empire! Who could consciously try to kill an important figure from such an important family in one of the great three empires?" "This youth is crazy!" "Impulsive!" Many cursed under their breath but a few were more amazed and appreciative of Lucien''s actions. They believed those from prominent ns have be too cocky because they always have a way out of bad situations. If everyone is like Lucien, these reckless nobles will think first before they act! "YOU DARE!" Zhao Li growled as he summoned a transparent force shield to block the surging mes but at that moment, he saw the grim reaper hovering over his head. His body jerked forward instinctively as he summoned another invisible shield at his back to tank the attack and just as he expected, it was a beam of mana energy that was shot at him by one of the magic towers. Bang! Whoosh! He suddenly nned to move forward but he was stopped by a sudden change in the weather! Gusts of wind surrounded the entire battlefield and thanks to it, the constant surge of blue mes, and the continuous waves of beams Zhao Li was trapped, making it impossible to move. "Domain spells?" Zhao Li muttered as he summoned ten invisible shields that formed a reinforced rectangr dome. "HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HOLD OUT? DO YOU THINK YOU CAN KEEP HIDING WITHIN THIS PLACE? LAST TIME I CHECKED, EVEN SPIRIT REALM MASTERS NEED TO BREATHE, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO SURVIVE?" Lucien said as the blue mes stopped and from instead, a purple mist spread across the entire battlefield. "Acid?" Zhao Li muttered in shock as he watched all forms of vegetation below reduce to nothing, making him wonder how many magic beasts Lucien has consumed to possess two domain spells! Bang! Before he could realize what was going on, a fist pierced through the invisible barrier and struck his chest. Puff! He spat out a mouthful of blood as his body wiggled back and his invisible barriers vanished, revealing Lucien''s pitch ck, hollow eyes peering into his soul. Thanks to the amazing vitality of a spirit realm expert he was still alive even as he felt Lucien''s hands gently touching his beating heart. "If you kill me" Zhao Li muttered but he was interrupted by Lucien. "If I kill you, your n will seek revenge, and just like you, they will all die. As long as you do not have a champion realm master in your n I have no reason to fear Do you think your n patriarchy will travel all the way from Libet to here to die at the hands of the experts of the Fotia empire, because of a cocky brat who snuck out at night with a hundred elite troops and lost his life along with fifty of them? Do be stupid Let us all be realistic here You have no cards left!" Lucien sneered as he slowly tightened his grip on Zhao Li''s heart making those outside tremble in fear! "YOUNG MASTER!!!!" Many screamed as they attacked the dome preventing them from entering, recklessly, causing Lucien to chuckle slightly "Stupid mortals" Hemented before turning his attention to Zhao Li and said; "I told you, I have seen through all your moves You cannot cast the two types of barriers you have all at once So all I had to do is make sure you can''t take down the invisible barrier and then go for the kill with my fist I guess I was right!" Lucien chuckled slightly. "What do you want?" Zhao Li asked as he gripped Lucien''s hand and tried to pull butpared to Lucien''s inhuman strength, he was like a kid trying to win an adult bodybuilder in a game of arm wrestling. He gazed at Lucien''s face only to find out that his smile was gone and there was no expression left on his face. "What do you want?" He asked timidly once again. "I want you dead" Lucien answered casually making his heart skip a beat. He was sure Lucien was a hundred percent serious about what he just said and that is what terrified him even more. "Please, I can give you anything you want! Riches, cultivation materials all of it, just spare my life!" Zhao Li didn''t care about his image anymore and begged like any othermoner. Gazing at him, he looked pathetic and Lucien found this disgusting! He hated the fact that this man dared toe to his territory to kill him and didn''t even have the guts to follow through with it! "Stop!" a voice echoed as he saw a figure shooting towards them from his city. He and Zhao Li watched as the figure soon reached about a few hundred meters away from them and stopped! It was a green-haired man wearing a green knight armor with a sword almost the same size as him hanging loosely on his back. The Rakuzen n keeps having numerous visitors willing to pay the entrance fee so Lucien cannot keep tabs on them. Judging based on the armor and the number of medals on it, he could tell this man was from the military for the Fotia empire and that left him more confused. Why would someone like this interfere at a time like this? "Why are you here?" Lucien''s voice was cold enough to send shivers down the spines of all those who heard him. It was like he was telling the man he would kill him if he gave a wrong answer! "Lord Lucien, I am Sir Carlos of the imperial forces!" The man gave Lucien a slight bow while he spoke but his tone didn''t carry any form of respect. "You didn''t answer my question Don''t make me ask again!" Lucien warned, ignoring his greetings. "I order you, as an imperial Knight for the empire, to hand this man over to my custody and let the empire deal with him" The man said boldly but Lucien''s answer was something he did not expect! "Piss off!" Lucien growled as he waved his free hand and a massive mana beam shot towards the man! Chapter 143: Decisive actions Chapter 143: Decisive actions "I was attacked yet the empire did nothing to assist and yet you daree at me to spill such crap? Do I look like someone the empire can mess with at will?" Lucien said with his murderous intentions surging madly! As a knight of the Imperial Knight, Sir Carlos is one of the few spirit realm experts of the empire, yet watching such a man struggle against one of the energy beams of the magic towers left many disheartened. At this moment, everyone agreed that Lucien can be considered a man sent to shame all the powerful figures in the continent! Even the magic towers of the empire cannotpare to this, leading them to ask how he even managed to construct this abomination! "You! Do you know the consequences of your actions? This is treason!" Sir Carlos roared as he used his massive de as a shield for the mana beam. "You should have just stayed silent!" Hearing this Lucien raised an eyebrow as a second mana beam shot across the battlefield and rammed into his back! People watched as the two massive beams of pure mana dragged the silver realm expert all the way to the ground until his screams of pain could be heard loudly. Seeing this, Zhao Li and the others were stunned! They realized two things they failed to understand beforeing here. Lucien is a very ruthless individual who cuts down anything in his path, including allies. Should the empire get on his bad side, he won''t hesitate to bring them down as well! The second important fact they failed to notice is that in Lucien''s domain unless you are a champion realm master or you have a reasonable number of spirit realm masters on your side, invading is akin to suicide! "Wait! I can" Zhao Li screamed but before he could finish, Lucien had already pulled out his hand from his chest, dragging his beating heart along with him! Zhao Li gazed at his beating heart in Lucien''s hand in disbelief. He wanted to say something but the words would note out, forcing him to watch in silence as Lucien slid the storage spatial ring in his finger and finally let go of him. Without Lucien supporting him anymore, his body jerked back before free falling to the ground. Those outside the dome watched as the young master fell to the ground head first, breaking his neck in the process but that didn''t really matter since he was already dead! "YOUNG MASTER!!!!!!" These men growled like beasts as they attacked the barrier fiercely. With bloodshot eyes, they gazed at Lucien as they attacked the barrier relentlessly. No one truly believed Lucien would dare kill someone as important as Zhao Li without flinching! They assumed he would just threaten him hard enough to get more benefits from him but it seems they were wrong! BANG! BANG! BANG! Numerous attacks were focused on the damaged part of the barrier. These people just wanted to shatter this barrier and rip Lucien apart. They were sure they won''t be able to return to their Zhao n without Lucien''s head! Wam! Just as they were about to attack once again, something they never expected happened. The barrier at the borders vanished and Lucien who was standing in mid-air spread his hands open like a man preparing to embrace an old friend. "Come" With just one word, all the fighting spirit in the hearts of these people vanished and they stared at Lucien in terror! The fact he brought down the barrier now, meant that he is extremely confident of killing all of them. Going back to the empire isn''t that bad! What punishment can be worse than death? They all gazed at Lucien fearfully and reluctant to attack. Just a moment ago they were desperately trying to break the barrier and rip Lucien apart like a piece of cloth but now the barrier has been brought down willingly by their target, they didn''t have the guts to attack. On this day, the warriors of the Zhao n made a fool of themselves in front of the entire continent! "Can we at least return with the young master''s body?" The elderly spirit realm expert asked Lucien respectfully but even then Lucien did not bother ncing at him. His attention was pinned on the source of the roasted skin smell! It was Sir Carlos on the ground twitching in pain as his entire body was covered in blisters. His eyes carried enough pain and hatred to make a man anxious but Lucien wasn''t bothered at all. Be it the imperial army or the army generals, Lucien strongly believed his value far surpassed theirs in the empire so they can''t harm him, or at least the empire won''t let them and even if they try to, he can always escape. "I could only toy with Zhao Li because he is a support type with little to nobat capabilities The truth remains that even now I cannot take on a spirit realm master without the city defenses I may have gotten stronger thanks to my spirit martial technique but not strong enough I hate to say this but I have to get stronger, faster." Lucien said before returning to the city. He didn''t care what bes of Sir Carlos or Zhao Li''s body. If the forces of the Zhao n try to retrieve it, they will be assaulted by the magic towers, and even if they seed it doesn''t matter much to Lucien since he had no use for the body. As for Sir Carlos, he was sure the man won''t die since spirit realm experts have a strong vitality. He would be surprised if the man doesn''t recover from his injuries in less than a week. Meanwhile, Lucien retired to his castle, under the cheers of his people. Once again, Lucien has proved to them that he is invincible just as they im he is but this didn''t matter much to him. He eagerly made his way for his room and once he got there he shut the door and turned his attention to the notifications. DING! [Mission sessful] [+5000 Empire points] [+3000 exp] [Bonus reward: All paths upgraded by one level!] [Seeker path upgraded] [Contractor path upgraded] [War mage path upgraded] [yer path upgraded] [Spirit beast path upgraded] Seeing this Lucien frowned. He couldn''t hide the fact that he was disappointed since he expected something unique from the system but he couldn''t help but confess that he had forgotten about the paths. He has been skipping stages and gaining strength fast, leaving him with a shaky foundation so he understood the system was trying to rectify his mistakes. Maybe he cannotpletely grasp his new spirit martial technique abilities because his foundation iscking. Laying on the bed, Lucien shut his eyes and let all the information based on the upgraded path surged into his mind. He soon fell asleep after a few minutes, revealing how exhausted he is and when he woke up he noticed someone was sitting beside him on the bed. His vision was still a bit blurry so he couldn''t see her well, forcing him to focus on his sense of smell. ''Ady'' he felt a familiar fragrance pour into his nose. He couldn''t understand why ady would enter his room by this time but since she wasn''t subdued by the defenses of the castle it meant she had no ill intentions directed at him. "Alice?" By the time Lucien''s vision cleared he noticed the golden-haired woman and instantly realized who she is. Gazing at her eyes which had dark circles under them, Lucien realized she was exhausted but didn''t dare sleep. He didn''t know what time it is or why she was here, all he knew was that thisdy needs to get some rest. "Why are you here? Why aren''t you resting?'' Lucien asked calmly as he watched Alice gaze at him with a surprised look on her face. "When I came in here, I found you unconscious and shivering terribly so I assumed something was wrong I decided to stay awake and watch over you" Alice replied while avoiding eye contact. Lucien guessed he was trembling due to the influx of too much information all at once. He appreciated her kind gesture but that doesn''t mean he was not weary of her and her n. Lucien refused to say any more words and just grabbed Alice by the hand and pull her down. With her face on his chest and her hands around him, he muttered the word ''sleep'' in the sweetest way possible before he stopped caring about her. His focus was shifted to the system notifications but having a beautifuldyying on him could be considered distracting. He was about to call for his status but then he felt something soft make contact with his left nipple. It was Alice! As much as he wanted to pull her away, his body betrayed him and let the woman have her way with him. Slowly kept using her tongue to reach different sensitive parts of Lucien''s body until she reached below his waist which left him moaning loudly that night! ''This night is the best!'' Lucien screamed in his heart! Chapter 144: Life after a long night Chapter 144: Life after a long night Lucien slowly yanked his eyes open only to perceive an alluring fragrance, He felt an extremely soft and weightless bodyying on him and when he looked he realized it was Alice. ''Why is she here?'' He thought but then images of their time together the previous night flooded his head, causing him to shot her another meaningful nce but this time with a more confused look on his face. If it were a day ago or two, Lucien would stubbornly im she fell for his good looks but now he didn''t know what to make of himself. The edges of his body are blurry as if they were in danger of dispersing like a mist at any time. His once, eye-catching silver eyes and are now reced with hollow pitch-ck eyes that asionally release a silver light. Lucien wasn''t the type to lie to himself and he knew the current him can be considered inferior to his previous majestic look, meanwhile, this one gave him a fiery and mysterious air about his looks. While many would find something like this attractive, he found it hard to believe that Alice who always gave out a princess, the vibe would fall for the current him. In his opinion, she simply wants to get closer and get him to help her n someway. He shot the nakeddy a nce and pondered on how to deal with her and her n but after giving the matter some thought, Lucien decided to push those thoughts aside. The light-born family can be considered one of the most powerful human top-tier noble ns in the empire, so getting on their good side while having the beautiful Alice at his beck and call is not too bad of a deal. As long as the rtionship is beneficial to him and they don''t ask too much of him, Lucien had no intentions of missing such an opportunity. "I guess I have really grown" Lucien chuckled lightly as he considered the way he would have reacted to such an act a year ago. The old him fails to hide his emotions and makes sure the enemy knows he hates them. The old him didn''t care for consequences, acted impulsively, and missed a lot of opportunities. "Until I have absolute strength, I cannot act recklessly" Lucien said as he shot the nakeddy a nce and wondered why a noble n will let a direct descendant of the main branch use her body as a bargaining chip. He let out a disappointed sigh as his eyes released a silver sh before his body burst into a cloud of gray mist and slowly escaped Alice''s grip. Reforming beside the bed without his clothes on, Lucien turned around only to notice something that made even his cold heart tremble. His white bed sheet was stained red with blood. As an expert, he could tell he wasn''t hurt and with just a nce he could tell Alice wasn''t hurt either. He couldn''t help but recount the previous night''s activities and he quickly remembered the pained look on Alice''s face as he kept thrusting without care. He frowned and took a few steps back, gazing at the sleeping, golden-haired girl on his bed and wondered how to deal with this situation. He originally felt Alice did this to lure him into working with the Lightborn family but he strongly refused to believe this girl would give up her first time just for something like that. Did she sleep with him the previous night, not because she wanted to use him but because she actually liked him? Lucien was left confused and helpless. He wanted to wake her up this instant and ask her but he advised himself against such thoughts. His body leaned back as his eyes revealed a bright sh with a hint of killing intent. "I will deal with thister" Lucien muttered to himself with a frustrated look on his face before walking into the bathroom. While taking a shower, Lucien was lost in thought as he tried to consider so many possibilities but no matter what he couldn''t stop his heart from beating madly. He was distracted all through the time spent there, making him spend close to thirty minutes or so in the bathroom and when he finally came out, he realized Alice was already awake. Sheid on the bed and covered her body with the bloody white bed sheet. When Lucien came out of the bathroom with only a white towel, draped around his waist and leaving his upper half exposed, she couldn''t help but gaze at his body. His abs and chest seemed perfectly ced. He wasn''t too muscr but muscr enough toplement his good looks and make a girl''s heart flutter. Seeing his wet silver hair, lie loosely on his shoulders, she felt the urge to feel it. Alice never knew she would be captivated by a beast-man this much! "You should go wash up I will deal with theundriester But first I will make breakfast" Lucien said calmly after ncing at her and seeing the embarrassed look on her face. Even a cold-hearted killer like him found it incredibly cute when Alice proactively avoided making eye contact. While She gave off an innocent and cute vibe, Instructor Emma gave Lucien a naughty vibe, so he considered this a new experience that he found amusing. Seeing Lucien chuckle lightly, Alice felt even more embarrassed covered her face with a pillow, probably trying to suffocate herself but Lucien didn''t pay her any attention and just walked into the dressing room. He picked a casual long-sleeved white shirt and white trousers, both oversized. Even though he looked different, he still looked cute. By the time he left the dressing room, he realized that Alice was taking a shower and he considered walking into that bathroom and giving her the greatest scare of her life, but he tried as much as possible to restrain himself. He quickly gathered the bed covers and reced them with new ones. After that, Lucien left the room and went straight to the kitchen. Even after gaining such arge ce and ruling over so many people, he never considered having anyone working for him, and for a while, he couldn''t say he felt lonely staying here all alone. Having Alice here made him slightly more cheerful than usual. "Last night was something" Lucien muttered to himself as he began cooking. To distract himself he began recounting everything that happened the previous night and he couldn''t help but consider the possibility of losing his life the numerous battles he embarked on the previous day. He fought so many people and got so many benefits, he couldn''t help but feel anxious but then he soon remembered that yesterday is also the day he got on the bad side of two powerful forces in the continent. The first is the imperial forces of the empire, stationed at the capital and the second is the Zhao n of the Libet empire. Lucien could only chuckle when he remembered these people since he considered them dead men anyway. In his opinion, there is a limit to what they can do to him right now and if he should be given enough time to grow, he will definitely reach a level where they can never harm him again. As soon as Lucien was done preparing breakfast he moved everything to the dining hall and just sat there gazing at a golden inter-spatial storage ring and he couldn''t help but feel amused. With Zhao Li dead, his soul print in the ring has faded, allowing Lucien to take ownership of the ring. Normal people can only store and remove things in the inter-spatial storage ring with a thought but Lucien didn''t do that. He had the intention of keeping the contents a secret so he spread his sea of consciousness into a storage ring. Lucien soon found himself in a navy blue infinite space with countless twinkling stars, glittering everywhere. Gazing at the massive dazzling space, Lucien was mesmerized for a while. While he always felt the Bess assimtion technique he has is amazing, seeing this he realized that the space element is something that no one should look down on. Maybe instructor Han is not that powerful because he is also a support type mage but then Lucien thought of Leonard''s sister who uses the space element and is part of the war mage ss. If she seeds, she will be the first offensive spatial mage in the entire continent and even Lucien couldn''t help but shudder at the thought of fighting such a person. "Maybe it''s time I begin expanding the Rakuzen n. Recruiting the younger generation experts who do not have any faction should be my focus" Lucien muttered calmly. But the problem now isn''t just recruiting. To be able to recruit young experts still in the academy, Lucien must be able topete with the mighty ns in the empire. He had to offer something that the major ns of the empire can''t offer! Chapter 145: 12 Imperial knights Chapter 145: 12 Imperial knights Within the blue space, Lucien forgot his main reason foring here and began pondering on how to recruit capable mages into his fold. His n may be on the rise butpared to the main goals in the empire, he is way behind in terms of resources and connections. A n should possess secret martial techniques that can be passed down to their spirit realm masters, yet he has none. A n should have its army and so much more but Lucien has nothing, it may seem like his n is doing fine but the truth is that he is way behind. In Lucien''s opinion, his n is no different from a normal vige where there are no cultivators or powers. Thinking about this, Lucien sighed and leaned back again, and shut his eyes. His sea of consciousness was withdrawn from the storage ring and when he returned to the real world, he realized Alice was already sitting at the other end of therge dining table, gazing at him intently. "You are here?" Lucien said, awkwardly. He didn''t know how to exin, how he was able to move his consciousness from one point to another. "You don''t have to be nervous I am not ignorant of the sea of consciousness formed by experts who attain a martial technique. The fact you have one, makes it only natural you possess a sea of consciousness" Alice said calmly but even then she refused to make eye contact with Lucien. It was clear she still felt shy since her tonecked any form of superiority. This made Lucien wonder if he found a way to make this girl fall for him without even doing anything. Unknown to him, his recent heroic actions left the youngdy''s heart enchanted. "I am sure you know much about martial techniques what do you think about mine?" Lucien asked as he stuffed a piece of steak in his mouth "You shouldn''t talk while you chew" Alice ignored his question and said that instead, leaving Lucien stunned since that was not the reply he was waiting for. "What?" Lucien responded with a question and a confused look on his face. "I said, you shouldn''t speak when you chew do you wanna get choked?" Alice said worriedly causing Lucien tough out loud. In his opinion, this can be considered the most ridiculous thing he has heard in a long time. How can a cultivator choke? Even beast-men without talent for magic can''t choke over a piece of meat, not to talk of a person at his current level. "Like seriously?" Lucienughed madly without restraint, annoying Alice even more. She only told him this out of worry, yet heughed at her without giving her face or anything. With a reddened face due to embarrassment, Alice ignored him and started eating grumpily. It took another minute before Lucien could control himself and watch Alice eat. As much as he wanted to deny it, he has been living a very boring life and he found it annoying. Maybe he has isted himself from people so much that it has affected him somehow. He once again told himself he needs to expand his family and make the Rakuzen n formidable. [If you wish to expand, I suggest you drag one of the Empire''s old monsters over to your side While you have me as your master, the others have no one to meet if they reach a bottleneck in their cultivation by the way people feel safer if they can see the immovable figure representing them... You should focus on getting an old monster before recruiting the younger people] Rakuzen exined. Hearing this, Lucien nodded in agreement and said nothing else. Apart from getting an old monster, he needs to improve the overall strength of his n. Every noble family has its fighting force, an army of its own just like the Zhao n that easily mobilized a small number of hundred warrior and mortal realm masters in mere minutes. The only problem preventing Lucien from turning everyone in his territory into a powerhouse is thews guiding the empire. All cultivators must go through the Fotia academy and get registered, that way the empire can keep tabs on the fighting force of each empire. "I guess I will have to make a special request when next I meet the emperor" Lucien muttered as he leaned back. "Did you say something?" Alice quickly asked the moment she heard Lucien mumble some words. Even though she was annoyed at Lucien, she still wanted to speak to him but she didn''t know how to start a conversation! Hearing her speak, Lucien smiled and spoke up. "Thank you" He said calmly. "For what?" Alice''s face turned red with embarrassment, so she couldn''t help but ask that question. "For making me smile" Lucien answered calmly as he continued eating. Hearing this, Alice blushed uncontrobly and buried her face on the table, causing Lucien tough lightly. "It is boring staying here all alone My life has been boringtely You made this morning more interesting than ever " Lucien said casually but for Alice, it meant a lot. It''s hard to exin such feelings for her since this is the first time she has ever felt this way. Was she enchanted by his strength? Or is it his looks? Or maybe it should be his overbearing nature? Or just the way he does things? Gazing at Lucien she couldn''t tell why she felt this way about him, all she knew was that the feelings popped up without giving her the chance to reject. "I will be honored to work with the Lightborn family The Rakuzen n agrees to your offer but at one condition" Lucien said those words with a straight face to show he is taking this seriously. "What?" Alice asked with an anxious look on her face. She was deeply overjoyed that Lucien agreed to work with their n but having him ask for a condition made her anxious. What if he asked for something outrageous? "You will be my adviser" Lucien answered quickly. Hearing this, Alice felt like she heard wrong. How can someone from one n, act as an adviser for someone from a different n? "Ick knowledge of basically everything apart from methods of vanquishing my enemies I don''t know how empire politics work and how to run a noble family I need someone who can guide me until I feel I can do it on my own" Lucien exined slowly. "And you think I am the right person?" Alice''s voice trailed off while she asked that question. "Yea I enjoy having you around and I strongly believe you are the only one I can trust" Lucien said casually before throwing another piece of steak into his mouth and chewing silently while waiting for Alice to respond. "You know doing this means you have to expose a lot of n secrets to me I have to know your strengths and weaknesses if you want me to advise you properly" Alice said sternly. "I have no weaknesses anyone in this empire can exploit, you don''t have to worry about that" Lucien''s words would sound extremely rude to many bit it made Alice blush. Could it be the bad boy vibes that she found attractive? Bam! At that moment the doors swung open and the elderly chieftain of the town led men dressed in special golden and red armor stormed in. They all wore helmets of various shapes and designs giving them a fierce look. The old men who let them in were trembling and even Alice was stunned by their presence. "The twelve pirs of the imperial knights!" Alice eximed as she hurriedly bowed respectfully to these twelve peerless experts bit Lucien remained seated with his legs crossed and he kept eating without care. "You can leave now old man Try to calm down as well At this rate, you will definitely have a heart attack" Lucien joked as he threw in another piece of Stake in his mouth. His pitch-ck eyes soon shifted to the twelve knights and a grin appeared on his face. "You guys finally showed up I was wondering when the imperial knights will appear after the event of yesterday. After waiting for so long, I began considering a possibility that you guys were too scared to show your faces!" Lucien chuckled lightly as he spoke. Hearing this Alice''s heart skipped a heat and before she could try to rebuke Lucien or apologize on his behalf, one of the golden armored men with a bull helmet took a step forward and his red aura exploded! It spread widely within the room, shooting towards Lucien at an incredible speed. "You dare act restlessly in my domain? Tell Me, how do you wish to do?!" Lucien growled as his aura exploded and his silver aura surged forward, shing with that of the knight. No matter how much the knight tried to release his full strength, he always ended up getting suppressed by an unknown force. "What the hell is this?" The knight said coldly while gazing at Lucien. Chapter 146: Chapter 145 Chapter 146: Chapter 145 The twelve imperial knights are considered the mightiest generals in the Fotia academy. With each of them at the peak of the spirit realm! These twelve are said to be the leader one''s to lead the royal forces in battle! Their status could be considered higher than that of an average noble family head. Seeing Lucien act this way towards them even though he is a simple Baron infuriated them but for some reason, they chose not to attack. They could feel the various mana gathering signatures, located at various spots within the castle. Automated defense systems were so advanced, these people couldn''t help but ask how Lucien got his hands on something this advanced. In normal circumstances, these twelve would not bother with someone like Lucien who is only a baron. They wouldn''t bothering out themselves to meet a warrior realm brat who left one of their knights in a very bad condition. But Lucien is different. This kid was just someone who suddenly became popr overnight and is shrouded in mystery. He could be considered one of the few nobles the empire needs rather than the other way around. Gazing at the kid, looking down on them infuriated them but they also felt ted as well. In their opinion, Lucien is an unknown variable that can either make or break the empire. If they y their cards right and extract as much information as they can from Lucien, they can break the bnce in strength between the three great empires and finally make the Fotia the most powerful one. "Just like the nobles said You are domineering" the bull helmet imperial knightughed lightly as he withdrew his aura and Lucien did the same. He too could tell this was all a farce since he couldn''t feel any killing intent from the man when he sent his aura at him, it was more like they are testing him. "I believe it''s time you tell me why you havee since we are done ying games" Lucien said calmly with a light smile at the corner of his lips... "Appear at the Royal courtroom tonight there is much to discuss As a noble and the reason for all of this, you must attend" The imperial knight said as his eyes gave out a light sh. Seeing this, Lucien only nodded his head nonchntly in response and did nothing more. He was already bored of their meeting and was slightly annoyed by the fact that he had to stop eating for this. He too had pressing matters to attend to and even now he has no choice but to go through the system again. In his opinion, he has been skipping levels, so his foundation is shaky. As soon as the imperial knights left, Lucien left the food and returned to his room, and shut the doors. He brought out Zhao Li''s ring and began checking its contents. Apart from a thousand gold coins that he considers reasonable, he found books based on the invisible force martial technique. There were high-quality cultivation resources and a book based on the generalws of martial technique. That book can be considered one of the most important items here. Touching the book Lucien assimted all the information recorded in it almost instantly and this helped him understand a lot. While human martial techniques are vast and different, they all bear a simrity that should be taken note of. Whatever physical change a person incurs or new abilities gained after forming a martial technique will always be derived from theponents used to form it. Each martial technique make look different but they have almost the same roots. Thinking back at the moment he tried to remember what he used to create the spirit martial technique and finally found out how it works, or at least he had an idea. Apart from that, there was still some mid quality magic equipment and since Lucien did not need these, he decided to just put it in the n treasury. He considered these pieces of equipment, inferior grade and had intentions of upgrading them before sending them out to his subordinates. In the end, he gained a total of one hundred and fifty pieces of magic equipment., a handful of books and guides, over a thousand gold coins, and finally the cultivation materials stored there were close to five thousand coins is worth. As to understand why Zhao Li carried so many valuables, is one thing Lucien may never find out. [He most likely would have offered you these things if you let him speak and not kill him right away!] Rakuzen said and Lucien nodded his head in agreement. "Why would I ept this and let him live when I can always taking kill him and take it away just like I did. Shameless and stupid" Lucien said with a frown on his face. [Well, not everyone would be eager to incur the wrath of the Zhao n so, not everyone would make such a reckless move, just like you did] Rakuzen argued. "Even then, to think that a person would be shameless I wish I tortured him more before taking his life!" Lucien hissed before dropping the storage ring on a desk andid down on the bed. "Upgrade system" Lucien said those words coldly and a blue light began surging out of his body. The blue energy spread across his body and slowly spread across his entire body. His eyes let out a bright blue light and his body convulsed unusually. [Updating] [Updating..] [Updateplete.] Only after thest message did everything calm down and only then did Lucien regain control of his body. He could feel it, like one of the chains binding Rakuzen within the dark corners of his mind was loosened. In normal circumstances, the more he upgraded the system, the better the chances of Rakuzen taking over but with Rakuzen as an ally, he had no reason to worry about this. [-6000exp] DING! [New updates avable] [New Spirit martial technique identified] "OH?" Lucien muttered. Originally the system couldn''t detect his abilities but after the upgrade, it popped up. [Dual Spirit martial technique: Soul and Body Harmony technique] [Frombining the beast assimtion, Elemental and spirit beast abilities to form a sea of consciousness. This grants the host multiple abilities] [Beast Assimtion revival; Host can summon his beast assimtions and grant them an immortal body. As long as the host does not run out of world energy, the beast assimtions cannot be permanently destroyed] [Soul and body Harmony: The host can incorporate his magic with his soul attacks to achieve true magic. Attacks that harm both the body and soul] [Foresight: With the second level of the Seer pathway mastered, Host can see a glimpse of the future in battle or have premonitions of danger in battle] [Phantom fists: Combining both soul and body, the user can perform phantom punches which strike the soul directly and not the body It temporarily grants the hosts fists, the ability the phase through physical objects and directly harm the soul] [Soul link: Host can form a link between two souls and speak telepathically to allies whom he has a soul pact with] "Just this much?" Lucien said with a frown on his face since he was expecting more. The description may seem simple but Lucien knew how powerful his abilities are and that''s why he didn''tin much, even though he was hoping for more shy abilities. Either way, he wasn''t too bothered. After reading everything set up by the system, Lucien understood some things about his spirit martial technique and what makes it superior to other martial techniques. Unlike other martial techniques that cannot evolve or assimte other skills, this one allows a person to upgrade the ability, through upgrading his understanding of the various pathways. The more pathways he learns and the more he understands about them, the more powerful he bes. [This martial technique grants you an ability based on everything you know... Even the seer, contractor, and yer pathway is put into consideration when dealing with this I think you are very lucky since we finally know a way to cultivate this martial technqiue] Rakuzen said and Lucien nodded in agreement. He gazed at his stats once again only to realize that he has stacked up a lot of experience points and empire upgrade points. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Cultivation technique: Soul and Body harmony dual cultivation technique] [Cultivation realm: 2nd sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 16,000] [HP: 500/500] [EP: 500/500] [Condition: Healthy] [Pure Qi body: 4%] [Exp: 7,000] With this much, he should be able to upgrade, at least one more pathway but he didn''t want to rush this either so he decided to let it go for now. A lot of time had passed by and before meeting the emperor and the other noble families with the imperial forces in tonight''s meeting, he deemed it necessary to have at least an ally on the side of the nobles. "I guess I will be heading over to the Lightborn family territory with Alice." Lucien sighed while he spoke. Chapter 147: First alliance Chapter 147: First alliance Lucien decided not to waste any more time on unnecessary things. For some reason, he felt like he is running out of time and there is little or nothing he can do about it. His eyes were like two bright balls of lights as he wore the azure blue dragon mask and put on his usual, sleeveless silver mage robe with the blue dragon design, signifying the Rakuzen n. Apart from him, it is yet to wee anyone else into the fold that is worthy of wearing this with him. "Do you n to stay out there and keep peeping?" Lucien said casually as his ck, hollow eyes released a bright silver light, startling Alice who was peeping through the door. "I am sorry, I couldn''t" Alice immediately walked in and tried to apologize but Lucien cut her short halfway since it is irrelevant to him. "You don''t have to worry about little matters Just knock and walk in next time As my advisor, you will be spending most of your time by my side" Lucien said with a warm voice but his eyes within the mask were cold and scary, which made Alice find it hard to believe his words. "Can you take off the mask? It looks scary and it gives everyone a bad impression of you I think you should only wear this on the battlefield or in front of enemies" Alice said shyly as she tried as much as possible not to make eye contact with Lucien. She expected Lucien to reject or hesitate a bit but what happened next left her stunned. "I guess so Since you say so, I will definitely give it a try" Lucien said casually as he pulled the mask off his face before turning his attention to Alice. "Take me to the Lightborn family territory I think it''s time we make things official" Lucien added with a light smile. Alice''s face turned red as she almost ran out of the room after nodding and Lucien could only follow her closely with a smile on his face. The duo took a carriage to the n borders and there they took the teleportation array and vanished. In less than a minute, they were teleported to the city of Regis, one of the few territories under the Lightborn n. Not only was this city smaller than his Bradford city, but it was nowhere near it in terms ofparison. "Don''t think too little of my n this is just one of the fifteen cities under the Lightborn n" Alice said the moment she noticed Lucien''s disappointed look. Hearing this, Lucien''s eyes widened with surprise as he turned to look at Alice. As someone who had never been interested in things like this from the start, Lucien knows too little about life as a noble. He knows nothing about the politics of the empire and can only rely on his strength. When he got his own territory and was forced to carter for it, Lucidn felt like a massive burden was ced on his shoulder, preventing him from doing a lot of things. He knew the stress of governing one city but now he heard the Lightborn n had over fifteen cities, he couldn''t help but wonder how these people manage to govern all of them. "How do you guys manage to govern fifteen cities?" Lucien asked with sincere curiosity. Seeing Lucien curious for the first time since she met him, Alice felt proud that it was the Lightborn family greatness that could get his interest. "Family Throughout bloodlines..... The right to govern cities is given to those who perform well so the entire Lightborn territory is governed by the younger generations and watched over by the old monsters of the n I believe it is necessary for you to settle down as a n head and have offspring of your own..." Alice said thest part with a reddened face. While she was embarrassed, Lucien frowned. He hadpletely forgotten about his impotence, due to the side effects of getting the system but now Alice spoke about having an offspring, Lucien felt bad. It simply meant that he could not have a direct descendant that can take over from him. [The divinity and authority of a god is not something a mortal body can handle. Cultivators grow impotent as they get stronger, that way gods are prevented from inbreeding which will result in the creation of beings almost equal to gods with the divinity and authority of both parents You carry my divinity and authority, therefore you cannot reproduce I am sorry, Lucien] Rakuzen said in his head the moment he realized Lucien was feeling down. Who wouldn''t want a child of his own? Who wouldn''t want to be a father? Even someone like Lucien has such urges and that''s why he felt bad, almost like he lost something or someone important. Alice who was blushing soon looked to the side, only to see Lucien frowning, quickly tried to exin what she meant. "Don''t get me wrong A war between us and the Libet empire is about to start and as a noble, you will be sent into the frontlines The chances of you dying are high, so even if something happens, you can have someone to take over your position and keep the family name going" Alice exined but even that didn''t seem to calm Lucien down. "The grade 1 sealed artifact I got has a drawback just like other sealed artifacts It prevents me from having a child So you don''t think too much about it" Lucien said calmly but Alice couldn''t hide her shock. She promptly remembered the previous night, she couldn''t remember whether Lucien pulled out or not but it seems it didn''t matter. For some reason, she couldn''t help but feel bad. She didn''t know she was feeling bad but she could tell it wasn''t for Lucien but herself. Yes! It is very bad news when you realize that the person you love cannot give you a child. She turned to look at Lucien and noticed the pained expression on his face so she chose not to speak anymore and let everything die down. ------------------------------------ The rest of the journey was uneventful since they barely spoke and with the help of Alice''s identity as a member of the Lightborn main branch family, it was easy for them to reach the light pce, home to the true bloodline of the Lightborn family. The castle was just as big as Lucien''s home with so many formations, Lucien strongly believed he was only slightly better than it. Entering the grand hall of the castle, Lucien was weed by the important figures of the powerful n, making Lucien believe that these people were aware of hising. They even organized a grand feast and since Lucien cut his breakfast short halfway, he could finally fill his belly with good meat. During the feast everyone watched Lucien eat and converse casually with Alice, sometimes he wouldugh heartily at her jokes and sheughed at his too. This made them happy since they believed the better his rtionship with Alice, the more likely he is toply with their offer. "A toast, to one of the brightest stars of the Fotia empire! He appeared into this world and took the entire continent by storm! The only warrior realm expert who is known to have fought a spirit realm master with fifty strong men and single-handedly killed them all! A toast to Lucien Rakuzen!" A massive man who was at least 7ft tall, with a thick golden mustache and bright golden eye said with a deep voice and a jug of wine in his hand. "You give me too much credit My city defenses did at least fifty percent of the job" Lucien said modestly. "Rubbish! Do you dare deny that you would win against Zhao Li even without those pesky magic towers of yours?" The man asked with a raised eyebrow. This time those listening, knew this wasn''t a joke, instead, the Lightborn n patriarchy was trying to have a rough idea of how strong Lucien is. "Naturally Even though I am confident I can take down spirit realm masters, it doesn''t mean I will leave the battle unscathed If I were to fight a fighter type or a mage, I will most likely win but end up with serious injuries that I am sure of" Lucien said calmly and the man nodded in approval. As long as Lucien can stand his own against a spirit realm master then he is qualified to sit and eat with him at the same table. "I am sure my granddaughter has offered you a spot as one of the Lightborn family allies. I can assure you, if you submit, we will treat you well!" Therge manughed but Lucien''s smile froze and turned into a sneer. "I never agreed to work for the Lightborn family The Rakuzen n will only work with the Lightborn family as equals!" Lucien dered boldly. The hearts of everyone present skipped a beat as they felt a tremendous aura exploding from the huge man but even then Lucien wasn''t fazed. His eyes let out a rainbow color as his aura exploded, violently shattering his seat, but he remained seated in mid-air! "Make your move, if you think Ick the strength!" Lucien sneered! Chapter 148: Lucien Rakuzen submits to no one under the heavens! Chapter 148: Lucien Rakuzen submits to no one under the heavens! The burly huge man frowned as Lucien''s aura shed with his and he could feel himself getting overwhelmed. He thought Lucien was trying to act modestly when he was underestimating himself, but it seems he was deliberately trying to talk down his achievements. While the huge Lightborn n patriarch was like a blinding golden sun, covering one half of the room, Lucien was like a pair of viinous silver eyes hiding within a gray mist and gazing at his foe with intense killing intentions. Judging based on the terrified looks on the faces of the other Lightborn family members, Lucien slightly understood the way this family works. While they may look morous on the outside, while giving off a holy and tamed aura, it seems that these people are not as free as many think. Their patriarch could be considered a cruel man who uses fear to control his subordinates. "Nice one kid, you are truly amazing to be able to match power with me even with your pitiful cultivation realm but this is where it ends, It''s a hundred years too early for you to challenge me!" The Lightborn family patriarch roared as he grabbed the void and pulled down! A massive golden sword appeared above Lucien making the entire castle tremble as it descended like a divine judgment delivered by the god of light. "Hahahaha! Kill me with this? Compared to the Judgement spear of the invaders, your light magic is nothing but childsy!" Lucienughed out loud as he put on his blue mask and his aura exploded violently. Countless visions of him getting skewered by the attack shed across his eyes but one showcased his brilliance in battle, making a smile bloom on his face! "I see everything!" Lucien growled as the serpent tattoo on his hand glowed as his body darkened the moment he coated it with metal. The blue dragon appeared above his head and then condensed into a blue dragon spear and with a light tap, it began twirling viciously, creating a whirlpool of blue mes! "Break!" Bothbatants growled as an explosion urred, shattering the table and sending other Lightborn family members flying meters back! They watched in horror from afar as the blue whirlpool of fire shed viciously with the golden broadsword. "It''s over! Take my fist!" Lucien growled as he punched towards the man and ck lightning surged forward, taking the shape of the Azure blue Chinese serpent dragon! Roar! Hearing the life-like roar of magic from a youth who never learned creation magic startled everyone and but the Lightborn family patriarch remained unmoved and summoned what looked like light armor! He let out a magnificent glow that made many instinctively want to pray to this invincible being but when the attack struck him, no one expected what happened! "Aarrrrrrgggghhhhh!" The Lightborn n Patriarch let out a painful cry as his body was thrown to the other side of the room with the attack. The man''s face turned dangerously pale and even though he had no wound on him, he seemed to be badly injured by Lucien''s attack. The golden sword above Lucien crumbled and only then the Lucien let out a breath of relief but he too had a pale face, Luckily, it was hidden under the azure dragon mask. "Lucien Rakuzen submits to no one under the heavens You don''t have what it takes to make the Rakuzen n submit to you You either work with me as equals or you forget it!" Lucien''s domineering voice made the hearts of all those who heard it shudder in fear as they gazed at him. "What was that?" the Lightborn n patriarch asked as he tried to adjust his breathing while casting a healing light spear on himself but then he frowned. Just as he expected, his soul was what took the brunt of the attack, and if it wasn''t for his pdin pathway that reinforces his soul while grants him a means of healing soul-rted injuries, he would have remained bedridden for a few weeks before dying. To think this youth canbine both magic and soul power together to form something so terrifying! "Dual martial technique: Body and soul harmony. That''s what my martial technique is called" Lucien gave him a simple answer and waited for everyone to figure out the rest and when they did, their faces were filled with horror! This kid actually managed tobine the physical and the spiritual to create a martial technique that has never been heard of in the history of this world. "I underestimated you Allowing me to introduce myself, I am us Lightborn Leader of this great n. My n wishes to enter an official alliance with the Rakuzen n! While it may not be on par with the Lightborn n but with you as its head, it is only a matter of time before you reach and even surpass us" us said with a pale face while he conjured a golden sword and used it to support his weak body. "I ept your offer! I will be taking my leave now!" Lucien''s hollow eyes let out a silver sh as he said this. With this done, his body exploded into a gray mist and surged out of the room, heading towards the nearest teleportation tform! Seeing this other Lightborn family members felt annoyed and felt Lucien was extremely rude but what us had to say shocked them. "Hehehehe! That brat got injured and since he didn''t want to show weakness, he fled before he is unable to restrain it anymore! I like this kid! HAHAHAHAHA!" The manughed uncontrobly, before stopping to spit out a mouthful of blood but that didn''t wipe the smile off his face. Hearing this, these people understood what happened and even though they didn''t necessarily hate or like Lucien, they had a good impression of him. Not only did he not show any unwarranted pride, due to his birth as a beast-man but he also had the strength to back up his humility. He didn''t ask for anything, neither did he take anything. "Alice Make sure you maintain a good rtionship with that kid His future is boundless and as his first allies we are bound to have a good harvest when he gets to the top of the cultivation world!" us said weakly before leaving the room. "Yes, grandfather," Alice said with a slight bow, before leaving the room to chase after Lucien. Just like us said, the gray mist left blood trails and when following it, it didn''t take long before she saw Lucien staggering forward while breathing heavily. The guards on the hallway just watched indifferently but seeing Alice running towards Lucien with a worried look on her face, they couldn''t help but wonder what rtionship this brat has with the pearl of the Lightborn n. "Why are you here?" Lucien said as he fell on one knee and gazed at Alice running towards him. "You are hurt Let me heal you" Alice ignored Lucien''s words and said that. When she reached Lucien she ced her hands on his shoulder and began mumbling some words while making strange hand seals. "Your n head got hurt badly It''s safe to say his injuries are worse than mine Shouldn''t you be worried about him?" Lucien took off his mask as he spoke, revealing his terribly pale face and his lips stained with blood. "Lucien Rakuzen The Lightborn family head is not so weak. He can take care of himself You may have won this fight but you are not in a good condition either Unlike you, he can heal his injuries. You are at the disadvantage here" Alice said calmly as she cast her healing light spell. Hearing their words, the guards watching from the sides were stunned. Of course, they have heard of the amazing Lucien Rakuzen but many are yet to see him. They only heard he is strong and when they watched Lucien walking down this hall, bleeding badly, they sneered in their hearts and cursed the impulsive fool for challenging their n head but now they heard from Alice''s mouth that their n head lost the fight and is in a worse condition, all their focus was now on Lucien again. It''s already amazing that a warrior realm master was able to form his own martial technique but what was more shocking is that he actually managed to win over us. us has always been a terrifying figure and the number of people that can win against him in this empire can be counted with one hand. To think a kid this young entered the list, even if they hated Lucien they couldn''t help but respect him! While Lucien was getting healed by Alice, the news of his battle with us had already reached the borders of the empire and beyond! The news of the young master defeating the Lightborn family head, made people of the Rakuzen n feel proud, especially those in the academy. Meanwhile, the emperor and the Wuxing n head, alongside the imperial knights were stunned by this as well! They felt even more eager to meet Lucien in today''s meeting! Chapter 149: 13th Imperial knight! Chapter 149: 13th Imperial knight! The royal courtyard was filled with all nobles of all ranks and titles. This is a rare asion because the war was just at the corner and all nobles of the empire are mandated to gather for this day. On the mighty throne at the very edge of the room was Emperor Fei with the Wuxing n patriarch standing behind his throne. It is said this man can be considered his most loyal partner and friend. The two watched as the small nobles discussed amongst themselves while the mighty nobles gathered and openly discriminated against their peers who were of a lower title. In this kingdom, there are only two champion realm masters[Emperor Fei and the Wuxing n patriarch] and slightly over thirty spirit realm masters. Everyone at the mortal realm and below is almost considered insignificant and that''s why the spirit realm masters spared no effort when discriminating against the weaker ones. Bam! The golden doors yanked open as a youth walked into the room. Unexpectedly, he was topless, revealing his bandaged abs and he wore white trousers. On his body were numerous tattoos of various magic beasts and his long silver hair easily reached his waist, giving him a gentle look. "Lucien Rakuzen!" "So the rumors are true, he fought us!" Many began murmuring as they turned their attention to the pale-lookingrge man in golden armor gazing at Lucien coldly. When Lucien entered the room, he directly began walking towards the man with a cold look on his face. Judging based on the looks on their faces, many assumed these two were about to erupt and tear each other apart but to their greatest surprise when Lucien got close, us stood up and they shook hands. "Kid, you are still alive?" us asked. "Hehehehe! Don''t expect me to die from a little scratch!" Lucien replied. "HAHAHAHAHA! THAT''S WHAT I WANT TO HEAR!" usughed heartily with Lucien and after they were done exchanging pleasantries, Lucien began walking towards the throne. On a higher floor in the massive hall, Lucien could see the twelve golden knights staring at him. It looked like they were watching his every move, making it look like they are expecting him to do something crazy. "Emperor!" Lucien said and fell on one knee while bowing well. His actions left everyone stunned since Lucien has never proactively shown the emperor respect and many wondered why the emperor was yet to put him to death but seeing him act this way, even emperor Fei was shocked but slightly delighted. Unknown to them, Lucien was just in a good mood. Making the Lightborn family his allies while having Alice help him sort out many of his n rted issues while having her draft out a list of potential recruits, he finally felt like he is moving forward and for some reason, he felt extremely happy. "You havee!" Emperor Fei said with a slight smile on his face but even then Lucien didn''t lift his head. "I came as you ordered. I apologize for having you wait but us here did a number on me I needed to tend to my wounds first!" Lucien answered calmly and respectfully. "I can see that" Emperor Fei said as he gazed at the bandages on Lucien''s body and couldn''t help but smile. Lucien may be the one covered in bandages but he could see us was even more hurt. For a warrior realm youth to be able to aplish this is already extremely extraordinary and even he couldn''t help but gaze at Lucien with a hint of admiration. But with the crowd somewhere, everyone could feel someone''s killing intentions surging dangerously and when they all nced to the side it was a silver-haired aged man who was slightly identical to Lucien in some way. A man many had forgotten for a long time, Lukas Raizen! Ever since he banished Lucien from the Raizen n, he had only been greeted with news of Lucien''s exploits. He was extremely delighted when Lucien was imprisoned for consuming a sealed artifact and he was amongst the nobles that pushed for his execution but even then, Lucien managed to escape death somehow, and even now, he keeps performing outstanding deeds that put him to shame. Over time his approval rating as a leader and a n head kept dropping and other heads of the three great beast-men ns in the empire, gaze at him and call him stupid. He found it amusing when Lucien was made a noble with the human realm cultivation base and he never expected Lucien to go far but today, gazing at his grandson, he felt the threat of death looming over his head. He knew his grandson was not the type to let go of old grudges. Lucien will only put it aside for now and wait for the perfect time to strike. With such a threat rising so fast, why wouldn''t he feel the urge to destroy them entirely? "I suggest you restrain yourself old man Or you may not live to leave this ce!" Lucien''s eyes let out a silver sh as he turned his attention on the old man he once called grandpa. Hearing this Lukas red up with anger and quickly rose to his feet, Lighting began crackling around him but then he felt the cold gaze of the emperor and Wuxing n head, causing him to shrivel up and sink back into his seat. He didn''t know why but he felt like everyone on this court is against him since they were all looking at him as if he did something stupid. Would dare let this junior insult him and get away with it? "Don''t ponder too much on it old friend, even if given a chance to redeem your image you will die at the hands of your grandson. You are not his opponent anymore!" The patriarch of the Lucardo n said with a slight smile on his face. Those around him nodded in agreement, causing the Raizen n head to lower his head in shame. The emperor just shot the old n head a cold nce and as soon as everything settled down he turned his attention to Lucien and only then did his gaze grow soft. "Lucien Rakuzen, in one night alone, you have done a great service to this empire by letting her enemies know they can''t just do as they please For that, we thank you." Emperor Fei said this and paused a little before he continued. "As a reward, I have decided to grant you the title of viscount and allow you to pick a territory of your choice to add to your own. After much deliberation, I and the twelve imperial knights of the Fotia empire have decided to invite you as the thirteenth imperial knight of the empire! What do you say?" Emperor Fei added with a raised eyebrow. Hearing this, the entire hall erupted as they gazed at the twelve knights above in shock. The title of imperial knight means Lucien''s position is practically higher than that of these nobles since he has the authority tomand battalions in wars! If he should ept, he is no different from a war general! Someone considered to be on par with the twelve strongest spirit realm masters in the empire! If not for us'' condition, many would have kicked against it, but seeing what Lucien was able to do to the old monster, many considered him superior in strength now and none dared look down on him so no one dared to object. "Before I ept this generous reward, I wish to rify something" Lucien said calmly as he looked up this time, gazing into the eyes of the emperor fearlessly. "Go on!" Emperor Fei said as he leaned forward with interest in his eyes. "As a viscount, I have the right to choose another territory to put under mymand and make it mine, am I correct?" Lucien asked. "Yes" Emperor Fei answered casually. "And as an imperial knight, I am allowed to gather my own personal forces without restraint or restrictions?" Lucien asked again. "Yes" Once again the emperor''s answer was simple. "Then I request that the emperor allows me to bring in my subordinates who reside outside the empire They are the ones who thought me spirit beast cultivation method and because of them, I havee this far They see me as their leader due to my ownership of the beast assimtion technique and they await my return!" Lucien said with a slight bow but his eyes were zing with passion! Hearing this everyone in the room was stunned. They have forgotten Lucien must have learned spirit beast magic from somewhere and having seen it on numerous asions they could attest to its power even without Lucien saying it. If Lucien can gather elite members capable of utilizing the spirit beast ability, his strength will skyrocket in an instant and they will be of great help in the uing war! "I agree You have my blessing!" Emperor Fei was pleased with Lucien''s offer and quickly agreed. "Wee the thirteenth Imperial knight of the Fotia empire, Lucien Rakuzen!" Wuxing n head dered with a loud voice causing many to stand and p! Chapter 150: Life just got a bit difficult Chapter 150: Life just got a bit difficult "Asan imperial knight, you are allowed to create your own forces and have any n of choice submit at least thirty percent of their military force but I see you have no intentions of creating a force of outsiders Am I correct?" Emperor Fei said with a raised eyebrow and Lucien nodded in agreement. He may be an imperial knight and a viscount now but many didn''t care. In their opinion, Lucien I still a fourteen year old who got lucky and now acts like a big shot. In this chaotic era that is about to begin, Lucien didn''t bother with strength, all he wished for is loyalty. That''s why he would rather have an army of fifty that he can trust than a hundred thousand forces that may stab him in the back at a critical moment. "Yes I intend to expand myterritory and circle I wish to recruit some young, promising youths to join my side and my main force, for now, will consist of spirit beast cultivators" Lucien answered honestly, with his head bowed. "Very well You may leave and prepare your people We will have the war meeting without you but be rest assured, you will be informed of our decisions" Emperor Fei said and the wuxing n head nodded his head in agreement. "Thank you!" Lucien said before he turned and left, not looking back. Seeing his figure that constantly released small amounts of gray mist, Emperor Fei couldn''t help but smile. Lucien is someone who he couldn''t predict his future or how far he will go. You make ns and suddenly he gains an unknown power and stuns everyone. This is what he wished to see in the young emperor candidate. In his opinion, Lucien is more capable than all nobles here. If he is actually able to get these spirit beast cultivators to his side, he will be the first man to bring spirit cultivators and body cultivators together to form a n! This is no small achievement! When Lucien left the royal court he quickly headed towards the academy. The first person he wished to recruit is someone capable of ying the guardian role over his younger recruits. Someone whose strength may be overlooked and underestimated but Lucien could see his true potential. Ding! Ding! Ding! Lucien was in a royal carriage when the notifications appeared. Since he had nothing to do, he decided to take a look at it and see what''s up. [Achievements unlocked] [Host has risen in ranks fast and has even managed to hold the prestigious role of Imperial knight! Right now the host is only a few steps away from having the qualifications of an emperor! +5000 empire points] [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Cultivation technique: Soul and Body harmony dual cultivation technique] [Cultivation realm: 2nd sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 21,000] [HP: 500/500] [EP: 500/500] [Condition: Healthy] [Pure Qi body: 4%] [Exp: 7,000] [Host has officially acquired two territories but they are too far apart, do you wish to use the teleport system to transport one next to the other?] [Cost: 20,000 empire points] Seeing this part, Lucien''s eyes twitched with pain as he felt like cursing the system. This shit I trying to rip him off again and his hard earned experience points he has stockpiled for so long. For some reason, he felt like if he had fewer empire points the system will demand less. [I suggest you inform the people of the Tania vige before making such a move. The shock of having the entire vige teleported will leave kill many unprepared elderly men] Rakuzen warned while Lucien tried hard not tough. he couldn''t help but wonder what it will feel like she something like this happened. "You don''t have to worry, I have no intentions of doing that now I need to gather my allies first before I even consider doing such.The more wonders they get to see, the more loyal they be" Lucien said calmly before shutting his eyes to rest. Up until now, he hasn''t gotten the time needed to ponder on his encounter with the old monster of the Lightborn n us. His eyes were shut tight as he began to relive the battle once again. He could remember the visions he had when he saw fought us. They were endless possibilities of how the battle could have turned out and all ended in his death except one. While he may be considered powerful amongst spirit realm masters, his strength can barelypete with that of the offensive spirit realm mages and fighters. But his ability to directly harm the soul, regardless of any physical defense set up can also be considered overpowered. Before now, his spirit cultivation pathways were all dependent on conscious effort but after attaining his martial technique, Lucien had reached a level of harmony with his spiritual abilities where it feels so natural to use them. At his current strength, he is confident of facing any spirit realm master and there is a high chance of himing out victorious. And even when outnumbered he was sure he can flee in almost any situation thanks to his seer abilities. "This level of strength at least makes me a force to reckon with in the continent. Apart from the emperors and champion realm masters, I have nothing to fear to think I wille so far in such a short amount of time" Lucien muttered to himself but he didn''t seem excited one bit. He looked out the window of the carriage and considered his next series of actions. While many would be proud of themselves and even celebrate, Lucien had this strong feeling that things are about to get harder. As an imperial knight, he has no choice but to fight in the wars at the front line and as an important, he doesn''t have the choice to retreat or forever lose face. In his opinion, the empire expects much from him and even though it is a good thing, it is also a bad thing for someone his age. "Life just got a bit difficult" Lucien muttered. Chapter 151: Saving instructor Han Chapter 151: Saving instructor Han The moment Lucien reached the academy, he headed straight for the nearest teleportation formation and teleported directly to his dorm first. Walking through the halls, many students stepped out of his way respectfully. After Lucien single-handedly killed over a hundred students from the Libet empire who were waiting for opportunities to ambush them outside the academy, the respect these students have for him increased greatly. Then, in that same night, Lucien defended his territory against a hundred man army filled with the mortal realm and warrior realm experts and led by three spirit realm masters from the Zhao n yet Lucien killed half that number and killed off Zhao Li almost effortlessly. With that alone, many had epted they will never be able to catch up to Lucien but then the news of Lucien''s victory over the Lightborn family patriarch cemented his position in their hearts as the greatest cultivator of their generation. While many argued he only got this far due to the grade one sealed artifact, none of them could deny that fact he is the strongest amongst them and even if they had their own bad opinions about him they dared not voice it out since power is all that matters in this part of the world. After a few minute''s walk, Lucien reached his room, and yanking the doors open he saw three people in his apartment, causing him to frown. The fact that others had ess to his ce gave him a sense of insecurity but none of that mattered now since he was leaving the academy permanently. He didn''t even bother speaking to Dean Xio or Hex or Brian. In his opinion, since they didn''t give him enough respect by entering his room without permission, there is no reason for him to treat them as guests. Walking past them without bothering to give them a nce, Lucien walked into the dressing room and stored all his clothes in his omini zone, leaving only a silver sleeveless mage robe and a blue mask behind. All this while he has been walking around, topless and he strongly believed this is the reason why many people who saw him wore fearful looks. He quickly put on the silver robe and then put on his azure blue dragon mask before walking out of the dressing room. Once again, Lucien didn''t speak to any of them and quickly left the apartment, without saying a word. "I told you we should have waited until he arrives This is disrespectful" Hex said to Dean Xio before standing and walking out of the room with Brian following tightly. Soon the room was empty with the Dean, sitting alone without saying a word. He would have spoken to Lucien but the moment Lucien entered he gave off a unique vibe that made even the dean feel threatened. He couldn''t feel, Lucien''s anger and something told him that if he spoke to Lucien he would only fuel the anger more. "I guess I have to apologize to himter" Dean Xio said to himself before leaving the room. Meanwhile, Lucien had already reached the nearest teleportation formation in the hallway and quickly transported himself to instructor Han''s office. Since he was wearing the mask, he had a fierce look that discouraged all those who nned to try and start up a conversation with him. So his journey was smooth without any obstructions Appearing in the room, Lucien was stunned by the change that has taken ce. Before he could directly teleport into instructor Han''s apartment but right now, he found himself right beside the massive brown doors in arge hallway. "I guess Instructors are given rooms in another castleI originally thought they would be given castles of their own it seems their status isn''t that high" Lucien muttered as he studied the defensive formations around the door making him frown. While many may not be able to see it but he couldn''t see numerous formations ced on the front door. These traps will trigger an explosion if someone tried to force his way in and judging from the silence, Lucien realized that someone had cast a hush spell to prevent those outside from hearing what''s going on inside. With a nce, Lucien''s eyes turned gray as he activated his spirit sense. He could see five energy signatures in the room with only one losing strength. Just making a wild guess, Lucien assume the weak energy signature belonged to instructor Han and he couldn''t help but frown. Whoosh! His body exploded into a body of gray mist as it surged into the room without the formations being able to notice anything amiss. Lucien was able to remain in that mist form as he eavesdropped on the conversations going on in the living room ahead. "How do we get to Lucien Rakuzen Don''t lie to us! You and the emperor have a close rtionship with that brat If anyone can lure him out of his territory... It''s you" a Male voice said before a loud p could be heard. "I already told you Lucien cut ties with us after we left him imprisoned for a year and even if I can get to him do you think I will help you?" Instructor Hanughed weakly making Lucien''s heart tighten. Bang! Bang! Standing within the hall he could hear countless pounding sounds and Instructor Han''s pained cry but he was yet to make a move. In his opinion, this is no minor issue and since people began looking for him, as soon as he became an imperial knight, he could tell this must be funded by some nobles who hate him. "Who sent you?" Instructor Han finally asked the question, Lucien was waiting for him to ask. "Hahahaha! Does it matter? What use is it for me to give such a piece of information to a dead man?" a feminine voiceughed hysterically causing Lucien to frown. The gray mist surged into the room leaving everyone stunned as it surrounded Instructor Han and slowly, Lucien''s body shape became visible. "You did well old man you can leave the rest to me now!" Chapter 152: Chapter 151 Chapter 152: Chapter 151 They watched in confusion as the gray mist surged into the room, filling the entire room until nothing could be seen. Just before they could say anything that gray mist began gathering behind the wooden chair where instructor Han was seated and slowly, Lucien''s body began taking shape. They watched as the gray mist slowly transformed into a 6ft tall youth with long silver hair and his face hidden in a blue Chinese dragon mask. He wore a silver sleeveless mage robe, revealing the serpent tattoo on his right hand and a terrifying silver light visible within the openings in the blue mask. His body kept releasing small quantities of gray mist, giving him an intimidating figure that looks more gaseous than solid. "You did well old man You can leave the rest to me now" Lucien said calmly as he ced on hand on Instructor Han''s bloodied shoulder. What left Lucien curious was not the fact that instructor Han was defeated. He has always known this Instructor was one of the weakest instructors in the academy since hecks all forms ofbat training and physical reaction speed in battle is only slightly different than that of a powerless human, up to the point where a human realm beast-man is far stronger than him a peak mortal realm expert. So his defeat isn''t something that got Lucien excited. What caught his attention was the fact he failed to understand how they managed to trap Instructor Han. Spatial mages are by far the hardest people to catch and Lucien was even confident that someone as powerful as the emperor will have a hard time catching instructor Han if he wishes to run from him, so he couldn''t understand what method they used to seal his spatial magic. He suspected it has something to do with the formation set around the room and this again supported his point. Only wealthy noble families can afford something thisplicated. "Old man? To think the kid who needed to hide behind me during battles back then is finally the one saving my ass Time flies and things change" Instructor Han could barely hold his excitement as he heard Lucien''s voice. Just like the emperor he too has been watching Lucien''s progress from a distance and I''m after hearing Lucien defeated us, he knew only a handful of people can defeat Lucien in this empire, so he feltpletely confident in Lucien''s strength. "These guys really messed up your faceThe chicks won''t find you attractive anymore don''t worry, I will get them for you!" Lucien said those words lightly but he was seething with anger. "Who Who are you?" A red-haireddy asked as she instinctively leaped backward and tightened her grip on her bloodied ck daggers. Her eyes revealed hints of fear as she gazed at Lucien. As someone who has trained in assassination acts all her life this woman can be considered the person with the sharpest senses in the entire empire! When gazing at Lucien, she didn''t see a kid as the others did, instead what she saw was a cluster of powerful beasts ring down at her. "Who am I? Are you dumb? You have been searching for a way to lure Lucien Rakuzen out but now you have met him, you still can''t recognize him? Trash!" Lucien growled as a gray most exploded from his body and before the three men standing in front of Instructor Han could respond they have already been impaled by therge pointy feet of the Kasir(King tier spider magic beast) "What the hell?" one of the men managed to mutters while coughing out blood constantly as he watched in horror as the grey mist slowly took the shape of the magic beast, beforepletely transforming into it [Beast assimtion revival sessful] [Kasir revived sessfully] "Now then, you are next!" Lucien said as he turned his attention to the woman but was surprised she was gone. "She''s quick, I have to give her that" Lucienplemented with a smile on his face. _______________________________________________ Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Using her amazing perception and sensory skills, Ada ran through the halls of the castle searching for a perfect spot to hide. Thanks to her perceptions she always took the right turns that helps her avoid meeting instructors in the way and luckily for her, sses were still ongoing so many instructors are yet to return. "There!" she muttered as she jumped off one of the windows of the castle without hesitation and free fell for over ten seconds before hitting the ground hard! Bang! Her feet felt numb and trembled violently but her fear for Lucien was far greater so she leaped forward with a light jump and shot across the years, into an open field not too far from the castle! Using the shadows to her advantage and after thirty minutes of non-stop running, Ada finally made it out of the academy grounds and dashed into the nearest forest she could find to hide She sat at the foot of a tree and breathes heavily. Her eyes darted around crazily and after a few minutes, she confirmed that she wasn''t followed, and only then did she rx. "What the hell was that?"she muttered as she gasped for air and began controlling her breathing. At that moment she noticed something strange. Her shadow thickened and expanded and from it, a figure began emerging. Her eyes trembled in horror as she watched the masked silver-haired demon climb out of her shadows while letting out light chuckles. "You sure know how to run no one noticed you to be able topliment your assassination skills with the shadow element It seems you are no normal personyour background must be solidtell me who sent you and I will give you a quick and painless death" Lucien said calmly. "Haaaa!" thedy didn''t bother to answer or ask questions. She instantly grabbed her dagger and struck forward relentlessly but to her greatest surprise, Lucien didn''t use any special techniques or moves, instead he simply pped the dagger with overwhelming strength. Chapter 153: Chapter 152 Chapter 153: Chapter 152 Ada was stunned that Lucien could follow her attacks with her eyes and even proceeded to counter it effortlessly. She felt like the rules guiding this world had fallen apart the moment she met Lucien. Shouldn''t mages have a weak body? That''s how they defeated Instructor Han! But that was not what stunned her. What left her stunned was the fact that Lucien casually pped at her dagger as if it was nothing. At first, she expected the dagger to skewer his hands for being arrogant but what happened next left her shocked and confused. Peng! When the dagger collided with Lucien''s hands, she heard a metal shing sound and she felt her hands go numb as the dagger fell off her hand. "Yo.." Before she could speak, she felt Lucien''s strong arm grab her by the face, pulling her off the ground before smashing her into the ground ruthlessly! Bang! Upon collision, Ada felt like all the air in her body was pulled out, leaving her gasping for air but the pain on the back of her head left her feeling dizzy. Whoosh! Lucien tossed her aside like a piece of rag before leaning on one of the trees and watch her struggle to get on her feet while he made spections of the current situation. "In normal circumstances, people refuse to take dark missions like this because all cultivators in the empire are registered and it won''t be too difficult for them to track the assassins, yet you and your friends confidently did this and didn''t even try to conceal your identity. This means you didn''t care about the system, not because you have confidence in your backer I believe you did this way because you and your friends are not part of the system!" Lucien said and seeing her eyes twitch when he said thest part a smile bloomed on his face. Cultivating in an empire like this without getting registered in the Fotia academy is a crime punishable by death here and for years now, every n and noble family has followed this rule, or at least everyone thought they were following this rule. Lucien may be optimistic but he always expects the worst from people as a method of guarding his fragile heart. Confirming these people aren''t registered, Lucien quickly jumped to the conclusion that whatever noble family or noble families that are doing this must have an underground army of cultivators which the empire doesn''t know of, and thanks to the teleportation array system in the empire it shouldn''t be difficult for them to move around freely. With that concluded, he turned on Ada once again and walked towards her trembling body. Seeing her blood-red hair and her dark skin thatplimented her hourss shape and ck eyes, Lucien was a bit regretful that such a beauty has to die here. She was seated on the ground with her back leaning on a tree. When gazing at Lucien, her eyes carried the most intense fear Lucien had ever seen before and this once again confirmed his theory. This person has remained shelled up somewhere all her life, forced to cultivate and wait for the day she will be of use to her master. "Who sent you Give me a name and I assure you, you won''t even know when you die!" Lucien said with a wide grin that revealed fangs. She quickly shifted her eyes to his right arm only to realize that the serpent tattoo on his arms are glowing madly. "I don''t know I swear They always had a way of hiding their faces All I know is that they imed if we seed, this empire will be ruled by the humans and we will be remembered as heroes who made it happen!" Ada cried while Lucien listened silently He frowned as he heard this and no matter how hard he tried to deny it in his head, he knew this is a coup attempt, aimed at killing the emperor and reducing the overall strength of the beast-men in the empire, that''s the only way humans can be the supreme race in the empire. This exins why they went for instructor Han and also tried to get to him as well. These people are trying to get rid of potential threats who are known to have a good rtionship with the emperor. But something left Lucien confused. For these people to ever hope of seeding they need to be able to kill the emperor first! To do that they need to have a champion realm master on their side and the only other champion realm master in the empire is the n patriarch of the Wuxing n. Lucien''s eyes narrowed but his instincts told him he is wrong. Remembering the eyes of the old man, Lucien was sure this man had no intentions of having the throne for himself, instead, he looked relieved that he has little duties and the emperor is the one trying to make their dream a reality. Does that mean they have someone else aiding them? This world is too vast and dangerous, so Lucien assumed the enemy may have met a hidden expert to help them somehow and another option is the Libet empire as well. Why did all this happen just when they began preparing for war? "You don''t have to worry anymore Come" Lucien said with a soft voice as he pulled thedy up and embraced her. At first, she was trembling in fear as she knew Lucien would kill her but when Lucien just embraced her and began kissing her neck she calmed down a bit. Using his unusually long tongue, Lucien ran it up and down her neck lightly, making Ada''s body shiver in pleasure and after resisting for a short while she began moaning. She embraced Lucien tight and held his hair lost in the feeling, Lucien''s snake-like tongue gave her, she didn''t notice when his fangs sank into her neck. Slowly her body began darkening even more and after a short while she became a metal sculpture. [Steel bite activated] [Steel bite sessful!] "Just as I promised, I gave you a painless death" Lucien said as he broke off her steel hands still embracing him, and with a spinning kick, he separated her head from the rest of the body. Chapter 154: Chapter 153 Chapter 154: Chapter 153 Instructor Han was still trying to catch his breath when he noticed his shadow thicken, and from it, Lucien crawled out. Seeing this he frowned but he didn''tin. In his opinion, as long as Lucien is on their side, no matter how creepy or bizarre his techniques are, he wouldn''t mind. He adjusted his seating posture before asking his question. "Are you done?" "Yes, she''s dead" Lucien said casually as he gazed around the room as if he was looking for something. After a while, he took off his mask and threw it into his omini Zone before turning his attention to Instructor Han. "The humans are trying to kill the emperor, so they are trying to reach everyone close to him You can consider this a coup or at least an attempt I am sure they still have some tricks up their sleeves so I dare not take them lightly I will have you return with me to my territory there we can speak further while you are getting patched up" Lucien said calmly. "You have a healer?" Instructor Han was more stunned by this news than the news of the coup. He knew more than anyone how difficult it is to get people with healing magic and the Lightborn n simply made a fortune out of this with their family secret healing technique. "I am in an alliance with the Lightborn n and my assistant is one of their main branches younger generation, why won''t I have a healer?" Lucien chuckled as he grabbed Instructor Han and helped him get on his feet. The duo walked to the teleportation tform outside the room and from there they directly teleported to Lucien''s territory, here none of these human noble families dared attack him, after what happened to Zhao Li. When they got to the territory, Lucien exploded into arge body of gray mist with, instructor Han, shooting towards the castle. While this happened, Instructor Han contracted Emperor Fei and briefed him on the situation. By the time he was done, Lucien had already made it to the grand hall of his castle but to his greatest surprise, there were people here. People cleaning, sweeping, doing all sorts of work with Alice directing them on what to do. Seeing Lucien arrive she was happy but then when he saw the terribly injured instructor Han, she was terrified. "Follow" Lucien didn''t bother exining as he carried instructor Han and ran up the stairs, heading to his room. "Hehehehehe! You have good eyes I can see why you chose her as your assistant, you sly bastard!" Instructor Han said while licking his bloodied lips. Seeing this Lucien didn''t know how to react. He wondered if he shouldugh or cry since he didn''t understand how someone in this condition would have the strength to crack silly jokes. "One more word from you and I will drop you Believe me when I say you will die from the fall" Lucien said while his pitch-ck eyes suddenly let out a threatening silver sh and only then did Instructor Han shut up. When they reached his room, he ced his bloodied friend on the bed, staining his white bedsheet. This made Alice frown but she didn''tin. She quickly ran over to Instructor Han''s side and began mumbling some inaudible words and soon her hands let out a golden glow and she proceeded to ce it over Instructor Han. At this point, she frowned as she realized the kinds of tutor wounds instructor Han sustained and wondered how this man is still conscious up till now. "What happened?" Alice couldn''t help but ask. Hearing this question, Lucien looked into her eyes for a while and was reluctant to speak but since she''s the one healing him and his new assistant, he decided to speak. "The human faction is preparing for a coup, so they are trying to kill any potential threat that has close ties with the emperor. Instructor Han is the first and they also tried to get to me through him, that''s why they tortured him" Lucien gave her a brief response while watching her closely to see if there will be any reactions. If she flinched or fumbled he will assume she knows about this and kills her immediately, but to his surprise, she didn''t, instead she wore a confused look on her face. He wanted to say something but then he got a warning from the figure that a single person has entered his territory! "WHO!" Lucien''s eyes revealed his murderous intentions She wanted to ask something but then a dark figure shot into the room from the window and Lucien reacted ordingly and pounced on the figure in a ck robe and hoodie! "Die!" Lucien didn''t hesitate as his ck lightning exploded violently and shot towards the figure but to his greatest surprise, the assant sidestepped, covering arge distance in one move before shooting towards the airborne Lucien. "COURTING DEATH!" Lucien screamed madly the entire room exploded and two figures shot out of the castle trading blows viciously!. Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom! Both figures shot back with Lucien''s silver robe had many holes but none of the enemy''s attacks made it past his steel skin, meanwhile, the invader''s robe had numerous holes, revealing high tier pieces of magic equipment. "You don''t even wish to know who I am?" The figure said in a hoarse voice. "Why ask for a dead man''s name?" Lucien said as his body trembled violently before he let out a painful cry! BOOM! In an instant, all his power exploded creating a powerful storm as dark clouds gathered over his head, as his body shot into the air. "Anyone one who dares to step into my territory without my permission seeks death! I CAN ASSURE YOU, YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THIS PLACE ALIVE!" Lucien''s voice was more like that of a beast than a person now. Countless ck bolts of lightning gathered over his head taking the shape of a terrifying ck dragon! Alice barely blocked Lucien''s explosive attack even though it wasn''t aimed at him, and right now she and instructor Han watched from the destroyed part of the castle as Lucien unleashed his full strength! Chapter 155: Chapter 154 Chapter 155: Chapter 154 Seeing Lucien''s power change the weather everyone was stunned and terrified as well. The people watched the battle from afar and chanted ''Invincible'' while they watched Lucien gather his power for a single strike. They finally saw the power that defeated us of the Lightborn family, leaving them much more excited than terrified! "You are strong That''s good" the hooded figure finally took off the hood revealing his identity! Seeing his identity, Alice and Instructor Han bowed and Lucien instantly released his power and dropped to the ground before falling on his knees! "Emperor!" They all screamed in shock since no one expected the emperor woulde here this way. Lucien thought about it and remembered that the city defenses didn''t even attack the hooded figure, that was to prove that he had no evil intentions against him. He was lost in his anger that someone could slip past into his territory and that was the reason why he couldn''t think straight. "That power you used Terrifying! I felt like if I got hit just once, I will definitely die on the spot, regardless if I blocked or not!" Emperor Fei said with a bright smile as he walked towards Lucien and ced his hand on his shoulder. "You are no longer the kid who considered himself a third wheel whenever he was with us Right now, You are strong! You didn''t disappoint us" Emperor Fei said those words softly, even Lucien trembled as he felt all his suppressed emotions about to explode. "Thank you If you all didn''t let me have that gift, I wouldn''t be where I am today" Lucien managed to suppress his emotions but his voice was still a bit shaky when he spoke. Alice was stunned because she has never seen the emotional side of Lucien and she felt relieved that the man she fell in love with is not the stone-cold man, many people think he is. Right now he looked so fragile and cute. "Rise!" Emperor Fei ordered and Lucien rose to his feet with the other two. He was about to speak but then he got a notification from the system that ruined his mood. DING! DING! [People''s champion: Host has shown his true strength to his people for the first time, causing them to chant invincible! You have gained the hearts of your people through strength, just like an emperor should! Well done! +3000 empire points] DING! DING! [Castle destroyed, do you wish to repair?] [Cost: 3000 empire points] ''You worthless piece of shit!" Lucien cursed in his heart as he wished he could separate this fraudulent system from his body and give it a good beating. It gave him a reward just to take it away. He also knew the castle had some hidden formation so rebuilding the normal way may affect it in some way. "Get back!" Lucien turned to Alice and Instructor Han. The two nodded and walked back in silence while Lucien slowly levitated towards the destroyed section with the emperor following him slowly. "Repair!" He muttered as he reached towards the destroyed section and his eyes let out an extremely blinding white light and everyone watched the destroyed part of the building fixing itself at an astonishing rate. They saw each new brick appearing getting inscribed with some sort of magic formation, leaving them stunned! Even the emperor, gazed at Lucien''s back as if he had seen a monster. So far he has heard of Lucien''s miraculous actions but has never seen it. On this day, he saw Lucien demonstrate the power of a god! The creation authority! "You?" Emperor Fei muttered but Lucien shook his head. Seeing Lucien didn''t wish to talk about it, he dropped the matter and followed Lucien into the castle. In his opinion, everyone has their secrets, so it''s Lucien''s choice if he wishes to reveal anything concerning his abilities. When they returned to the room, Alice was only halfway done with the healing since she was too focused on Lucien''s fight and the emperor''s appearance left her dazed as well. No one would have expected that Lucien would have such a close rtionship with the emperor. In fact, many spected that the trio are very close in the past but no one had any way of proving it, that''s why no one made a move on Lucien until now. "How are you doing champ?" Emperor Fei gazed at Instructor Han andughed. Instructor Han and Lucien soon joined him, leaving Alice confused. They are targets of those nning a coup, Instructor Han almost died, yet they can justugh like this. "The ability to remain calm in the face of danger is a privilege reserved for the strong" Emperor Fei said calmly and Lucien nodded. "I don''t know what they are nning and I am honestly curious to know what they are nning" Emperor Fei said as he leaned on the wall. This part made Lucien frown and he couldn''t help but look at the emperor. "You don''t n to make a move to stop it?" Lucien asked and the emperor shook his head. "Stop it how? I don''t know who and who is plotting against me and even if I knew, what then? I kill them and tomorrow their kids rise up against me. And what if I wipe out their ns, the other ns who are not involved will feel insecure and this will lead to more battles and endless bloodshed If my death will bring about peace then so be it, but don''t you dare think I will let them take my life so easily When the timees, I will fight to the bitter end, the world has to know their crimes and see it in effect, that way killing them off will be considered just and right" Emperor Fei said calmly. A sad smile appeared on his face as he turned his attention to Lucien and Instructor Han and said. "At that time, I will need all the help I can get I will be needing my family" he added. Hearing this Lucien and Instructor Han fell on their knees with reddened eyes. Chapter 156: Chapter 155 Chapter 156: Chapter 155 Lucien''s body trembled as images of his past with emperor Fei and Instructor Han shed across his eyes. These two are the only ones that treated him like a person and not an asset. They treated him like a brother and not just one random junior and even though he couldn''t be of use to them at that time, they still filled him in on their ns and always had high hopes for him! These people gave him a chance at life and encouraged him without restraint and during those moments when he wanted to venture into dangerous grounds for personal reasons, they still put their faith in him and let him go with hopes that he will seed. "You two are the only family I have ever had and for that reason, I will not let any of you die! I will die fighting by your side! You don''t have to worry, the Rakuzen n has your back!" Lucien said with a stern look on his face, making Instructor Han and Emperor Fei smiled softly as they both ced their hands on his shoulder. "How can I help?" Instructor Han asked catching Lucien by surprise. "I am a support type mage with almost zero capabilities As you can see it took only four peak warrior realm fighters to bring me down, but I can be useful in other ways We have high hopes for your Rakuzen n That way even if the emperor falls, your n will remain standing and carry on his dreams of creating a world where everyone is equal!" Instructor Han said with a stern look on his face. Only at this point did Lucien realize something he has failed to notice for a long time now. All this while he has been too focused on himself that he failed to realize that he has been carrying out the emperor''s dreams without knowing it. He created a territory with both humans and beast-mean alike and now he is just a step away from adding the spirit cultivators into the group. If he is able to do this, he will be able to achieve something no one in the empire has ever been able to aplish! "This" Lucien muttered as he took a step back and pondered for a while before speaking. "I was going to take my time in doing these things but I guess there is no time. I need you to join my n, Han Find a way to contact every member of my n in the academy and have them return Also, I want you to invite every potential student in the academy willing to join my faction. Lenard''s group should be prioritized I will head out and bring the spirit beast cultivators over Something big is about to happen and I need to be prepared for it" Lucien said coldly. He turned and walked up to Alice, gently grabbing her shoulders. "I will be needing your help this time I know this will be difficult but I need you to assist Instructor Han in any way possible Once I return, I will join you all and push the n to the second phase" Lucien said calmly and Alice nodded with a reddened face. "Don''t you think living the empire now is not safe? There are too many people who want us dead Leaving the empire at a time like this will give them the opportunity to strike without restraint!" Instructor Han asked with furrowed eyebrows but seeing the vicious smile on Lucien''s face his body shivered and he instinctively took a step back. "I am hoping theye If they are so dumb toe with their full force, I may end up ending this coup before it even starts" Lucien said and a smile bloomed on Emperor Fei''s face. "That''s the spirit!" -------------------------------------------------- Lucien prepared everything and quickly left the empire through the northern gates, without any guard or escort. He did not make his movements known but he did not try to hide it either, if anyone wished to attack him on his way there, he will be more than willing to send them to hell. Even though he felt a bit insecure because he was not within his territory anymore, Lucien knew he can''t always rely on his city defenses. He could easily warp to his castle at the Tania vige but he didn''t deem this necessary for now since he was hoping someone would attack him, maybe he can get some information out of the attacker. But this didn''t mean Lucien would slow down his traveling, speed. Most of the journey was spent flying towards the direction of the Tania vige until something unexpected happened. Grrrrr! Rumble! Lucien felt the sky rumble viciously as the clouds began gathering above his head, causing him to frown. Whoosh! Lucien quickly decided to take a dive increasing the distance between him and the clouds and just a few seconds after he made that move, he saw a bolt of lightning speeding towards him. His re turned murderous as he waved his hand releasing his own bolt of ck lightning but Lucien never had any intentions of facing the enemy head-on, so his body twisted in an unnatural way as he slithered out of the way before releasing his power, allowing the bolt of lightning hit an unupied spot. [Soft body technique activated] Bang! Bang! Bang! Lucien didn''t dare look back as he kept moving at top speed, only to feel the countless vibrations rocking the spots he just left! "DO YOU THINK I WILL BE EASILY KILLED?" Lucien growled as his body coiled like a spring and the next moment he shot into the air, racing towards the figure hiding within the dense forest. "Cocky BRAT!" a familiar elderly voice reached his ears as the loud familiar bird cry reached Lucien''s ears and his eyes turned bloodshot! CAAWWWWWWWW! The figure turned into a silver beam and short towards him, enraging Lucien even more! "GOOD! VERY GOOD! YOU JUST CAME HERE TO DIE, LUKAS!" Lucien growled as his body turned into a golden beam of light and raced towards the silver light!s Chapter 157: Lucien vs Lukas Chapter 157: Lucien vs Lukas [Golden reach activated!] From afar people saw two powerful beams of light collide fiercely, causing the entire forest to shake violently. BOOM! Both sides blew past the other and both sidesnded gracefully, without making any sound. Pfft! Lucien''s blue dragon mask fell off as he spat out a mouthful of blood and his kimono slowly turned red around the chest area but a cruel smile remained on his face. "To think you will sink so low as to work with these humans in this little coup! Old man, you disgust me!" Lucien staggered as he tried to regain his bnce. "The emperor has lost focus and put his faith in a fool like you He doesn''t understand the old ways and believes all men are born equal! There can never be a world where everyone is equal! Those are childish dreams!" Lukas said coldly. Unlike Lucien, he had no injury but his robe was a bit roughed up. "Hehehehehe! Who said we are trying to create a world where everyone is equal? All the emperor wants is a world where everyone can live together A ce where everyone is given equal opportunities. You and the old fools who im to be nobles are blinded by your greed You wish to put everyone under your feet, that''s why you all constantly suppress the poor and kill off anyone with enough potential to match you! You are one sorry old man. It''s a pity you will die here without realizing how short-sighted you have been!" Lucien said as the bird crying sound erupted from his body and the figure of the Argos appeared above him. "Hmph! You dare seek the aid of a low-tier magic beast? I made a mistake kicking you out of the n! I should have killed you back then!" Lukas growled as the image of the mighty Raizen god beast appeared behind him. Unlike Lucien''s version of this god beast, that of Lukas was so life-like, even Lucien trembled while gazing at it. This is the first time he has seen his grandfather fight so he was oblivious of the old man''s strength all this while. Seeing his god beast standing behind him, Lucien realized that the Raizen god beast image had an aura of its own that waspletely different from that of Lukas. It was like an independent being of its own, making Lucien wonder what thepletion rate will be if he had the beast assimtion system! "COME LITTLE BRAT! YOU HAVE BEEN COCKY ALL THIS WHILE IT IS TIME FOR YOUR OLD MAN TO DISCIPLINE YOU!" Lukas growled as he took a step forward. With each step he took, the ground beneath his feet shattered and the debris began rising into the air. The skinny old man who relied on a staff to stand had never looked so terrifying with his silver eyes and the massive bird god beast following him tightly behind. At this moment time paused for Lucien. He felt his resolve waver for the first time in his life. At this point, he began asking himself what he actually wants in life and why he is doing all of this. Why is he putting so much effort into his cultivation, trying to reach the peak of the cultivation world? Would it be so bad if he just gave everything and lived a quiet life? "No" Lucien muttered as he took a step back with his trembling foot but then his vision was assaulted by the images of all those he has met up to now. He began relieving his entire life in just a single moment! Would he be able to live with himself if he let all these bastards that prevent the empire from moving forward? Will he be able to sleep at night, knowing he let the emperor die when he could fight to protect him? All this while he was afraid of failure but now Lucien realized the mistake he has been making! What he should be afraid of isn''t failure but not giving it his all! What is death? What is life? It all ends only when you stop fighting! "LUKASSSSS!" Lucien growled madly stunning even the old man. His eyes let out a bright rainbow light as his aura exploded! His aura slowly took the shapes of all the magic beasts he has assimted from the beginning up until now! [Beast assimtion revival sessful!] At that moment, a silver light shot out of Lucien''s body and took the shape of the Azure blue dragon! With each step Lucien took illusionary blue dragon scales appeared on his body BOOM! "Old man Only one of us will leave this ce alive!" Lucien dered boldly, making Lukas frown! Right now Lucien is giving him the same look he despises so much. Ever since Lucien left the Raizen n, each time he gazed at him, Lukas felt like Lucien was gazing at a lesser being! A dead man! "You I will pull those eyes out and torture you for a thousand years! I will show you that there are fates worse than death!" Lukas growled before charging at Lucien! His body turned into a silver beam as he shot towards Lucien. "Argos! Raizen!" Lucien leaped back and growled as two of his beasts shot past him. [Golden reach activated] [Wind creek dive activated] Argos and Raizen turned into golden and silver beams respectively but Lucien wasn''t going to let them charge in all alone. He took light steps forward before bursting into a full sprint. He was no fool as to believe that those two will be able to stop, Lukas. The fact remains that Lukas''s strength far surpassed that of a king-tier beast and only an emperor-level beast can pose a threat to him but that didn''t mean Lucien would flee... "HELL NO!" Lucien growled as his body was engulfed in blue mes as he began flying, turning into a blue searing beam of mes! In his heart, all that mattered right now is killing this old man! If he can just win this battle, he will definitely make things easier for the emperor when the main battle begins! Chapter 158: Past Glories! Chapter 158: Past Glories! Bang! Bang! Bang! From afar one could see three dazzling lights ganging up on one silver light yet they all kept getting blown away. No matter how much they tried or from what direction they came from, they always got knocked away but even then they kept attacking relentlessly, leaving many to wonder what the main goal of their actions are. Peng! Lukas knocked aside Raizen god beast but before he could recover fully, he saw a golden light charging towards him! "This" He muttered as he got struck by the golden beam, pushing him a hundred meters back but that was all it could do! "ARRRRRRGGGGGHHH!" The old man growled as he grabbed the head of the giant Argo and flung the magic beast hundreds of meters up with so much effort but at that moment a searing blue me appeared behind him. Lucien hopped out of it and with his zing spear, creating the massive blue me whirlpool, he struck down viciously, with his killing intentions let loose. "Get back!" Lukas growled with a raised eyebrow and a powerful wind shockwave exploded, sending Lucien flying. Thud! Luciennded on his feet, sliding a few meters back beforeing to aplete halt. Lukas gazed at his grandson and wondered how powerful the Raizen n would have been if Lucien remained. He couldn''t help but admit deep down that Lucien can be considered as one of the greatest geniuses born on this continent, if not the greatest! Going from a powerless kid to a man who canpete with the strongest warriors of the continent just in one year. While it took them centuries to reach the level it only took him a year to get to this level. If this kid was still in the Raizen n, they would have groomed him with all their resources in preparation for the day he will take over this empire and then the continent. "It''s a pity you have to die here" Lukas said as he began walking towards Lucien coldly. "Who said I n on dying here?" Lucien said with a sinister smile on his face. He stomped his feet on the ground and the entire space around him began trembling violently as his body began releasing the gray mist "All this while I have been testing your strength and I have to say I am not impressed time is not on my side and I n to make the Rakuzen n mine! If you don''t wish to die from my first attack, I suggest you use your martial technique" Lucien said with an indifferent look on his face which made Lukas shiver badly. He has known Lucien long enough to know that once the kid is never overconfident, neither does he look down on an opponent. Lucien''s greatest strength has never been his talent or intellect, instead, it was his ability to tell his capabilities. As long as one knows what he is capable of, he will consciously make attempts to avoid situations that can lead to his untimely death. Originally he expected Lucien to flee afternding a devastating blow on him, yet Lucien remained and kept fighting. Recently he and two of his magic beast assimtions joined hands to bombard Lukas but what they realized was that he wasn''t trying to overpower his enemy or even win, he was only probing Lukas to know his limit. Now he dered that he would kill Lukas in one blow if he is looked down on, how can Lucien not take this seriously? "You dare look down on me?" Lukas growled seething with anger but even then he didn''t dare make a move. This was a sign he acknowledged Lucien as a capable foe! "You and I know that I have never looked down on any member of the Raizen n I have always held them in high regard, so don''t you ever assume I looked down on you without reason I can only tell that I am stronger and that''s all there is to it!" Lucien said calmly as he took a fighting stance and the gray mist formed a Chinese martial arts ying and yang symbol behind him. By this time Lucien''s eyes were pitch ck with no form of light and the entire atmosphere had turned heavy. It felt like this ne of existence was overturned by an unknown force. Lukas couldn''t help but feel like he was standing there but he wasn''t there. It felt like two worlds colliding and merging together! Seeing this, the old scrawny man dared not hold back anymore, his eyes let out a bright silver light as his feeble body suddenly buffed up and in just an instant the old man seemed to have returned to his youth. Lukas in this form looked like he was only twenty-five, extremely muscr with long, waist-length silver hair. He had a pointy nose and good body physique and slightly pale skin. Just as his body returned to its peak state, so did his powers increase tremendously as well. At this point, the entire forest kept trembling violently under his power but Lucien did not look moved by the show of power because he was already expecting this. Ever since he was little he was aware of the martial technique their n head practiced. Amongst cultivators, the greatest enemy is never the living but time. As one gets older, their talent slowly vanishes and they keep depreciating. Even an old peak level spirit realm expert may not be able to exert as much power as a youth at the mid or low level of the spirit realm, all because of their old bodies. This pathway was devised to return a fighter to his prime for a short period of time when he was at his strongest and the world was at his palms! "Past glory The martial technique with a stupid name. This martial technique is reserved for old fools who are unable to let go of their past glories and look forward You choose to remain in the past and dream of the days when your name made your enemies shiver and because of that you have failed to notice what is right in front of you" Lucien said coldly. Chapter 159: An intense Battle Chapter 159: An intense Battle "If you weren''t too focused on yourself and just looked forward for just a moment you would have realized how much damage you have caused As your grandson and family, it is my duty to put an end to all of this Old men like you shouldn''t exist anymore, you all should die off here!" Lucien was ruthless as he leaned forward and Bang! Leaving behind countless after images, Lucien was like a ck bolt of lightning as he charging towards Lukas. This is the first time he is pushing his body to its limit and beyond! "HAAAAAA!" Lucien''s roar shook the forest as he smashed into Lukas, delivering hundreds of punches in an intense battle but Lukas was no pushover. At his peak, he only feared the emperor and no one else. Back then he was a peerless expert that even the emperor had a hard time dealing with! Even after the defeat of the Raizen n, they were not subjugated like other ns. The emperor had to formally invite him to join his campaign! Someone was powerful as Emperor Fei showed him respect then, talk less of a child who doesn''t know the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS! "IMPUDENT BRAT!" Lukas growled as he had no intentions of dodging Lucien''s attacks, instead, he threw his attacks in hopes of crushing Lucien with overwhelming power! BOOM! As their first set of blows shed, both men retreated and gazed at each other with astonished looks on their faces. For Lucien he didn''t think Lukas would be able to face him head-on even when using his martial technique to strengthen his attacks with his wind and lightning element, allowing him to literarily throw lightning-fast punches, meanwhile Lukas was stunned because the first exchanged proved to him that Lucien was in no way weaker than him. While his past glory martial technique returned him to the time when he was only in his mid-twenties yet Lucien is only fourteen and can match his power! "I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!" Lukas growled like a mad man as he exploded and charged forward with zing silver eyes but even then Lucien didn''t panic. His eyes released ck bolts of lightning as his hands slowly made a circr movement in front of him, creating the Ying and Yang Chinese symbol. Even though his movements looked slow and refined it was so fast, it could even be considered faster than that of Lukas! "Strike!" Lucien growled as he punched the symbol in front of him, releasing terrifying waves of lightning, just when Lukas was only a few breathes away! Huff! "Shadowless flight!" Lukas muttered calmly. Suddenly it looked like time paused and the countless bolts of ck lightning were only a breath away from reducing him to a corpse but then, Lukas'' feet lightly tapped the ground and he was gone! Lucienpletely lost sight of him but one thing he noticed was the shadow circling him at an incredible speed. In normal circumstances, he felt dismissive about the shadow and waspelled to look the opposite way but his beast instincts kept warning him that if he takes his eyes off this shadow, he will definitely die! "Scram!" Lucien growled as he waved his hand recklessly, releasing a powerful arc-shaped wind de towards the shadow, and just before the attack could reach the shadow, Lukas came into view, sliding off to the side and barely evading the attack. "You saw through it?" Lukas''s words were more like a rhetorical question than an actual question. While he was stunned by the fact that Lucien was able to see through his movement technique that only the emperor has managed to see through. Back then in his prime, it is said that anyone who witnesses his shadowless flight dies, and many were scared of him back then. No man has ever managed to see his technique and lived to tell the story until the emperor appeared and conquered the entire region with overwhelming power. Seeing that Lucien was able to counter it even though it was only his first time, left Lukas more terrified than stunned Unknown to him, Lucien was terrified as well. He realized something from the little exchange between him and Lukas right now! While he only possessed overwhelming strength, speed, talent, and all that he has been wasting his time all this while. He kept using his strength in its raw form with no technique to bring out the best in it. He could tell he was faster than Lukas but the old man could cover up hiscking areas with superior technique! ''He needs to die here and now! If he lives, I will never be able to live peacefully!'' Lucien and Lukas growled in their minds as they both charged forward. ----------------------------------- The nobles of the empire were summoned for an emergency meeting at the royal pce leaving many stunned. They all heard of Instructor Han''s unfortunate situation due to an assassination attempt by people who are not registered by the empire, making it impossible for them to track their roots. They considered this a serious matter but never for once did they assume this will be serious enough to make the empire call them together just hours after the incident. When everyone gathered, as usual, the Wuxing n patriarch stood behind the emperor but this time Instructor Han stood behind him too. The entire hall was filled with only two seats empty and those were the ones belonging to the Rakuzen and Raizen n heads. On normal asions, they would discuss amongst themselves and share their opinions but today no one dared to speak since the entire hall was boiling with Emperor Fei''s anger. His eyes were scorching red and the room constantly trembling but it didn''t exceed that. It was just high enough for everyone to feel ufortable but not high enough to harm someone. "Absolute control that''s what always made him stand out amongst his peers" Wuxing n head muttered to the stunned instructor Han with a slight smile on his face. He found it amusing how much many feared the emperor even after so many centuries of seeing him in action. He must have left a longsting impression in their hearts! Chapter 160: Its over! Chapter 160: It''s over! The entire room was silent and the Emperor didn''t seem ready to speak any time soon, yet no one daredin or make a sound. They all watched in silence as the emperor gazed at the ceiling of the room for a while without saying a thing. His eyes asionally darted around but it never went too far from the nobles. "Show them" He finally said and instructor Han stepped forward. He pulled out a luminous crystal and from it a beam of light shot into the air. The light soon formed what seemed like a screen and there everyone saw something they never expected. They watched as Lucien and Lukas darted around the forests throwing countless blows at each other while leaving the entirendscape in ruins. Their actions were so swift and precise, it looked like a ck bolt of lightning chasing after the white bolt of lightning. Even though Emperor Feipletely believes in Lucien, even he couldn''t help but feel anxious when leaving the kid to fight against someone like Lukas. Lukas is someone even he acknowledged in the past, so not keeping an eye on Lucien while the fight takes ce is not something he could do. The nobles watched inplete shock since they never expected to see something like this. They always knew Lucien and Lukas always had bad blood but they never thought the duo would ever have the chance to settle scores. us of the Lightborn n was more intrigued than the rest since he wanted to see Lucien''s true strength. ____________________________________________________________ Bang! Bang! Bang! Bolts of ck lightning struck towards the white sh ruthlessly but it couldn''t hit even once! One moment Lukas is there and the next moment he''s gone. At this point, realized that he will most likely lose if things continue going this way. It''s only a matter of time before he runs out of energy. [EP: 200/500] Seeing this Lucien frowned but before he could evenin, Lukas was already charging towards him! "Abok!" Lucien growled as he charged forward without looking back. His eyes let out ck bolts as the Abok turned into a gray most and surged into his body. The serpent tattoo appeared on his hand once again and his body darkened as he activated the steel skin skill! Bang! Their fists struck, creating a powerful shockwave that left many stunned as they watched Lukas retract his fist with a pained expression on his face. Upon colliding with Lucien, Lukas felt like he struck an immovable mountain! He heard the cracking sounds of his bones and for the very first time, he realized something. All this while he has been fighting alone, but Lucien has never been alone! He is struggling to subdue Lucien with his full power and is yet to take into ount his beast associations or his spirit beast techniques! At this moment all he could think of is flee! His body jerked back in an attempt to increase the distance between them but Lucien chased after him tightly causing him to result in his ultimate escape skill. "Shadowless flight" Lukas muttered as his toes lightly tapped the ground and the next moment he was gone! "I am not letting you get away! Argo!!!" Lucien growled as the silver bird with the golden beak let out a loud cry as it rapidly pped its wings creating countless twisters and hurricanes that covered over ten kilometers. The suction force was so intense that all forms of vegetation within the range of attack were pulled out of the ground and soon, Lukas''s drifting figure could be seen struggling with the effects of Lucien''s domain spell! "Let''s Go!" Lucien cried out as he leaped forward and the azure blue dragon above his head followed tightly. His eyes let out bright blue lights a dragon spear appeared in his hands, spinning uncontrobly. Grrrrr! Immense blue mes surged forward while the twisters and hurricane began converging in Lukas''s direction. Everyone watching could tell that these are the final moments of the fight so they were all at the edges of their seats, saying silent prayers to whoever they supported. Meanwhile, Lukas frowned as he sped his hand and a massive wind sphere appeared around him. Without making a single move, he watched as his wind sphere took in the entire attack and shook violently. "The problem with the past glory martial technique is that gives you nothing special, no special technique, no special move, no unique ability You are just like a newborn spirit realm master without a martial techniqueCompletely depending on your elements and nothing more You lost!" Lucien''s voice echoed all over the battlefields but he was cleverly hidden in all the chaos! [Shadow storm activated] Soon the entire battlefield got darker as a ck veil enveloped the entire battlefield, taking the shape of a massive dome! With the vision of both the viewers and Lukas blocked a sense of fear spread in the hearts of everyone and only then did Lucien make his move. His body charged like lightning as he crossed a major distance between him and Lukas in just a second, appearing behind him almost instantly. "You should be grateful you were killed with such an excellent technique!" Lucien''s voice echoed in the dark room. At that moment his eyes let out a ck sh as his fists got covered by some sort of gray mist surrounded his fists and when he struck forward, he released countless after images of his fists striking different spots but at the same time. [Phantom fists activated] "Haya-ken: Lightning speed fists!" Lucien growled but Lukas was no weakling. His senses as a spirit realm master were amazing so he reacted the moment he felt the presence of someone behind him and went ahead block the attacks purely based on instincts and even went ahead to counter-attack!. BOOM! Like a balloon, the shadow popped and two figures could be seen standing face to face. Lukas had used the shift to change his hands and legs to ws, leaving Lucien covered in bloody cut wounds, meanwhile, Lukas had no injury at all! It seems Lukas has won! Chapter 161: Chapter 160 Chapter 161: Chapter 160 They watched as both men remained still for almost a minute with no one moving. They didn''t speak and their eyescked any form of emotion. Blood kept squirting out of Lucien''s wounds, showcasing how serious they were meanwhile Lukas only looked slightly paler. Many had already assumed Lukas was the winner but then what happened next left them shocked. "Just like I said earlier You never stood a chance against me, old man!" Lucian said with a sad smile on his face. Lukas wanted to say something but he couldn''t speak, using the phantom punch, Lucien may not have been able to damage his body bit his soul was badly damaged and was probably on the verge of copsing now. He may have blocked the attacks but that only protected his body and not his soul. He finally realized that he was lead to the final moments of the fight and he never stood a chance from the beginning. All this while, Lucien showing him his destructive attacks and never showed him the phantom punch. He lowered his guard against casual attacks like that and when he least expected it, Lucien struck. He used the shadow storm to block his sight and prevent him from seeing the gray most encasing his fists that way he didn''t suspect anything and expected it to be his normal attacks. "You little sly piece of shit!" Lukas managed to blurt out as his youthful body returned to its old form and his soul finally crumbled. His body soon fell off the sky, shooting for the ground headfirst but before it could reach the ground, Lucien caught him by the arm. The look wasn''t that of a victor but sorrow. No matter how much he hated this old man, he still hated the fact remains that this man is someone who he was called grandfather. He had his moments with this man but it''s all over now. "You fought well old man I''m pretty sure, the emperor would stillmend if he could You are strong" Lucien said with a shaky voice as he held on to the body, feeling confused. At this moment he badly wanted to return to the empire and return this body to the Raizen n for a proper funeral service but he couldn''t turn back now. Lucien came out for reason and he had the intention of aplishing it. [Host: Lucien] [Race: Beast-man] [Cultivation technique: Soul and Body harmony dual cultivation technique] [Cultivation realm: 2nd sky of the warrior realm] [Emperor points: 21,000] [HP: 100/500] [EP: 100/500] [Condition: Healthy] [Pure Qi body: 4%] [Exp: 7,000] His body felt heavy but due to the nature of hisbat technique he could feel his injuries closing up slowly, and he could also see his health points rising. Lucien was about to leave but then he got series of notifications that caught his attention. DING! DING! DING! [New achievement unlocked] [Host has vanquished a major foe who once lead to his downfall. As a future emperor it is important you put sentiments aside and do what''s best for you and your empire! The world watched you do it and all those who once doubted your strength will fear you! Tales of this aplishment will spread across the continent] [+5000exp] [+5000 Empire points] Ding! Ding! Ding! [Beast assimtion sessful!] [Razien god beast assimted] [Assimtion rate: 60%]0 [New abilities unlocked.] ___________________________________________________________ The battle was over but the entire hall was silent like a graveyard. They kept contemting of what they just watched is a prerecorded video but they all knew they are yet to acquire such an advanced technology or spell. They gazed at the emperor who seemed to be silent since he too was shocked by the oue and for a moment he thought Lucien died as well. He leaned back on his throne and shut his eyes, trying to steady his emotions while hiding his excitement for the future. At this moment, he didn''t even care if he died since he knew that with someone like Lucien, this empire cannot fall. He remembered the final moments of the video where Lucien was staring at the empty space while the others were confused, Instructor Han and the Emperor knew how the system works so they knew he must have gotten some upgrades. If he can gain, Lukas''s connection with the Raizen god spirit, show strength will leap by arge margin! While he knew killing magic beasts and gaining their abilities can be considered amazing but the difference between the strength of mere magic beasts and a god beast is too vast. In his opinion, Lucien reaped a major harvest this time. "If I ever have to die I have to make sure the kid is the one to kill me that way I know I won''t just vanish that way I will live on in hi?" Emperor Fei muttered those words to himself and after calming himself, he leaned forward and shot the nobles a nce before finally speaking. "A coup is about to take ce and those responsible are trying to get rid of mg closest allies You failed to kill Han and now you also failed to killLucien Rakuzen The empire has lost a spirit realm master because of your silly games but does not forget that with each person that falls my faction grows stronger Lucien Rakuzen keeps getting stronger at an rming rate and with his army of spirit cultivators on my side, your chances of killing me drops even more At this rate, it will take the intervention of a god for you to kill me" Emperor Fei said with zing red eyes. He paused here and waited for a short time for everyone to digest his words before continuing. "I bet you all expected me to ask who the killer is? You expected me to ask why you want me dead, right? Well, that was never the n Hayato Fri has never been one to run from a challenge or beg for my life If you think you have what it takes to take my crown Go ahead, give it your best shot!" Emperor Fei growled and surprisingly the nobles began cheering! Even if they didn''t like the man no one could deny he had the charisma a leader must have! Chapter 162: Chapter 161 Chapter 162: Chapter 161 After his battle with Lukas, Lucien was only able to travel for a short while before resting. His body gave off thebined aura of multiple king-tier beasts any magic beast under the Emperor tier dared not attack him, with that taken care of, Lucien never had to worry about magic beasts all through his journey. He had stored Lukas'' corpse in his omini Zone and he spent the rest of the night in the darkness, seated in a cross-legged position as he concentrated on his cultivation. After defeating Lukas, not only did his strength increase but his assimtion rate of the Raizen god beast was over sixty percent and normally this would be a good thing but for Lucien, it is the reverse. As a beast-man, you can draw strength from the link between you and your god beast and many tried to strengthen this link, hoping for better things but Lucien found out this may not be the best option for anyone. After gaining the assimtion rate of Lukas which should be at fifty percent and added it to his own, Lucien hasn''t stopped hallucinating. He kept seeing visions of the Raizen''s life and he kept hearing countless voices he is unable to make any sense of. His head hurt badly and he was on the verge of crumbling and only then did Rakuzen step in to exin the situation to him. [If Lukas lived long enough to further strengthen his link with the Raizen god beast he would have be it''s blessed] Rakuzen spoke and when he spoke the visions vanished and the voices vanished. "Blessed? What''s that?" Lucien felt relieved and confused as well so he couldn''t help but ask the question. [Blessed are chosen vessels for gods It allows them to descend on the mortal realm without destroying the entire mistakenly] Rakuzen''s voice made it sound like this is general information everyone should know by now. Thinking about this, Lucien was even more confused than before. He couldn''t understand why gold realm masters will choose to descend into the human world and y god for no good reason. Like, whye down here? Up there should be a lot better! "This doesn''t make any sense!" Lucien dered as heid on his back. [Let me exin this in a way even a dummy will understand The role of a god is really boring and annoying imagine listening to millions of prayers from stupid devotes Gods live in their domains meaning they are isted from the rest of the world they y the roles of the observer and they are not allowed to influence the activities of mortals...These are unspoken rules that prevent gods from using mortals as their ythings and the only way to bypass this rule is to be a mortal! With a blessed sessful enough to form a powerful link,a god can descend and live again through him or her] Rakuzen exined making Lucien feel chills in his heart. At this moment, Lucien realized something important even without Rakuzen saying a word. There are no more open spots amongst the gods so it''s very unlikely for any cultivation at their level to be a new god. Each god has an authority they control in their element or affinity, so when a demigod is close to achieving godhood and is granted the same authority as one of the gods, it''s only natural for them to battle for that position, so in a moment like that, even a demigod does not hold a candle against a god, it will be a one-sided massacre. At this point, Lucien realized how dangerous this world is. If you are not strong enough you will most likely get killed and if you get too strong you will end up dying as well. In the cultivation world, lives have no value, only strength does! People kill others for looking at them the wrong way or for not showing enough respect or more. Considering so many craps he has been overlooking, Lucien felt ashamed of himself, how could he be so carefree in such apetitive world. Even if Lukas got stronger and grew faster and reached the peak of the demigod he will be struck down by the same Raizen who helped him reach where he is! "Hell no!" Lucienined as heid on the ground and shut his eyes. He wasn''t bothered about getting ambushed by someone since he had Rakuzen on the lookout. He felt sorry for anyone who felt killing him while he is asleep is the perfect n since the fact is Rakuzen can easily take over his body and fight for him. In his opinion, it''s better someone fought him than someone fought Rakuzen! ---------------------------------- By the time Lucien woke up his wounds had closed up but the w scars could still be seen everywhere on his body. He changed clothes before he continued his journey without bothering to eat. As a cultivator with a martial technique, Lucien can sustain his body with the world''s energy everywhere so he can stay long without eating. Normally this is reserved for only spirit realm masters and unlike Lucien, they can stay forever without eating it sleeping but Lucien''s as usual is special. He is allowed to partake in some of the benefits but not all of them. After flying at his top speed for another half a day, Lucien reached Tania vige but instead of walking in, Lucien decided to fly in. The people watched the silver bean approaching and normally they were not worried because they hadplete faith in the city defenses but when they saw it shot through the barrier and towards the town square they retreated in fear and prepared for a bitter battle. Boom! The beam of light hit the ground and they saw a figure wearing a blue azure dragon mask. If it wasn''t because the mask is simr to the mighty Rakuzen statue in their town they would have attack immediately. "Let''s see!" Upon arrival, Lucien didn''t bother speaking or addressing those in front of him with their weapons raised. His eyes let out a bright glow as his aura spread across the vige, reaching every corner of it. His eyes widened in shock and a smile bloomed on his hidden face. "Good sir, may I ask for your identity?" A bald elderly man with an old cane walked towards him slowly and said those words. Behind him was a yellow-haired youngdy only slightly older than him but she still looked as amazing as Lucien remembered. The vige was not consideredrge like his territory so it wasn''t difficult for the major cultivators of the vige to gather and in a few minutes, Lucien was surrounded. "Did you not hear me, good sir? Who are you?" Aponi said coldly now as his aura exploded and the image of a blue near appeared above him, making Lucien chuckle. "Is that how you treat your king?" Lucien said as he pulled off his mask revealing his handsome face that made everyone bow almost instantly as if they were programmed to do that. "You have an old, weak body, Aponi If you keep doing this you will definitely hurt yourself one day!" Lucienined he grabbed the old man by the hands and helped him up gently. Meanwhile the hearts of all those who saw this gesture melt as they didn''t know someone like Lucien is nice even though he is in the position to treat them any way he wants. "I apologize young master! My granddaughter told us about your great battle with the Creed that oppressed us and what you did to save us she told me you were in trouble with your people and because you were away for more than a year many of us thought you were dead" Aponi said with shaky voice stunning Lucien. He shot a nce around and noticed the heavy looks on the faces of everyone around, making him realize that he held an important ce in the hearts of these people and that''s why they are all bothered about his life. Before he came here he was afraid that these people would forget him and he couldn''t help but admit he was scared of that taking ce. "I was made a noble I was given a territory now I am here to take you all back with me" Lucien a loving smile as he spoke.His words stunned many but he could see the reluctance in their eyes but this didn''te as a shock. He was already expecting this response and he understood why they didn''t want to live. This ce was once the home of the great Rakuzen and their home as well. They have gone through numerous things in this ce and this is the only ce they can call home. Leaving it now is something they didn''t want to do, especially when hope for them has appeared. "You don''t have to worry, you don''t have to pack anything I intend to move the entire vige with all of you in it!" Lucien''s voice turned ethereal as his body levitated off the ground. Chapter 163: Am I dead? Chapter 163: Am I dead? Lucien''s body slowly levitated as his eyes gave out an unusually bright light. White symbols began appearing all over his body and as the notification appeared in front of him again. [Do you wish to transport the town to the Rakuzen n territory?] Seeing this Lucien looked down and saw many eyes on him, they were all expectant to see Lucien''sw defying powers that can only belong to a god. [Do not forget this is the life authority granted to you by me The empire points you gain is the power of fate gathered from your subject but your cultivation level is too low Using this aspect of the system slowly drains your life force! At this rate you are destined to die younger than your peers unless you make it to the god realm] Rakuzen warned. "Just the god realm? That shouldn''t be a problem!" Lucien said with a slight chuckle as he clicked the yes button and bright white light surged out of Lucien''s body andpletely consumed the entire town! A loud screeching sound could be heard as the light kept expanding all the way to the walls of the vige, covering even the magic towers! BOOM! A deafening explosion sound urred and the next moment everywhere was silent. The light faded and everything seemed normal and many even doubted that it actually worked but soon they noticed the massive magic towers not far from theirs and this new territory beside theirs have even more magic towers! Many cultivators who could fly through the help of their spirit beasts shot into the air and saw an entire city beside theirs. But what stunned them the most was the massive Rakuzen statue visible from afar within the city! "It worked." Someone muttered in shock. "He actually moved the vige" Aponi gasped in shock and looked up to see Lucien''s figure above. They could only see his back and at that moment, many began bowing and praying to him as if he was some sort of god. They all forgot about Rakuzen at that moment and all their prayers were going to Lucien! [Power of Faith detected!] [Hosts body is not capable of containing this such power! The host needs to expel it or else he may lose his life due to power overload!] Even without the system''s warning, Lucien already felt the strange power surging into his body! At first, it felt nice but then he could feel the power growing rapidly, making him feel like his body was going to explode very soon. "How do I use it?" Lucien''s eyes twitched in pain! He barely had the strength to speak, let alone ask these people to stop. Blood began rolling out of his eyes and ears but since the people were gazing at his back from below they could tell what was going on! [The system has fixed abilities and can only convert the power of faith directed towards me into empire points The creation path is one that requires a strong imagination You visualize what you want and make it happen with the power Thanks to the system and me, you can utilize the power of faith even with your low cultivation realm, any normal person wouldn''t have a hope of surviving!] Rakuzen said. "Cut the crap! A normal person won''t be able to absorb the power of faith, I am only in this situation because of you!" Lucien muttered weakly as he stretched his hands forward and the walls next to both towns crumbled instantly and new ones merged, merging the two towns together! But even then the power in his body kept growing and he couldn''t help but curse the people below from the bottom of his heart. ''STUPID PIECE OF SHITS! YOU ARE KILLING ME!'' Lucien growled viciously in his mind as he gripped the void and pulled and all eight magic towers from the Bradford town and the four towers of the Tania vige shot out of the ground and began spinning around thebined cities! Lucien proceeded to create another four magic towers and ce all sixteen of them around the city. Puti! Lucien spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered in mid-air threatening to fall. Only then did people notice something wrong! Aponi watched Lucien and realized that the white symbols all over his body were glowing more wildly causing him to frown! "Stop praying! You are killing him!" The old man was well informed about the power of faith so he roughly guessed what was going on! "AAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Lucien cried out viciously as he created four statues of the Rakuzen Chinese serpent dragon and ced them at the four corners of the city but it was already toote! Boom! A loud explosion was heard above and his from the white cloud, Lucien''s lifeless body fell out from the cloud, all the way to the ground. People gathered around his body and when they checked his leaned closer they realized his heart wasn''t beating. Lucien had died. ------------------------------------------------------- Lucien''s remained airborne while his body fell to the ground leaving him stunned. He roughly guessed what was happening but it was still too hard to make sense of it all. "I am dead?" He muttered in shock but didn''t dare make a move. He felt like he was in this world and in another world as well, like two nes of existence ovepping each other, just like when he uses his abilities "Rakuzen? Rakuzen!" Lucien cried out but he got no response. He was about to move but then he noticed something strange below. It seemed like time paused and a massive red eye appeared on the ground as a powerful suction force pulled him in. Lucien tried to resist but he was powerless to the forces of the spirit world! The moment he fell into the massive red eye, everything turned ck and this time he couldn''t speak or even think everything went nk! Bam! Soon Lucien regain his consciousness only to realize he was in an extremely long line of people walking towards a massive green gate in the distance. He couldn''t see what was going on within the gate and even now he couldn''t tell where he is. Behind him was a girl of about nine years or so and in front of him was an elderly man, their eyes had no life in them and Lucien instantly understood that these people had no control over their actions here. They have been stripped of their ability to think for themselves but what was even more terrifying was the environment. It was like they were at the edges of a grand canyon, walking on a narrow path leading to the gates of hell! Screams of pain and anguish resonated from that gate! The pain of many and the cries of the young reached Lucien''s soul-making him shiver in fear. He looked back to realize that the line of people moving in was endless! The skies werepletely ck but strangely he could see clearly! "I guess I am really dead" Lucien said calmly. Surprisingly he didn''t feel sorrow or pain, he only felt regretful because he couldn''t be of help to the emperor after all. Even after everything, all his ns for the future! His wishes to be the greatest emperor that has ever lived he just died because of his people! Aughable death! GRRRRRRRR! Suddenly a deep growl could be heard as a beast appeared at the top of the Canyon with its eyes fixed on Lucien. Its body was that of a lion, it also had the head of a lion but the tail of a scorpion and the wings of a bat. The moment it appeared Lucien realized something very important! He had stopped moving and because of that, the souls behind him weren''t moving either! He had unconsciously stopped the flow of the underworld and it may even have some effects in the realm of the living! This beast may havee here because of this! "Because I am dead doesn''t mean I will stop fighting!" Lucien''s eyes let out a silver light as he levitated off the ground and into the air. ck lightning and a blue storm began surging around him as all the beast tattoos on his body glowed fiercely. "A MERE DOG DARES LOOK DOWN ON ME? IF I CAN''T MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF IN THE WORLD OF THE LIVING! I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF IN THE WORLD OF THE DEAD!" Lucien growled as he shot forward and the beast was taken aback! It simply sensed someone stops the flow and came to check it out! It has seen souls who managed to retain their consciousness but it has never seen one that retained its power after entering a ce like this! Gazing at the face of the kid, it realized Lucien reminds it of a man who came through here earlier, he too regained his memory but hecked his powers. But even without it the old man tried to fight against it and lost shamefully! That man is Lukas Raizen! Chapter 164: Hope Chapter 164: Hope Roar! The beast let out an inhuman roar as it charged towards leaped towards Lucien only to be assaulted by countless bolts of lighting with unlimited thunderbolts raining down on it like a thunderstorm! Bang! Bang! Bang! Lucien had expected a tough battle but to his greatest surprise, the magic beast was knocked back ruthlessly! Not daring to give the beast time to recover, Lucien''s body turned into steel as he rammed into the magic beast smashing it into the rocky walls of the grand canyon and dragging it up. Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Lucien growled ruthlessly as he shot into the air once again, flying to the top of the grand canyon and diving down, smashing crushing the skull of the beast into the ground. Puff! To Lucien''s greatest surprise the beast gave out a painful cry as it transformed into ck smoke but when it was about to escape, a powerful suction force pulled it into Lucien''s body! At this moment, Lucien felt a familiar feeling of power surging through his body as a beast tattoo appeared at the center of his chest! Does the beast assimtion still work? Doesn''t that mean I can get stronger here? Once I get strong enough I can force my way out! Many thoughts ran through Lucien''s mind but all that was cut short the moment he realized he wasn''t alone! Looking ahead Lucien saw an army of beasts simr to the one he just killed now. He felt his hair stand as a cold shiver ran down his spine. His eyes dted as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva but even then he took a step forward and his aura exploded "Martial technique: Body and soul Harmony! With this power, with their strength, I cannot lose! I cannot run! I AM LUCIEN RAKUZEN! I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED SO EASILY!" Lucien screamed in an attempt to hype himself up. ROAR!!! The endless army of demonic beasts charged towards him fearlessly, causing the ground to rumble violently! This should be enough to make any normal man shiver in fear but Lucien showed no fear. "I WILL SHOW YOU THE POWER THAT WILL SURPASS THAT OF THE GODS!" Lucian growled viciously as the image of a massive his tattoos began vanishing as the magic beasts took from behind him! Lucien released all his assimted beasts except the Raizen God beast and the demonic beast he had just killed earlier. As much as he felt using the Raizen God beast will increase his chances of survival since his link with the Raizen God beast is already high he dared not summon it recklessly! He was already dealing with the powers of the underworld and he knew he must have drawn the attention of the God of death, getting another god involved would be bad news for him! "CAWWWWWWWWWW!" Argo screamed as it released countless powerful hurricanes surging around Lucien and even beyond while the Lanka utilized its domain skill, creating a purple mist around them! With two domain spells, Lucien felt much safer and he quickly summoned the faceless spirit beast, forcing the silver shapeless orb to appear above his head. "Rakuzen!" Lucien roared as his eyes let out blue lights as illusionary blue dragon scales appeared all over his body and an azure blue dragon spear appeared in his hands as he charged forward first with his magic beasts chasing after him closely! "Break!" Lucien growled as he struck forward releasing a whirlpool of blue mes, bulldozing through the enemy lines! He was extremely shocked by how weak the enemy forces are, they can be considered soldier-level magic beasts in the world of the living! The only difference is therge number on their side! "Kill!" Lucien roared viciously as heunched the spear forward, decimating the enemy forces who dared to block his path, and even without fighting, his beast assimtion revivals were wreaking havoc, tearing through the enemies like they were helpless kids against a pack of vicious hungry wolves! In just a few minutes, Lucien and his former had killed hundreds of the enemy forces, bearing a thousand! Numerous ck gas kept shooting into Lucien''s body from all sides of the battlefield and at first, it was energizing but soon it became painful! Lucien soon fell to the ground, holding his head in pain as he struggled to clear his head. Visions of all the unfortunate events that have urred in his life kept reurring, leaving him with blood-red eyes and blood flowing down his eyes. "What the hell!" Lucien growled as more demonic beast tattoos kept surging into his body until he could barely stand. He began remembering his final moments of living as he felt his soul threatening to explode but even then Lucien didn''t withdraw his forces. They were already in too deep inside the enemy forces, if he dares withdraw his forces now his second death is assured. While they fought a cold breeze blew across the battlefield and a figure appeared in front of Lucien. It was a youthful man with pitch-ck hair tied into a ponytail and a green undercut at the sides. He wrote a ck long-sleeved mage robe with what seemed like bone armor around the shoulder area. His eyes seemed cold and his ck lips gave him a certain charm and the most amazing thing about the man was that Lucien couldn''t feel any form of power from him but upon seeing this he unconsciously admitted defeat. "Ie here in search of the powerful being, wreaking havoc in my domain and what I see is a kid Disappointing but interesting" The man said calmly with an ethereal voice that made Lucien feel rxed around the man. "Hehehehe! I can keep going you know that right?" Lucienughed bitterly as he gazed at the man in the eyes. Since he is already dead, the rule of none may look at the face of God did not apply anymore. Seeing the amused look on the face of the youth the god of death was slightly taken aback. He hase across many people, special, powerful, influential during their lives but none have dared look him in the face with a smile on their face. First of all, he couldn''t understand why this kid can retain his senses in the underworld. Only spirit realm masters and above who have attained spirit sense can do this, but none of them have ever retained their abilities when they got here. The underworld is and that severs the link the dead has with the living, that way they end up losing all their abilities but here this kid is the first he has ever seen retain his abilities! This is something that can only be done by the gods. "You are really interesting, what is your name child?" The man said as he calm down and gazed at Lucien''s body. He saw the tattoos of magic beasts on Lucien''s body and he couldn''t help but frown. The old man barely managed to subdue his raging aura that is about to explode as he asked the question with a straight face. "Lucien Rakuzen" Lucien said with an astonished look on his face. He couldn''t exin why but even though he didn''t want to talk, the words left his mouth even without giving him a chance to resist. He didn''t know if this is one of the abilities of a god but what Lucien knew was that if he should survive this encounter in some way, he will consider himself as one of the luckiest men in this world.He was practically staring death in the face and even though he wasn''t scared he couldn''t help but feel anxious. "Rakuzen!" The man hissed with knitted eyebrows as he nced around a bit. He saw that magic beasts fighting for Lucien and what was even more bothering were the ck smokes surging into his body endlessly. With each enemy murdered, he could feel Lucien''s power rise. His army should be invincible, drawing the power of the underworld to reform upon death but this little kid was actually whittling down their number because of the beast assimtion. The man couldn''t help but wonder about the connection between this kid and the god of gods, Rakuzen. His facial expression turned grave as violent thoughts ran through his head. "As a follower of Rakuzen, I will show you some respect and give you a befitting death!" The man said as he raised his hand and a massive ming purple skull appeared above like a mightyet. "Don''t worry when hit by this, not even your soul will remain" The man said with a soothing voice. ROAR! He was about to pull his hand down but then a loud cry which sounded like a thousand beasts crying out at once left everyone stunned, including Lucien. Looking up they saw a massive Chinese blue serpent dragon shoot out of the dark clouds, shooting towards Lucien at a terrifying speed. Its eyes were the same as what one Lucien saw each time he entered the dark room! Rakuzen hase to save his sessor! Chapter 165: The real threat! Chapter 165: The real threat! Lucien watched as the massive azure Chinese serpent dragon charged towards him at full speed! Seeing a familiar face who he has depended on for a long while, Lucien felt emotions welling up in him. He hade to the underworld thinking he is all alone and that was the reason why he fought as hard as he could. Even if he couldn''t make a name for himself in the world of the living, Lucien wanted to leave a mark in the underworld before his permanent demise! The appearance of the God of death marked his final ending but even then he wasn''t scared, he nned to throw all he had at Death''s attack, dying while knowing fully well that he did his best. "I I NEVER GAVE UP!" Lucien''s voice was shaky as he screamed those words at the blue dragon just a few meters above him! Whoosh! The Chinese serpent dragon suddenly exploded into a body of sky blue mist and from it a figure emerged,nding gracefully. The figure was over 6ft tall with ridiculously long sky blue hair with bright blue eyes and a nose ring put on. He had the tattoo of a blue serpent dragon on the right side of his face and his skin had strange cracks that made him look like he had dragon scales with his bright blue kimono fluttering gracefully as he descended. "I know You never let me down, even in death After watching you struggle through your eye, how could I not risk my life to save the soul of my precious sessor?" Rakuzen said with an ethereal voice while touching Lucien''s cheeks gently with his hands and only then did Lucien realize that his nails were painted blue as well. Hearing those words, his bad boy act almost copsed but he struggled really hard to keep up a strong image for the sake of Rakuzen in the presence of a fellow god. He struggled and got on his feet while Rakuzen watched him doing this, giving him an approving nod before turning his attention on the god of death! The moment he gazed at thenky pale youth, his facial expression turned fierce causing the god of death to take a step back in fear! "You dare try toy a hand on my sessor? What happened eternity got boring?" Rakuzen said coldly as he used his body to shield Lucien from his gaze. His blue nails soon began expanding, slowly bing ws and fangs could be seen growing in his mouth while his skin was turning a little bit blue! "Your sessor? That exins a lot! Only someone with such a close rtionship with the god of gods Rakuzen can enter my underworld and swagger about without restraint!" The god of death said with an understanding expression. "But since you are here, don''t even bother leaving!" The god of death''s expression suddenly turned fierce as he pulled his hand down and the massive skull began descending quickly! "YOU!!!!" Rakuzen growled viciously as his body released a blue light and a massive azure Chinese serpent dragon shot out of his body, letting out a loud cry before charging towards Rakuzen! It quickly assumed the shape of a dragon spear, falling into Rakuzen''s hands as he leaped up towards the attack with a grave look on his face! "Rakuzen!" Lucien''s voice stunned both Rakuzen and death and they couldn''t help but watched Lucien recreate Rakuzen''s actions using the faceless and leaping up towards the massive death skull descending from above! Seeing this a smile bloomed on Rakuzen''s face and he got a bit more excited! "Hahahahaha! Just this one kid! Just this once I will let you fight by my side!" Rakzuenughed madly as he and Lucien began spinning their spears releasing a sea of blue mes twisting and turning viciously like an unsettling sea! While Lucien''s me was like a match stickpared to a wildfire when put inparison with that of Rakuzen he didn''t look disturbed or discouraged! Instead, he kept pouring his all into that attack! BOOM! The realm of the dead shook violently as both sides shed viciously! Lucien could only see their blue mes striking hard at the massive skull and for a moment he cked out but the next moment when he regained consciousness, he realized he was in Rakuzen''s arm who was breathing heavily and had a frown on his face. Staying so close to Rakuzen, Lucien finally noticed animal tattoos all over his body but all these magic beasts were beasts he was unfamiliar with. On the neck of the blue-haired expert, Lucien saw the tattoo of a man with the head of an eagle and two pairs of eagle wings, stunning him! This is the tattoo of the Raizen god beast! To have this tattoo meant Rakuzen must have in a Raizen magic beast that reached the god level. Whether the in god beast is the one they serve or not is something Lucien couldn''t tell but considering the fact that they can create a link with the Raizen god beast, Lucien knew the god beast that birthed their n must still be alive. "Hahahahaha! I knew it! I don''t know how you are still alive but your current strength is not up to one-tenth of what it used to be! If it were in the past I would be trembling in my boots, scared of you! Even when we all gathered to put you down, we were all scared shit and many of us were pessimistic about the operation, we really thought we will fail!" The god of deathughed hysterically, not caring about his image at all. Hearing this, Lucien was stunned and he couldn''t help but look at the indifferent look on Rakuzen''s face. At this point, he couldn''t help but wonder how strong Rakuzen use to be back then to make the ruler of the underworld openly admit he used to be scared of him! How strong is a celestial being? "Right now an even worse gue is about to befall our god vein" Rakuzen said calmly, not bothering himself with the other god''s taunts. Hearing this and seeing how serious Rakuzen was, the god of death stoppedughing and turned serious. "What do you mean?" The god of death asked calmly. "As a celestial being, I am a rank above the realm protector I know what going on in the realm right now All I can say is that the most brutal god that has evere into existence ising for this world He is a being who has swallowed up the power of his own fellow gods and that of the older gods that came before him! The one responsible for the death of the current realm protector and probably the new realm protector of this realm! He ising for our god vein and I can assure you, this man No, beast of a man will deal a major blow to the current gods of this realm Your death is almost imminent at his hands since you y the same role as him!" Rakuzen said coldly and this time he was frowning. Seeing this even the god of death couldn''t help but feel anxious. He has known the strength of Rakuzen and this old monster is not the type to acknowledge someone easily unless they are really extraordinary. He saw no reason for Rakuzen and as a former celestial being, Rakuzen had no reason to lie his way out of a difficult situation! Even Gods have some pride! "What role does he y?" The god of death asked with a somewhat shaky voice. Lucien couldn''t tell if he was scared or just angry since everything was hidden under the indifferent face. "He is the God of death in his own god vein but due to his reputation, he was given the title, god of death and destruction by the beyond and the other gods in his god vein! He nurtured his power and strength through wars and endless! Starting from nothing and reaching the true god realm in less than two decades! If I were to fight him at the same cultivation realm, I will definitely lose my life." Rakuzen answered truthfully, making even Lucien tremble in fear as he tried to wonder what kind of being the Rakuzen was talking about. "GIVE ME A NAME!!!!!" The god of death screamed at the top of his voice making the entire realm tremble badly but Rakzuen didn''t seem bothered. "Know it that once I call his name, he will be aware of our discussion here and he will be able to find this location!" Rakuzen warned. "I DARE HIM TO TRY AND CHALLENGE ME IN MY UNDERWORLD! FEAR NOT! I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO TAKE HIM ON IN MY DOMAIN! LET US SEE IF HE DARES COME HERE AND FACE ME!" The god of death screamed like a crazed beast with bloodshot eyes. Seeing this Rakuzen only shook his head in response, in his opinion, this young god is acting impulsively and doesn''t know there are beings far more powerful than he thinks. Chapter 166: Derik Angus! Chapter 166: Derik Angus! Right now Rakzuen was watching this terrifying death god consuming other cosmic beings and gods on the other side of the realm as if they are nothing. The way he subdued them and killed them in an overwhelming manner was the reason even Rakuzen was scared of this man. This god of death made their god of death look like a child swinging a wand. Compared to this man the current god of death will most likely lose even in his domain. There is a very high chance that if the gods gather they may win but most of them will be put in a critical condition or even die off. Rakuzen gazed at the god of death standing right in front of him and was reluctant to say the name out loud simply because he was more afraid of that being than the true god of death and destruction. "Say his name damn it! Don''t tell me the high and mighty Rakuzen who was once a celestial being is scared of a mere realm protector?" The god of death taunted but to his greatest surprise, Rakuzen didn''t even bother hiding his fears in front of his sessor! "Yes I have a feeling that even if I were at my peak strength and go against him as a realm protector, I will die in that battle as well" Rakuzen said with a grave look on his face. The god of death could see pictures ying out in the eyes of Rakuzen and he knew this being wasn''t lying, he was currently watching this god of death and destruction wreak havoc. He finally began believing what Rakuzen said about this body reaching the realm of the true gods from nothing in just two decades or less. He couldn''t help but wonder what kind of being this person is but right now he could see Rakuzen was unwilling to say more about him. "If you answer my questions I will let you go, peacefully" The god of death said but Rakuzen''s reaction was different from what he expected! "Do you think you can keep me here if I wish to leave? You must be delusional!" Rakuzen bared his fangs against this god, stunning him. The fear he disyed when talking about this other death god was gone the moment he was speaking to him. It only showed how much value Rakuzen ced on the enemy. "Who is this man you speak of?" the god of death ignored his provocative words and asked the question calmly. Hearing the question and felt reluctant to answer, but looking at Lucien''s interested look he couldn''t help but sigh before speaking. "Before I answer your questions, I wish to know your intentions for this enemy!" Rakuzen asked after taking a deep breath. "Are you dumb? Two death gods cannot exist I will wait for his arrival and when he finallyes for my head, a battle which even the heavens will record will be fought here, and believe me when I say this Rakuzen! I will not be defeated easily! Not in my realm!" The god of death said with so much determination even Lucien was moved. Hearing this Rakuzen remained silent for a while pondering on something before nodding in understanding. "This man was born and at a very young age, he fought! He fought against the supernatural beings, he fought against the enemies, he fought against his own people! All his life has been war after wars endless battles! The only time he doesn''t fight is when he cultivates by digesting the souls of the dead he has consumed He never had a love life he never had kids He barely had people he called students as a mortal he fought against demigods and as a demigod he fought against true gods and as a true god he battled the realm protector, beyond, fatally injuring her but losing his life in the process but even death could not hold this man because he has already be death itself and not just a god of death! He has made death magic an extension of his body and a part of him! No matter how much we try to deny it or how much we try to argue it, the fact remains he reached the realm of true god in just two decades just by consuming the souls of his endless foes! He has a twin soul, one of a human and the other is that of a Lycan a god beast soul!... His name is Derik Angus!" Rakuzen said but instantly regretted saying thest part. Upon saying the name, the underworld began to tremble violently as the ck clouds turned darkish green and multiple green chains shot out of the clouds, smashing into the ground in all parts of the underworld. The attention of the three was focused on the sky and a pair of green fiery eyes slowly yanked open staring at the trio with an indifferent look. These three felt the gaze of the eyes extremely ufortable as it felt like he could pierce into the deepest parts of their souls! Thissted for only a few seconds before the eyes finally showed ack of interest before closing and vanishing! Only then did the clouds turn ck again and only then did the green chains vanish. "D-did you hear that?" Lucien stuttered fearfully for the very first time in his life, shivering in Rakuzen''s hands only to realize that even Rakuzen was trembling slightly. His face was covered in sweat and even though he tried to look as calm as possible, Lucien could tell he was scared too. How could he not be scared? Upon the appearance of those cold eyes, the trio could hear the screams and cries of the deading from the green clouds. The countless voice and cries of those who have fallen victim to this being were enough to make Lucien and the rest feel anxious. Even the bravest of men would crumble when faced with something so terrifying! It felt like they were not gazing at a fellow god but a god killer! His eyes were more beast than human! He made the god beasts look like kittens! "What the hell was that? HE DARES PEER INTO MY DOMAIN!" The god of death screamed in rage but his trembling feet showed how terrified he is too. Lucien and Rakuzen remained silent as they tried to recover from the initial shock. They could only wait calmly for the god of death to calm down before they continued speaking. "You have seen it for yourself As per our deal, I am leaving with my sessor!" Rakuzen said coldly but didn''t dare move. He wished to see the reaction of the god of death first before knowing how to act. "One more question!" The god of death asked after taking in a deep breath and Rakuzen nodded in approval. "Why him? why risk your lifeing down here for him! you know what the other gods will do if they learn you are still breathing, yet you risked it all for a mere warrior realm kid why?" The god of death asked. "I don''t know At first, I was just looking for a mortal to serve as my blessed until I am strong enough to take over his body and when this kid fell into my tomb I had such thoughts but then as time passed, this kid kept doing the impossible! Not because he is the most talented in his generation but because he was the only one with a unique mindset and wasn''t afraid of failure He may be at the warrior realm but he has already created his own martial technique!" Rakuzen said and the god of death cut him off there. "What? That''s impossible!" The god said as he shifted his gaze to Lucien but Rakuzen nodded his head. "Dual martial technique: Body and soul harmony!" Rakuzen said calmly, making the old monster shiver in shock! Body and soul harmony? Doesn''t that mean he is able to control the power of the living and death to create a perfectbat technique that draws power from two realms of existence? IMPOSSIBLE! The god of death wanted to scream that word but then he couldn''t help but ponder on Lucien''s achievements so far, only to realize he has been underestimating this kid. This exins why he is able to retain his senses even though he was only in the mortal realm! This is simply because he has formed a spirit sense, just like another spirit realm master and the reason his abilities were not sealed by the underworld was because of the nature of hisbat technique. Suchbat technique prevented him from getting his link to the living world severed by the underworld since he is already part of the spirit world beforeing here! "This kid!" The god of death gazed at Lucien with a renewed understanding of the youth called Lucien Rakuzen. "I know, I know He is awesome but I found him first! This kid is the only one who stands a chance against the god of death and destruction! All he needs now is time to grow!" Rakuzen said confidently! Chapter 167: Lucien returns Chapter 167: Lucien returns The god of death gave Lucien a meaningful stare while wondering what to do next. The fact that this kid has a uniquebat technique that allows him to retain his power even in the underworld meant he already has an advantage over the god of death. If he should ever reach a profound realm, he may be able to kill him. Why would the king of the underworld let such a threat go without trying to stop him before things escte to a point where the situation is beyond his control. "He is scared" Lucien''s voice reached his ears causing the god of death to look up and look Lucien in the eyes. "You are scared of me? a mortal? I believe you should focus on the god of death and destructioning your way Trying to kill me here and failing will only give you another powerful enemy You are getting emotional, you are bound to make mistakes now We have no issues, you did your job as the king of the underworld, I understand that and there are no hard feelings Don''t make this into something more personal unless you are a hundred percent sure you can stop Rakuzen from escaping here It''s just that simple" Lucien said with an expression that showed no emotion. He wasn''t scared or afraid, just logical! Hearing this the god of death gazed at Rakuzen for a while before turning his attention to Lucien and breaking a smile. A man who was once called the god of gods cannot be restrained easily. If Rakuzen was hell-bent on leaving this ce, the god of death wasn''t sure he will be able to stop him even if he tried his best. Rakuzen has always been an unknown since the very beginning and that''s what made him scary. "Hahahahahaha! The realm of the mortals is about to get interesting! I guess it''s time I start watching again I have my eyes on you Lucien Rakuzen! Do you hear me? Don''t disappoint!" The god of deathughed madly before waving his hand and a powerful suction force began pulling Lucien and Rakuzen. "I expect to hear stories of your victory over the fake god of death and destruction! Show him this world is not a ce just anyone can walk into and stroll out without fear! Show him what death really means!" Lucien screamed. Hearing this a smile bloomed on the face of the god of death before he threw Lucien a thumbs up. "Rest assured little one, I will show him what the true power of death looks like!" The god of death said with a bright smile on his face! Wam! At that moment Lucien''s vision turned dark and slowly he found himself in that dark space again with the pair of massive blue eyes gazing at him. He could tell Rakuzen was greatly exhausted since his gaze seemed weak and his breathing was heavy. "Thank you" Lucien said calmly as he bowed while trying to suppress the emotions threatening to erupt! Rakuzen gazed at him in silence for a while before letting out a weakugh and then speaking. "You are getting the wrong idea little one I was only able to find you because you called my name the underworld is more vast than you think, even a god will get lost if he enters without getting called upon As for you, you did a good job, you managed to hold on till I found you. You looked death in the face and fought, for that reason, I respect you Lucien" Rakuzen said before a bright light shone from behind, dragging Lucien out of the dark world and not giving him the chance to reply! Whoosh! Lucien''s eyes slowly yanked open and the first face he saw was that of Alice whose eyes were swollen and reddened, it was clear she has been crying for a while now. With a sharp nce, he could tell this is his room and he could see the emperor and Instructor Han pacing around with reddened eyes as well, making him break a smile. Aponi and the chieftain of the Bradford town were also present with us of the Lightborn n. Seeing so many important people here for him, Lucien felt good and tried topose himself before speaking. "You should be tried after pacing around for so long. You need to save your strength for the enemy!" Lucien said after taking in a deep breath. Hearing his voice everyone turned towards his direction with astonished looks on their faces. They were all reluctant to act because they didn''t know how to respond to this. Just a few moments ago, they were sure that Lucien was dead! His heart has stopped beating for over six hours now and it was alreadyte at night and even his strange tattoos vanished. Everyone in his territory was morning his death, seeing him wake up made them extremely happy but too confused to show it. Lucien wanted to move but then he realized his body was numb. He struggled to push the white sheet off his body and sit up before speaking to them. "No wee back hug? No scream of joy or party? You guys are really cold!" Lucien said with a slight chuckle. Wam! Alice ran into his hands and began crying uncontrobly. Many watched the duo and felt their own emotions surging dangerously now. As men, they couldn''t show their emotions just like Alice did. They could only watch Alice cry uncontrobly with a smile on their faces. "I thought you were dead I thought I won''t see you again! Don''t leave me again!" Alice didn''t care about those around, she just said anything she could think of without restraint. Hearing this Lucien could only smile sweetly while patting her head gently. He didn''t think he would feel this good returning to the world of the living. "I died I know that but I am back now and I am not going anywhere! Even death couldn''t hold me, you don''t ever have to worry about me again" Lucien said calmly as he yed with her golden hair. Chapter 168: Famous! Chapter 168: Famous! As soon as Lucien was done saying that he turned his attention towards Aponi and his gaze turned so cold with murderous intentions surging out uncontrobly, even Alice jumped off his body in fright! After returning from the underworld, Lucien''s soul has been greatly affected by the aura of the underworld making his soul undergo a terrifying change. Rakuzen gazed at Lucien''s soul and on them were countless tattoos belonging to the thousands of demonic beings he murdered down there. Originally people couldn''t see this on his body but when he got pissed his normal beast assimted tattoos vanished and the new ones appeared. But unlike his original tattoos, these ones were life-like and roamed around his body without restraint. Seeing the countless tattoos on his body giving out chilling cries of pain and sorrow, even us and the Emperor were terrified. Lucien''s silver aura turned ck at that moment, taking the shape of a massive skull over his head and causing the room to tremble violently. "Because of the dumb actions of you and your people, I ended up dying a worthless death I was dragged into the underworld! I fought borders of demonic beings until my body couldn''t handle the power of the demonic beasts surging into my body! I bleed from my eyes for the second time! I encountered death and almost had my soul obliterated because of you all! All because you all are just damn stupid" Lucien growled as his body shot out of the bed and into the air. Unknown to his eyes were blood-red while dark cracks began appearing all over his skin. He could feel some strange force pushing his anger to the extreme. It felt like his emotions are consuming him, making it hard for him to think. At this point, his shadow had spread across the entire room and from it, demonic beasts of various shapes were crawling out slowly with their murderous gaze pinned on Aponi. The old man was too terrified to even apologize or run. Even the emperor was frozen in fear as they gazed at the new Lucien and wondered if they will be attacked too! "Lucien!" Rakuzen''s weak voice echoed in his head and at that moment, Lucien snapped out of his rage and his shadow returned to his body, forcing all the demonic beasts to vanish! Sigh! Lucien let out a heavy sigh and returned to his bed and sat there. His eyes carried no emotions as he gazed at Aponi and said. "You all serve Rakuzen Keep it that way for his sake, I will give you all a second chance. When next this sort of mistake repeats itself I won''t hesitate to wipe out the entire n Do you understand?" Lucien said coldly as Aponi shivered fearfully while shaking his head. Without hesitation, the old man speed-walked out of the room with the support of his walking cane and Lucien didn''t bother to give him a final nce. His death made him realize a lot of this. In this world, at least eighty percent of the poption are just dumb and stupid! They are only slightly better than animals and in most cases, they are no better than animals. If Rakuzen was still a celestial being with unimaginable power, their act of praying to him can incur the wrath of the god on him and the people. The fact that these people don''t think things through before doing something filled Lucien with disgust and he had no intentions of hiding it. "You don''t have to worry about me... I am okay...In fact, I have never felt better!" Lucien said as he gazed at the reluctant emperor. Seeing this the emperor nodded but us was still unsure of what to make out of the new Lucien. As a pdin he could tell with his eyes that Lucien hasn''t been possessed by any demonic being, the only problem now is that his soul has been tainted by the power of the underworld, making it difficult for the youth to deal with his emotions. Luckily Lucien has never been the type to show too many emotions. He only showed his emotions when necessary. "Your people are mourning your demise Let them know that their leader is someone even death could not hold!" The emperor finally calmed down and spoke up making Lucien smile. He turned his attention to instructor Han who approached and ced his hand on his shoulder and with an eye filled with worry, he said these words. "Do go about dying when we need you the most kid You broke our fragile hearts today and made our enemies rejoice...Go on champ! Show the entire empire you have returned Let them know what true fear feels like! The Emperor will not fall!" Instructor Han said with so many emotions that Lucien felt his blood boiling. Boom! Lucien exploded into a bolt of ck lightning as he darted out of the room through the window, shooting towards the skies. His body shot into the air as his eyes let out bolts of lightning! The clear night turned dark as dark clouds blocked the moon catching the attention of every cultivator within the empire since they could feel the enormous amount of mana surging in the air. "DID YOU THINK LUCIEN RAKUZEN WILL DIE SO EASILY? HAHAHAHAHAHA! I AM LUCIEN RAKUZEN, THE MAN WHO KILLED LUKAS RAIZEN! DEATH CANNOT HOLD ME" Lucien growled at the top of his voice as he struck the sky with flurries of punches releasing series of explosive sounds that made many shivers. ck lightning surged out of his body, shooting into the clouds, and when it descended it took the form of the Rakuzen! The citizens of Bradford town cheered uncontrobly, as their invincible master showcased his strength! Even death couldn''t hold this man they serve, doesn''t that mean their future with him as his subordinates are boundless? In just a few minutes after Lucien appeared people began dashing out into the streets chanting his name until the streets of the Bradford town were filled. Meanwhile, the section of the territory belonging to the spirit cultivators was extremely silent. After Aponi briefed them on Lucien''s words earlier they were too terrified of him to even show their faces! Chapter 169: Preparing for the worst Chapter 169: Preparing for the worst The entire night was rowdy but the next morning was even noisier as the entire empire finally got the gist of what happened the previous day. Not only did Lucien kill Lukas Raizen, a man who plotted against the royal family but he was only at the warrior realm when he defeated the peak spirit realm powerhouse. He soon teleported an entire civilization of spirit beast cultivators into the empire''s domain and ended up dying due to the stress ced on him from the previous actions. In just one night, he resurrected from the dead and showcased even greater strength to mark his return. As long as the empire is concerned, Lucien is a hero of the empire and a role model for the empire and Lucien had no intentions of letting this momentum go to waste. He quickly instructor Han recruit some selected instructors into his n and a few talented students time and time again. Since Lucien has shown respect for the humans time and time again, human recruits were easier to get but the main problem was the beast-men who were still stuck with the old beliefs that they are superior thereby they can never join a group that treats humans and beast-men equally. Before Lucien was known as the horror of the humans but now he could be considered as the ideal beast-man the humans want. It didn''t take long before Lucien left for the Raizen n to take his throne, not before he asked Alice to organize the spirit beast cultivators before he returns. ----------------------------------------------------- Bang! The golden doors of the royal courtyard swung open even though Lucien didn''t exert much force on it. Each step he took to make his aura feel more chaotic and threatening, making many reluctant to oppose him since no one knew how the underworld can affect someone mind negatively so they all argued that Lucien should be kicked off the noble families and put under observation until they can be sure that he is perfectly fine but the emperor refused, alongside a good number of the human ns. Even without the support of the other noble families, Emperor Fei had no intentions of letting them do as they please. His gaze seemed indifferent as looked at the nobles gathered around but as it got to Lucien it turned soft. "Emperor!" Lucien said as he bowed but the silver light in his eyes was shining more brightly than usual. "All this while we have been gathering and you only came to report and leave directly Today I wish to let you act like a real noble Take a seat and let the meeting begin!" Emperor Fei said and watched Lucien go to the seat prepared for the Rakuzen n head. Many gazed at him and wondered why he didn''t bother to wear a mask now unlike before when Lucien always wore a mask to meetings. He ignored the gaze of many and turned his attention to us of the Lightborn family and nodded. "We are here to talk about two things, the first is the uing war will not be an easy one The human empire of Libet has been a lot of things over the century but they have never been weak Our spies say they are preparing their forces and every n there is participating in this battle I know a good number of you want my head but I refuse to believe that my head is more important than the entire empire!This time I request all of you to prepare your forces for war and wait for further orders History favors those who strike first We will be the one to strike first!" Emperor Fei said calmly and the entire room turned silent. His eyes ran through the faces of the entire nobles before nodding in approval. "If I may speak I wish to request that my forces are sent to the front lines I started this issue I choose to be the one to end it Let me show them the power I possess!" Lucien said coldly, stunning many. They were shocked that Lucien would make such a request especially since he was the one with the least number of forces in the empire They didn''t know his ns but what was even more shocking was the fact that the emperor agreed to the request with a nod without asking questions. "I kindly refuse my emperor The Rakuzen n has the least number of forces in the empire Having them go in first is no different from giving the enemy the first victory in battle. While I do not underestimate Lucien''s strength, I know that there is just so much that a single person can do in battle He will be overwhelmed and killed! The death of an imperial knight is not something we would like to see" A 6ft tall man asked casually. He had darkish purple hair and wore a robe with a huge feather cor. His eyescked any form of emotions and that''s why Lucien didn''t say all these out of spite, instead he simply stating the obvious. The emperor was about to speak but then Lucien stood up and he decided to let the youth take care of things himself. "You are the dimir family head, am I correct?" Lucien asked with an indifferent look on his face and the man nodded respectfully. "All I have to say is that there is nothing to worry about I will be taking over the Raizen n as soon as this meeting ends, coupled with my army of spirit cultivators I should have a pretty powerful family Finally, I also possess my army of demonic beasts who are indestructible so you don''t have to worry about my safety or victory You should be more worried about the enemy and not me" Lucien said casually but it struck deep fear in the hearts of all those who heard it. They quickly turned their attention to the emperor and back to Lucien, repeating this almost three times bur even then the emperor showed no intentions of interfering. "I heard you reached the underworld, had an encounter, and still made it out alive. Can you show me this army you speak of?" the dimir family patriarch asked politely and Lucien nodded and took a few steps forward, reaching the central spaced area of the room. At that point, Lucien''s eyes turned blood red as blood began running down his cheeks from his eyes and his aura turned ck, taking the shape of a massive skull above his head. His shadow expanded rapidly, filling the whole room in a matter of seconds, and in the next second, the entire grand hall was turned ck, choking with demonic presence! His original tattoo soon vanished and was reced with countless ck demonic beasts tattoos moving rapidly on his skin, giving him an even spookier look. "Rise!" Lucien said with a tone ovepping countless screams and cries! Whoosh! At that moment, countless demonic beasts began surging out of his shadow up to the point that even the entire hall was congested due to this. "Return!" Lucien said coldly and under his order, the countless demonic beasts sank into his shadow and vanished as if they never existed. At this point, Lucien has returned to normal and he was using white clothe to wipe the blood on his eyes and cheek before turning his attention to the dimir n head. "Are you satisfied?" Lucien asked coldly and the man nodded with an astonished look on his face. He looked like a little kid getting his favorite toy from his parents! "How many of those creatures can you all out" the dimir n head asked respectfully. "About a thousand or more I haven''t really taken the time to count them all so I only have a general idea!" Lucien answered indifferently but then something that''s stunned even him happened. Bam! Everyone watched in shock as the dimir n head fell on his knees with his fists cupped and his head bowed. His body shivered with excitement leaving many stunned and wondering why he would bow to a lesser noble! "Lord imperial knight! The dimir family wishes to join your forces in the uing war! Please ept my humble request!" The man said with so much power and passion even Lucien felt awkward! He could remember the stories about the Lightborn and dimir ns who have never seen eye to eye. The dimir family has always been interested in dark arts of all kinds To hear that someone managed to go to the underworld, encountering the god of death, and escaped. Lucien soon realized he is some sort of celebrity in the eyes of everyone from this n, making him feel a slight headache brewing since he didn''t know how this will affect his rtionship with the Lightborn family. "What do you think old man?" Lucien asked casually and Kalus simplyughed at his question. "If you can find a way to coexist with humans and treat them equally Dealing with this shouldn''t be a problem for us" us replied calmly. Chapter 170: Attacking the Raizen clan! Chapter 170: Attacking the Raizen n! Hearing us''s response, Lucien smile slightly and turned his attention to the dimir n patriarch, and gazed at him in silence. Gazing at the youthful man Lucien didn''t know how to respond to his request and refused to believe that an entire n will be ready to submit to him simply because of his little underworld adventure. "We will talk further on our alliance after the Raizen n has fallen into my hands Since the Lightborn family are my first and only allies, keep it in mind that their opinion matters a lot" Lucien answered dryly and didn''t bother with the man anymore. He walked towards the throne and when he was at the foot of the stairs leading to the throne he fell on one knee and shed the emperor a cruel smile. "As an Imperial knight and as a reward for killing Lukas Raizen the traitor, I request to the right to take the Raizen n under my wing for proper guidance" Lucien said thest part with a sinister smile and didn''t even bother hiding it. "You may!" Emperor Fei quickly responded without giving it a second thought. Everyone saw this and many noble family heads felt attacked by this but they didn''t dare show it since the emperor has agreed to it. They could only watch in silence as Lucien walked out of the room with murderous intentions visible in his eyes. After seeing his army of demonic beasts and if they are indestructible as Lucien says, then even the Raizen n may not be able to resist Lucien''s wrath. ------------------------------ Lucien left the royal courtroom and didn''t even bother turning back Lucien left the royal courtroom and didn''t even bother turning back. His eyes were on the message he has been seeing since the day he left the underworld. [New mission acquired] [Subjugate the Raizen n in 2 days (1 day left)] [System is locked until the mission isplete] Since this message appeared he had been barred from viewing his status or using the system for anything else. As time passed Lucien felt more frustrated since he didn''t know how much change his soul underwent after going to the underworld and only the system can reveal these things to him. After seeing those cold eyes of Derik Angus Lucien has been suffering from countless nightmares each time he sleeps. He remembered what the two invaders Blink and Clovis said about their masters. They both imed their masters will return to this world and have revenge on them and Lucien strongly suspected that the death god they called upon is Blink''s master. While he was scared he also felt excited as well! He could tell the underworld affected him somehow and that''s why he needs the system. Lucien followed the normal teleportation procedures and in a few minutes he was already at the torn forest, from there he flew towards the Raizen n. After leaving this n for a long time because of his grandfather, he is back and ready to make this n his, just like he promised! "Diplomacy or simply attack? I guess we attack!" Lucien screamed the moment he could see the walls of the n territory! He knew there is no use talking since there are so many elders who coverted Lukas'' position, the only way to im the throne is to show power! That''s all that matters to beast men! "AAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Lucien growled viciously as ck bolts of lightning shed around him viciously while he approached rapidly. His eyes let out a bright silver light as he wrapped himself with the lightning as he plunged into the lightning curtain formation without regard for his body! Smashing into the Lightning curtain surrounding the Raizen territory, many were terrified as they watched countless bolts of lightning ruthlessly assault one man but to their greatest surprise there was no scream of pain, instead it was chilly pearls ofughtering from him! "IS THIS THE BEST THE RAIZEN CLAN DEFENSE CAN DO? EVEN A SPIRIT REALM MASTER CAN SHATTER THIS!" Lucienughed hysterically as his eyes spotted one of the people maintaining the formation on the city wall. Unlike Lucien''s n where everything is automated, other ns didn''t have such advanced technologies as him so they depended on groups of people to cast a barrier spell and maintain it. These people usually took turns in maintaining these formations, making sure that the others rested perfectly well before returning to their posts. "I apologize, but you will be a sacrifice for the greater good!" Lucien sneered before releasing countless bolts of ck lightning. Everyone watched in shock as the bolts of lightning slipped through the lightning curtain, reaching the man seated on top of the gate! Seeing this the man snared as his eyes let out a silver light and he released bolts of lightning of his own but the moment it collided with Lucien''s his expression changed and he suddenly felt terrified! "What the hell?" The man''s face turned pale in fear as his lightning was overpowered and when he got hit by the ck lightning, he felt his weak, feeble soul squirming for help! Bang! The man was blown off the wall and at that moment the lightning curtain began crumbling! Without a single member, maintaining a high-level barrier spell was too much for the others, forcing them to drop the barrier but at that moment they were given a taste of what people call true terror! Roar! The inhuman roar made many shivers as the massive figure of the Abok appeared shooting to the ground and soon, more beast assimtions began appearing as well! At this moment, these people realized this was no diplomatic mission or show of strength. They soon realized that this is an invasion but not by an army but by a fourteen-year-old kid who was banished from the n. He didn''t want to im the Raizen n the normal way, no he wanted to subjugate them through sheer power and force! Seeing this, many were infuriated not at Lucien but Lukas Raizen. If he didn''t banish this kid, the brightest star of the empire would have belonged to them! Chapter 171: Chosen one or renegade? Chapter 171: Chosen one or renegade? Lucien knew he could always use the royal decree to gain the force this n to bow to him but that doesn''t mean they will ept him. To aplish the task, Lucien is meant to make the n ept him and not the other way around. In this world might is right, so the quickest way to gain their approval is through strength! Ruthless and unttering resolve! Roar! ck bolts of lightning surged around Lucien''s body so fiercely that he released bolts of lightning, gunning down all those who took to the air. With each Raizen n member Lucien killed, the stronger hispletion rate for the Raizen god beast assimtion. As the system refused to give him updates on his current progress Lucien didn''t know of this. He failed to notice the glowing Raizen tattoo on his back as he kept pushing forward. In just a few minutes the news of the attack on the Raizen n spread across the empire but what was more stunning was that the empire turned a blind eye to all of this and refused to say a word about it. Everyone knew Lucien had a close rtionship with the emperor but that didn''t mean he was allowed to do as he pleases! While many humans saw this as a punishment for the treacherous n that harbored the traitor Lukas Raizen, the others felt Lucien was going too far! He was killing anyone who dared stand in his way, not caring if they are powerless civilians or just academy students. At this point, Lucien became one of the most loved members of the empire as well as one of the most hated members of the empire. -------------------------------------- In a few hours, Lucien had already reached the inner walls of the Raizen n where the main branch family members are located and even he had to stop. While the outer wall was the least protected, the inner wall only harbored experts at the mortal realm and above. With knowledge of how powerful the Raizen n''s main force is, even Lucien couldn''t help but halt his advance. He stood on the head of Argo and with an indifferent look on his face, he stretched forth his and tore a hole in space. Many watched as Lucien dragged out the corpse of Lukas and violently flung it towards the troops atop the wall. "I am Lucien Raizen Grandson of Lukas Raizen The man who defeated your n head in free and fairbat. I am here to take what is mine!" Lucien said coldly as bolts of ck lightning gathered around his hands. His eyes were extremely bright now and behind him was the massive image of the Raizen god beast but even then Lucien didn''t know. Unknown to him hispletion rate has risen extremely high but he is still unaware of it. The guards and elders on the wall gazed at the image behind Lucien with fear since they all noticed that the Raizen avatar behind Lucien had a life of its own. "This kid is a monster!" An elder said as he watched Lucien''s aura running wild. "He may be the chosen one the n always needed A powerful link to the Raizen god beast means he has a boundless future!" One of the Elders argued "Does he look like he''s the one controlling that power? He cannot control this power!" The first elder screamed. Lucien expected a reply from the elders but they ignoredhis words and even acted like he wasn''t there, always gazing past him. At first, Lucien felt enraged but then he noticed the fearful looks in their eyes when they gazed past him. Only then did he realize the silver aura zing around him. He could feel something breathing down his neck, causing him to shiver badly before he turned around and met the enemy face to face. Usually, when the image of the god beast is summoned through the link, it mimics the summoner''s movements but in this case, the Raizen image remained stationary and kept looking down on Lucien. A normal person will feel terrified or fearful at least but Lucien showed no fear, instead, he felt enraged. This is the second god he is making an encounter with, doesn''t that mean he is cursed or something. "Lucien" The Raizen avatar said calmly while looking Lucien in the eye. Hearing this everyone watching, including the elders fell on their knees and lowered their heads in fear. In their opinion, the fact the Raizen God beast called Lucien''s name in such a calm manner is a sign of approval! If the god beast epts him, who are they to reject him! Ding! Ding! Ding! [Missionpleted] [Rewards loading!] [WARNING!] [Raizen god beastpletion rate has crossed the ny percent threshold God descent is about to take ce] [Note: The Raizen avatar is approximate to the host''s strength!] When Lucien heard his name called in such a calm manner, he was dazed and had the strong urge to fall on his knees and pray to this godly being but then the notifications popped up, and when he saw thest part his eyes turned cold. "Piss off!" Lucien growled as he waved his hand recklessly, releasing bolts of ck lighting striking violently without restraint! Grrrrrrr! Many were stunned upon seeing this act of disrespect against a god! The elders saw this and for some reason, they were not enraged instead they were excited by Lucien''s actions! They couldn''t exin why he did it but they were happy he did it! Bang! The Raizen avatar showed no intentions of retreating as he powered through the lightning and grabbed Lucien''s hands. Seeing this being effortlessly power through the terrifying ck bolts of lightning that even a spirit realm master is scared off they had no more doubt in their mind that this being is the Raizen god beast! "ACTING COCKY? BOLD!!!" Lucien growled as more bolts of ck lightning exploded from his body, up to the point where his body could no longer be seen! Lucien''s enraged scream made the blood of all those kneeling boil. They were the ones who always considered the gods as absolute beings and even though this is an Avatar of the Raizen god beast, the fact that Lucien dared go against this being got them excited! Chapter 172: So soon? Chapter 172: So soon? While a few saw Lucien''s actions as sphemy, many were excited and waited to see the oue between the Raizen god beast avatar and the brightest star of the beast-man race! Beast men are no fools and the older they get the more they learn about the origins of their power and what many may consider their true purpose. ording to their ancient scriptures, they are born to y the role of a host to their gods, allowing these gods to roam the earth once again and create what many assume is a better future for their race! While there are fanatics amongst the group that solely believe in this purpose and hope to achieve it one day, many didn''t buy it. They refused to ept a cruel fate where they end up losing their lives and letting the already immortal beings descend to the world through their bodies while pushing out their souls, just to live a second life through their bodies. When people looked into the past records of those who have created a strong link with the god beasts, they soon realized that these so-called gods were not too different from mere mortals with mortal desires! Absolutely nothing special! This exins why Emperor Fei is rarely seen using the shift to call upon the phoenix god beast for strength. Aarrrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh! Lucien screamed at the top of his voice as bolts of ck lightning surged out of his body violently! This time he wasn''t holding back, increasing the intensity of his soul attacks, forcing the Raizen god beast avatar to retreat with an amused look on his face. Even though it could be considered more powerful than Lucien, the Raizen god beast avatar is a beingpletely made of spirit power, meaning that Lucien can harm it effectively with his abilities and that''s why it considered Lucien a threat but also the perfect host. "Why do you struggle little beast-man? Normally, it is an honor for me to pick you as my host because of your outstanding talent and resilient spirit yet you reject me?" Raizen said with a soothing tone, to help calm Lucien down. He said this with a warm smile that made Lucien feel like punching this immortal being so hard that its fellow gods will It understood it couldn''t forcefully take Lucien''s body since Lucien''s pathway is one that can deal with spiritual beings like it, yet it still wanted this because it considered Lucien the perfect host with undeniable talent! A kid who will most likely make it to the god realm! [Doing this means you will lose your link to the Raizen god beast, you will no longer be able to call upon its powers again! By the way, it is you who needs its power and not the other way around! ] Rakzuen warned but only a smile appeared on Lucien''s face when he heard this. ''I have you, I don''t need anyone else'' Lucien gave Rakuzen a simple reply that made the celestial being shiver with emotions. Saying that Lucien took a few steps closer as he waved his hand in a circr motion and the next thing that followed was even more stunning. A ck and white smoke surged out of his body, gathering behind him as it formed the Ying and yang Chinese symbol ofbnce! Roar! A loud roar escaped Lucien''s body as the massive figure of the Rakuzen appeared above Lucien before surging into his body to reinforce his skin with blue dragon scales. Only after all of this did Lucien respond to the Raizen god beast''s skin. "Fuck youFuck your power, Fuck the dumb old fools who believe that deluded you into thinking that you are important! You ain''t shit! Take that from me !" Lucien said coldly as he gathered his power for a fierce battle. When he died and was thrown into the underworld, the Raizen god beast could tell he was dead but never made any attempt to save him! Only Rakuzen came in when he needed him the most and pulled him out of the underworld. He had concluded that Rakuzen is the only one worthy of his loyalty amongst the godly beings. The rest can go to hell for all he cares! What Lucien said may be considered one of the main reasons that enraged the Raizen god beast avatar, but the main reason was the azure blue dragon that left Lucien''s body! Only at that moment did Raizen notice the magic beast tattoos on Lucien''s body and the numerous magic beasts around him! How did a warrior realm youngling enter the underworld and leave unscathed? The god of death was not someone so gracious as to give another person a second chance! How the hell did a warrior realm kid create a martial technique with such a small cultivation level? How is his link to the god beasts growing so fast that even Raizen is stunned? "Beast assimtion!" The Raizen god beast avatar said with furrowed eyebrows and a clenched fist. All the questions ended with the same answer no matter how much he tried to reject it. Somehow Rakuzen and is training this kid as his sessor! Rakuzen can be considered the nightmare of all gods but what was more confusing is why the god of death made such an important discovery and didn''t bother informing the rest! At this point, the Raizen god beast was warier of Lucien and refused to make the first move. He kept gazing at Lucien and the tattoos on his body, wondering how to go about this. With the beast assimtion, even the Raizen god beast avatar is not safe with him since Lucien can always force the Raizen power to obey him, using the beast assimtion ability, just if he can weaken it just enough. Both sides kept staring each other down with none making the first move. They were both terrified of each other and reluctant to make a mistake in such a decisive battle, making the tension around them grow. While many thought Raizen was wary of Lucien and they kept hyping themselves, the truth remains that Raizen was only scared of Lucien''s backer Rakuzen. How is he still alive? How much power has he recovered? Can he manifest himself outside the body of the host in the physical ne of existence? Raizen has never felt more enraged with the limitation ced on him by the gods. If only he could bring his main body over, He won''t act disgracefully in front of so many mortals. He was about to speak but then his expression froze while giving Lucien a disbelieving look. His body trembled in fear as he gazed at Lucien once more but in reality, he was gazing at Rakuzen within Lucien. "The God of death, Dakar has fallen how is that possible? Who the hell can beat the god of death in his domain? His realm! You must know something about this, Rakuzen!" Raizen growled viciously, leaving Lucien stunned. The first name that came to his mind was Derik Angus and the pair of darkish green hollow eyes that pierced into the underworld, scaring the shit out of them. "So soon?" Lucien muttered in shock as he remembered that they only warned the god of death a day ago. He remembered the bold derations made by the god of death and how he was moved by his speech! Then how did he lose so quickly and easily? Was Derik Angus really that strong or is the god of death just that weak? Whoosh! Suddenly a bright blue light escaped Lucien''s body, taking the form of a young blue-robed handsome man with sky blue eyes and hair. This man had various magic beast tattoos on his body Rakuzen first gave Lucien a meaningful nce at Lucienbefore turning his attention to Raizen. "I warned Dakar of this invader and told him that both the human gods and the god beasts will have to gather if they wish to stand a chance of winning against this man but he didn''t listenHe probably went ahead and challenged him alone and this is the oue So rather than wasting so much time on this little mortal, I suggest you gather your fellow godly partners and deal with the issue at hand before this being consumes the entire god vein!" Rakuzen said coldly. Hearing this Raizen couldn''t help but shudder in fear! How could an extremely powerful foe exist without their knowledge? Do they really need to gather everyone to beat him? No! Razien refused to believe that there is a being that requires both the human god and the god beasts to gather. In his opinion, Raizen was just blowing everything out of proportion to divert their attention but thinking back at it, why would a powerful and prideful being Like Rakuzen reduce himself to petty tricks to survive? A being that fan defeat the god of death in his domain, should be extremely powerful, so maybe Rakuzen wasn''t lying after all. "At least tell me his name!" Raizen demanded coldly! Keep calm and write something... Chapter 173: Coup begins? Chapter 173: Coup begins? Lucien and the Raizen god beast kept starting each other down with none making a move. As much as they wanted to rip each other apart they couldn''t deny that each of them had something important and pressing to do and that''s why they were hesitating. After gaining more power of Faith, Rakuzen could temporarily exist outside Lucien''s for a short while and this made Lucien even more relieved. He had a feeling that one day, he may be able to separate Rakuzen from his body and have a capable ally by his side at all times. "You" Lucien was about to speak but then a loud explosion urred catching his attention! The royal capital was hundreds of miles from the Raizen n an the only reason people could travel so far in just a few minutes was simply because of the teleportation tforms used all across the empire. For the fact an explosion from that distance could be seen, heard and felt from this distance, Lucien concluded that this is something only champion realm masters are capable of. Lots of thoughts ran through his mind as he began to grow restless. He couldn''t help but wonder why they chose to start the coup right now? Was it because he tried to take over the Raizen n or did they consider him too strong so they decided to get rod of Jim sooner? "Emperor!"Lucien screamed as he turned into a big beam of energy and shot towards the direction of the explosion. "YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME? SUCH INSOLENCE!" Raizen screamed as a lightning whip appeared in ait''s hands and itshed out at Lucien''s fleeing figure. Seeing the iing attack Lucien and got even more enraged by the fact that someone dared to stop him when he was trying to get to the Emperor''s side. SCRAM!" Lucien growled as he summoned the habakiri and quickly used the habakiri to release an intense ck lightning whip that deflected that of Raizen. His eyes turned gray as he exploded into a body of gray mist, surging forward. No matter how much the lightning whip got to Lucien, it just shaved through the mist and dealt no damage at all. Meanwhile Lucien released a powerful blue wind shockwave, sending Raizen flying down. His eyes carried killing intentions as he sped his hands and Abok shot out of his body taking the shape of a metal snake steel culture descending on Raizen like an ancient mountain. "GOOD VERY GOOD! YOU ARE STRONG BUT IT''S A THODUSND YEARS TOO EARLY FOR YOU TO CHALLENGE ME!" Raizen screamed as uncontroble surge of lightning surged out of his body, striking the massive the Steel Abok ruthlessly, pinning it in mid air, leaving many stunned. "This is the end" Lucien growled as a silver formless Orb flew out of his body, appesring above the steel cake while leaving a shaky Raizen alone Whoosh! Lucien sneered as the massive silver orb twisted and turned violently as it soon took the form of the massive steel snakeand descended upon the original Abok causing the ground beneath the feet to crumble ,great king tier magic beasts and roar in joy Just like his summons, Lucien had no more time to waste as he quickly activated the Bess assimtion system, forcing the Raizen god beast avatar panic in dear because they were not remembered today. Everyone watched as the silver light power began pulling the Raise''s silver halo towards him. He watched the Raizen n tattoo slowly surge into his body, and the Raizen tattoo began appearing on his back. At that moment he began seeing the images of Derik Angus battling Dark a the god of death. You have finallye" Derik said calmly as he felt a powerful presence standing behind him. He saw Derik walk out from a spatial corridor and vanished, appearing on the spot where Rakuzen called his name, only then did Dakar appear Even without turning around he could feel the cold gaze of the dark haired man, wearing a dark robe with a bone armor located around the shoulder region. The man''s lips were ck just like his finger nails and his eyes! "This world is strange Thews of power feels more detailed, more diverse, I feel like I have been exposed to a whole new understanding of cultivation. So many pathways, so many possibilities Authorities granted to gods These are things my worldcked Very sad" Derik said calmly as he turned to meet the enemy head on. Seeing this Dakar was more infuriated than terrified as he took a nce at all his terrified demon beasts and took a step forward "You are truly as terrifying as they say, Derik Angus" The death god said coldly BOOM! The moment he called Derik''s name he felt an invisible force m into him, pushing him meters back and forcing him to fall on his knees. He wanted to speak but he felt like his throat has been crushed by the invisible force but instead of getting terrified, this old monster got enraged instead. While still on his knees, he looked up to meet Derik standing in front of him with a cold look in his eyes while he looked down on him. "You are not qualified to call that name I suggest you try to be more respectful from now on, little death god" Derik said while looking down at the enemy with a hint of disgust in his eyes. Seeing someone looking at him in such a way, the god of death of this world was enraged! He is the scourge of this world and many feared him, even amongst his fellow gods! How dare a mere intruder look down on him! "YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON DAKAR? YOU ARE COURTING DEATH!" Dakar roared as he smashed his hand into the ground and pulled out countless ck chains, swinging it at Derik ruthlessly! "I am death!" Derik answered indifferently as he reached for the ck chains and with just one hand he shattered them effortlessly! He was about to speak but then more ck chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around him, binding himpletely but even then, Derik didn''t look worried. He watched Dakar levitate above him as more ck chainstched onto him restricting his movements! "YOU DARE STEP INTO MY DOMAIN AND MAKE SILLY PROCLAIMATIONS? YOU MUST BE TIRED OF LIVING, DERIK ANGUS!" He growled as he sped his hand and a massive fiery ck skull appeared above and began descending like aet. BANG! In an instant all the chains were shattered and with a single step forward, Derik was already standing in front of this death god, grabbing the throat and crushing it ruthlessly. His eyescked all forms of emotions as he proceeded to deliver a mighty p that made the entire underworld tremble violently! "Didn''t I tell you? You are not qualified to say my name!" Derik said coldly as he watched Dakar''s body fly a few meters back just from the p from him. Derik was more shocked that he failed to knock off the head of this death god in one go and this proved that the enemy was no weak foe! Maybe to other gods, this Dakar is a beast that terrifies many but to Derik he was just another above average opponent! "This is too easy I suggest you stop holding back!" Derik said punched the skies and the ck skull shattered. He wasn''t pissed because this enemy was trying to fight him, he was pissed because the enemy was holding back on him. He came here with the intentions of seeing the full capabilities of this world''s god of death and he didn''t n on leaving without seeing it. He watched Dakar rise to his feet while letting out bone chillingughter that echoed all around the underworld making Derik frown. Dakar''s aura suddenly exploded, spreading across the entire battlefield as his body began receiving ck markings. His body seemed to have pause in time as the world around them transformed immensely. "Domain expansion." Derik said a frown. Right now they were only at the outer regions of Dakar''s domain and that''s why the god of death isn''t getting much strength from his domain but seeing him use the domain expansion is another thing all together. Lucien could see darkish green aura surge out of Derek''s body before surging into the ground and the flowing into Dakar so even an idiot couldDakar was stealing Derik''s power.. "Do I wipe you out now or wait a bit longer?" Derik said casually "What the hell is this?" Lucien growled as he gazed at Derik''s figure with anger in his eyes. Even though he wasn''t the one fighting DerikAngus, Lucien felt insulted by the way Derik Angus for treating Dakar like that and he wished he was there to fight beside the old god of death. If only he could get stronger, he would be able to put idiots like this in their ce! Even Rakuzen was enraged by this! Chapter 174: Civil war! Chapter 174: Civil war! "Aaaaah!" Lucien was pulled back to reality as the vision stopped midway, making him wish he saw the rest of the battle between the two beasts. Although he had expected something like this to happen in the first ce, Lucien never expected the god of death of their world could be toyed with in such a manner. His annoyed gaze fell on the Raizen god spirit avatar trying to break free but was pinned down by fiery blue chains from Rakuzen. "What do you n to do now?" Rakuzen asked casually while shooting Lucien a nce. "I make Raizen''s power mine and then go help the emperor," Lucien said while focusing on consuming the Raizen avatar with the beast assimtion. At this point, he was more shocked than worried. He could still remember back then when then Invaders Blink and Clovis spoke on their mastersing. He thought it was just unnecessary boasting but seeing it happen today left him stunned. To think that someone like Blink would have a powerful being like Derik as his master. "Derik ising for you but no one knows that, let''s keep it that way. Once a foreign being invades a god vein, his powers are suppressed so yes, there may be a fighting chance You all may be able to defeat him if things are done properly. The people you have to be worried about are those who will try to stop you" Rakuzen said calmly. Hearing this Lucien frowned as he considered something. During the invasion led by Blink and Clovis, the duo vanished for a week or so and many believed they were hidden by someone influential in the empire. Apart from the Wuxing n patriarch, it is very unlikely there is someone else who can challenge the emperor in terms of strength in this empire. This led him to believe that Derik Angus''s arrival may have something to do with the coup. "Is there really a chance that these idiots are working with the invader?" Lucien avoided calling Derik''s name for his sake. "It is a possibility but this can be considered a very stupid move as well Mortals do not make deals with gods! It never ends well!'' Rakuzen said as he watched Lucien absorb what was left of the Raizen god beasts avatar. With this done, Lucien had regained the power of the Raizen god beast but this time without the link. He felt the urge to lead the people of the Raizen n into war but for some reason, he didn''t want to do it either. Not only will they slow him down but he is yet to understand what he is up against. Without bothering to say a few words to them, Lucien turned into a beam of silver light and shot towards the capital, meanwhile. Seated on the golden phoenix throne of the Royal courtroom, Emperor Fei silently listened to sounds of explosions rocking the entire capital. He had expected the coup to happen soon but not so soon, especially when the empire is at the brink of war with the other empires! At a time when they should be gathering their strength and forces for the Libet empire and not for some silly personal reasons. "Idiots Whether I survive this or not changes almost nothing After today''s event, the Fotia empire will be targeted by the Libet and Drakon empire we will be eradicated from the face of this continent just because of the selfish intentions of a few!" Emperor Fri mmed the armrest of his throne while gritting his teeth. He knew the oue of this civil war will lead to the weakening of the Fotia empire and only then will the two empires join forces tounch an all out attack on what remains of the Fotia empire! "It''s unlike you to be this worried, old man Fei Let''s focus on surviving this coup and worry about the restter" Instructor Han said in a calm manner. "The youngling is right we will deal with these problems as theye no need to think too much about the future" The Wuxing n patriarch said while nodding his head repeatedly. Only after listening to the two men standing behind his throne did emperor Fri calm down a little and focus his thoughts on more relevant things. Thanks to the teleportation tforms all over the empire, these big ns were able to move their forces quickly, surrounding the capital and then destroying the teleportation tforms to prevent reinforcement from arriving. He finally understood why Lucien refused to use such teleportation systems in his territory! If he had done that same a lot of these things could have been avoided. "What about the Lucien how do we contact him?" Instructor Han said but Emperor Fei only shot him a sly smile before shaking his head repeatedly. "That Kid has his hands full right now" Emperor Fei said with a bitter smile on his face. ---------------------------------------------- Lucien sped through the Raizen n but to his greatest surprise he reached the gates of the Raizen n, he was greeted by arge army dressed in ck and red knight armors with their faces covered with their helmets. With just a nce Lucien could easily count a thousand of them and in front of the army was an old man with the same gentle smile on his face, using his walking cane to support his body. Seeing Lucien''s domineering figure, followed by his past achievements and his insane, murderous aura, even the thousand-man army couldn''t help but feel anxious when facing such an enemy. "Lucardo family head If I may ask, why are you here?" Lucien said with an indifferent look on his face as his body descended from above. He gentlynded on the ground before walking towards the army fearlessly. With his hands ced at his back, countless ck tattoos began surging around his body releasing scary wails and cries of pain. His eyes were showing no signs of emotions as they had already turned blood red, surging with strength and power. "I suggest you pick your next words wisely, they may be yourst!" Lucien said coldly the moment he was only a few breaths away from the Lucardo family head. Hearing his words, the old man wasn''t enraged, instead, he revealed a sly smile and let out a light chuckle while beads of cold sweat ran down his face. Even he found it hard to remain calm when faced with the demonic aura of the underworld. "Why so serious youngd? Why the rush? Don''t tell me you don''t have some time to spare for this old time"The Lucardo family head said with a light chuckle but Lucien frowned even more. "Are you not aware that the Royal capital has been attacked It is our duty to go to the emperor''s aid Unless you are part of those who want him dead?" Lucien said as his eyes let out a violent light while his killing intentions exploded violently. "I like you, LucienThat is why I ask you to stay out of this This is not a battle you can win...." The Lucardo family head said with a smile but this time his usually closed eyes were slightly open. "Wrong answer! Rise!" Lucien stomped his feet on the ground and his shadow spread forth with over a thousand demonic beasts surging out of them. In just an instant Lucien had over a thousand demonic beasts standing behind him, a strong army that would make anyone shiver in fear! Only now did those watching realize why Lucien didn''t bother moving with an army or anything! It was simply because he was carrying an army within him at all times! The army of the Lucardo family felt extremely nervous and some began taking slight steps back in fear. No matter how trained and equipped they are, they still couldn''t stand against beasts that bear the oppressive aura of the underworld! Seeing this the Lucardo family head frowned for the first time in a long time. He knew how much morale mattered in war and the army with the lesser morale is bound to crumble first. To even stand a chance against Lucien he needed his army to keep Lucien''s demonic army at bay! "Due!" The old man''s eyes let out killing lights as his cane exploded, revealing a saber within! His swinging action was extremely swift even for Lucien and on normal circumstances, Lucien had numerous techniques that can be used to dodge the attack but just like the Lucardo family head, he knew how important morale is in battle! Retreating now will only boost the morale of the enemy forces, making things even harder for him! This is something even a fool would try to avoid! "DON''T UNDERESTIMATE ME, OLD MAN!" Lucien growled with reddened eyes as his body turned to steel and he struck forward with his fist. Peng! The first attack was soon followed by countless Punches and saber attacks, so fast that their hands couldn''t be seen anymore, only the sounds of the shing attacks could be heard! Chapter 175: Silent Blade Chapter 175: Silent de Peng! Peng! Peng! Only two silver lights could be seen from both sides, shing at the center but even then none could see their hands moving. Lucien and the Lucardo n head stood just a few breathes away from each other as they exchanged relentless attacks, so fast that they traded over a thousand blows in just a minute! "Break!" the twobatants growled as they shed once more, creating a mild shockwave that forced them to retreat a few meters back. Seeing bothbatants retreat, many were stunned and confused. While Lucien''s hands were covered in shallow de cuts the old man looked perfectly fine but even then they couldn''t tell who must have won in the exchange. He may look more hurt but the fact he used his fists against a de, earned him the respect of many on the enemy side. "You are truly amazing youngd! It''s a shame Lukas got on your wrong side" The Lucardo n head said with a slightly sad look on his face but Lucien knew it was all an act. Since he has known this old monster from his younger days, he grew to understand one thing about the n head of the Lucardo n. The man is more venomous than any snake in this world. He always wore a friendly smile and that''s what scares Lucien the most since he can''t tell what the old man is thinking but this didn''t mean he is scared of the old man in any way! "This is nothing. Compared to my old man you are a tad bit slower" Lucien said while flexing his shoulder with an indifferent look on his face. "Hahahahaha! When using my silent de martial technique even your old man had no choice but to flee Don''t get me wrong, I am not calling Lukas weak, all I am saying is that I am stronger, so killing me will be far harder" The Lucardo n head said with the same sly smile on his face but Lucien didn''t take his word to heart. Lucien knew once he loses focus of his main go, it all ends! His goal right now is to aid the emperor at the royal capital, every other thing should be secondary. The old man intends to keep him here and prevent him from backing the emperor up and for that reason he must leave this ce fast. "I have only one question Did you seek the help of a being beyond your control?" Lucien asked after taking a deep breath. "The invaders dide in when we were nning this coup In exchange for our help, they offered the service of their master" The old man saw no reason in hiding these things anymore but he didn''t fail to notice the killing intentions that shed in Lucien''s eyes. This meant that the Lucardo n were the ones that housed the invaders when they entered the empire! This exins why they were never found! Many noble n heads kept them hidden while they were preparing for their final move. "Do you know this person you are summoning for help, is a being known as the god of death and destruction?" Lucien asked while trying to suppress the killing lights in his eyes. "Yes, we doAs long as the emperor dies, there are no issues" The old man shrugged his shoulders with indifference, pissing Lucien off even more but even then he restrained himself. "And what about the other enemies of the empire Do you think they will let us live after this is over? What happens when the two great empires attack ours? Our forces got weakened because of you all!" Lucien said as calmly as he could. He was tired of meeting these dumb and selfish old men who are too backward in reasoning. The emperor is a man who wishes to create an empire with equal rights for both humans and beast-men yet his efforts have gone unnoticed! Taking a deep breath, Lucien took a step forward before his body waspletely consumed by ck bolts of lightning and with each step, the earth trembling beneath his feet got louder. His eyes carried no emotion anymore like when he was pissed off thest time, instead it was just indifferent. "Myst question Do you think you can keep me here old man?" Lucien said as he took a fighting stance. "Yes!" The old man of the Lucardo family responded but even then Lucien didn''t show any signs of getting pissed or amused. "GO! Kill them all!" Lucien cried out as his aura exploded and the demonic forces behind him surged forward without warning, swarming the terrified enemies right ahead of them "Wrong answer!" Lucien jumped lightly before ignoring the chaos taking ce around him and turning into a golden being and shooting towards the skies. [Golden reach activated] At first, Lucien''s expectation was that those demonic beasts will keep the enemy at bay while he escapes but to his greatest surprise a shadowy figure dashing towards him relentlessly. "Screw you!" Lucien growled as he turned around only to realize the shadowy figure was already in front of him! "Silent de martial technique: Bloom!" the old man roared as he swung down mercilessly, but what was more stunning was that his de vanished. Feeling death looming over his head, Lucien''s eyes turned cold as he let a scream, making his aura erupt, with the powerful shockwave that sent the old man flying back. Tap! Tap! Tap! Drops of blood could be seen dropping from above but it wasn''t from the old man, it was from Lucien. His left shoulder had been prated by the old man''s attack and if he didn''t react as quickly as he did, he would have lost his hand realizing it! At this point, Lucien didn''t know what was more terrifying about this man, he didn''t know if he was scared because the man could keep up with his speed, or is it because his Martina technique is too strange? Turns the de invisible It curves like a whip? The de is silent, so it''s she''s to tell its real trajectory! And it is even sharper than usual! [Gale domain activated!] Lucien''s eyes glowed bright silvers numerous hurricanes began appearing around them. As far as he is concerned even a spirit realm expert will find it had to maneuver through a domain spell. While it is not enough to kill them, it will hinder their movements a bit, giving him the advantage in battle. "Since you are so eager to die, I will send you over to meet your Rival, Lukas!" Lucien growled as he punched forward, releasing a fist-shaped lightning attack but the old man sidestepped before descendinga bit, dodging the attack from below before charging forward. Seeing this Lucien frowned but he didn''tin! Illusionary blue dragon scales appeared all over his body before he began spitting balls of blue mes but just like before, the old man always dodged them at thest moment with his beautiful foot works, making Lucien feel like mages are nothing specialpared to those who dedicated their entire lives to develop their physicalbat technique! In just a few seconds, the old man was already standing in front of Lucien with a senile old smile on his face as he shed forward! He expected Lucien to dodge but to his greatest surprise threw himself forward, reaching his head with zing blue hands! "Reckless! You lose kid!" the old man of the Lucardo n growled as his de struck Lucien and something unexpected happened. Peng! His silent de struck something hard and bounced off it, making his hands go numb! He was too confused to even consider retreating but at that moment, Lucien grabbed the old man by the face with his fire hands. "In the end, you lost!" Lucien said as his neck suddenly expanded like that of a reptile with blue light glowing fiercely! Even an idiot would understand what was going on especially when his first attack was already blocked by blue dragon scales! Seeing this the old man wasted no time in letting go of his sword before throwing a powerful kick upward! Bang! Before Lucien could spit out the mes, the old man struck his jaw with a fast kick, forcing him to spit out the mes while his face was facing the sky! He quickly grabbed Lucien''s hands with his two feeble hands and stepped on Lucien''s belly with both legs before pushing himselfaway but Lucien had no intentions of letting his old man get away! His eyes let out a zing blue light as he wed down and just like that, a massive dragon w appeared above the Lucardo n head, descending upon the old man and pushing him all the way to the ground. "You are quite lucky I have no intention of staying here any longer! Just consider yourself lucky old man!" Lucien said with hints of disgust in his eyes before turning into a bolt of ck lightning and shooting away Chapter 176: Emperor Fei fights back Chapter 176: Emperor Fei fights back Watching Lucien''s vanishing figure the old man of the Lucardo n couldn''t help but sigh, in his opinion, Lucien is one of the most talented people he has seen in his two hundred years of life but even the youth is too impulsive and untamed. The main reason he wished to stop Lucien here was that he knew Lucien may not survive the fight going on in the capital. When the death god appears, Lucien will most likely fight him with the Wuxing n head and the emperor, leading to his death! "I sincerely wanted to save the littled''s life and I am the bad guy here?" The old man shrugged his shoulders and sighed. He isn''t short-sighted like the other old men. As much as he would hate to see his enemy grow, he recognized Lucien''s potential and he strongly believed Lucien will bring them great honor in future years toe. He is like a baby dragon who only needs some time to grow and be a terrifying beast the whole world will fear! His eyes revealed some killing light as he gazed towards his army only to see that the demonic beasts had gone with Lucien. His one thousand strong man army had been reduced by at least half the number in just a few minutes. He truly couldn''t win in a direct confrontation against Lucien. "Hehehehe! To think that brat used to be Brian''s rival Right now their strength is no different from the difference between the heavens and the earth" the old man chuckled slightly. "Pick up the dead, return to the n I will head over to the capital and make sure nothing goes wrong" The old man said before hopping slowly but vanishing almost the moment his legs left the ground. -------------------------------------------------- Emperor Fei remained in the empty throne room with the Wuxing n head and Instructor Han. The teleportation formations have been shut down and thanks to thebined efforts of the various spatial mages of the various ns, they were able to create a spatial seal around the capital. Although they could notpare to Instructor Han, they were able to prevent him from using long-ranged spatial abilities. "To think they hid these many forces from the empire. Did they have some sort of underground cities where these people lived?" The Wuxing n head asked with an amused look on his face and the emperor shook his head. "They didn''t do this because they were dissatisfied with my rule Considering how long it will take to nurture such a massive force without us noticing, it simply means they have been nning this from the very beginning. They just don''t want my Hayato family on the throne Unfortunately for them, I have no intentions of giving it up either!" Emperor Fei''s eyes red up with power as he gazed at the golden doors of the royal courtyard intensely and just as expected! BOOM! The doors smashed open, flying into the room but before it could reach the emperor it was reduced to ashes! Numerous figures walked in calmly and fearlessly. Funny enough, these figures use to sit in this room from meetings but right now they all had their weapons drawn. Gazing at these people Emperor Fei didn''t move, he still had his chin resting on his hand as he gazed at them with zing red eyes. There was the dimir n head, specializing in dark magic, the Hammond n head specializing in defensive spells and artifacts, the Adren n known for their ferocious fire magic, the Wystan n known for their godly assassination skills, the brook n known for their strong affinity to earth magic, the Lilyana n known for their strong affinity to the water element, the beast-man Drax n, known for their earth andva affinity and finally the Luno n known for their immense water and healing techniques. "I could understand the Humans betraying me but the beast-men, this is not something I sawing. It seems all three beast-men ns had a hand in this too A pity!" The Emperor''s tone was low but even then it felt like a bell was ringing right next to their ears. They hade here to join hands against the emperor but today they found it hard to even move! This is the man that obliterated their forces in the past! Age has not whittled down his strength as they expected! A total beast! "I apologize my emperor, but this is where your phoenix n dies! For too long we have been suppressed by you and your family. You cannot hold us down anymore!'' A dwarf-like man with huge ears and eyes said. He wore a sleeveless yellow robe, revealing his muscr arms, and behind him was a monkey tail. It was the Drax n head, x! Hearing his words the emperor frowned. Apart from the none cultivators and women, the rest of his family members have joined hands with the Wuxing n forces to keep the invading forces at bay. The fact that these people made it here meant they were losing ground and it''s only a matter of time before they get wiped out. "Maybe the littled was right! Diplomacy solves nothing Absolute power is all that matters in this world I have been too docile for so long that these people have forgotten what I am capable of! I BELIEVE ITS TIME I REMIND THEM WHO THE GREATEST UNDER THE HEAVENS IS!" Emperor Fei growled as he pulled out his royal robes revealing his golden armor! With each step, he took the entire room got hotter and hotter. The zing red energy in his eyes began spreading all across his body, all the way to his arms and legs, forming strange symbols all across his body! "Three generations! I will wipe out three generations of each of your ns! Only that way can you atone for this sin!" Emperor Fei growled as his body slowly crouched before shooting towards the n heads all alone with terrifying red light in his eyes! Chapter 177: Power of the Phoenix Emperor Chapter 177: Power of the Phoenix Emperor Roar! Emperor Fei let out an inhuman roar as he sped towards thebined forces alone. His red hair lit up with fire as his fist was consumed with scorching orange mes as well. "Back!" A huge 7ft tall man roared as he stepped forward to meet the Emperor head-on! This man is Bad, n head of the Hammond n, known for their imprable defensive spells and artifacts. He wore a brown knight''s armor but with no helmet on. This man was a bit dark-skinned with a de head and a bushy mustache! Roar! Bad growled as he charged forward! The green ring in his index finger suddenly lit up as a small golden shield the size of a baby''s head appeared and considering the man''s size it was clear he may not even be able to grip something this small properly but Luckily he didn''t need to.The golden shield soon attached itself to his chest te and there from there it let out a golden light, creating a massive golden wall ahead of Bad! BOOM! The entire castle trembled as the emperor struck the golden wall with his right fist but to his greatest surprise he didn''t even leave a crack on the shield. He thought he knew much about his people but in reality, he knew little. He gave them too much freedom and in turn, they used such an opportunity to hide powerful sealed artifacts from him. "IMPUDENT FOOLS!" Emperor Fei was enraged even more and the mes burning in his left hand surged violently. It got so intense that his figure was hidden within the mes as he threw a second blow that forced the room to start crumbling slowly under his immense pressure but even then only a few web-like cracks were left on the golden wall. This left Emperor Fei stunned, making him wonder what level this sealed artifact is to have so much power! He was about the prepare a third attack but then the golden shield vanished and what he saw was a surging water wave that filled the room. "Cocky Brat!" Emperor Fei growled as he was engulfed by a pir of mes which rapidly expanded covering his on side of the room He watched as the water wave shed with his me pirs, leaving him wondering how many more sealed Artifacts do these people have that he is not aware of. In a battle between top-tier masters, a sealed artifact can change the tide of battle! The higher the grade of the sealed artifact the more likely the opposing side will lose. If a small n head like Hammond n can have a grade two sealed artifact in his possession, what will the otherrger ns have? Bang! Bang! Suddenly the dimir n head and x of the Drax n charged forward while the water created a path for them! With each step x took he stomped his feet''s, creating fissures that made the ground around the Emperor spit open, revealing moltenva! "Rise!" x growled! As the Lava surged out of the ground like a spring, crashing down on the emperor from all sides like a tidal wave! "Childs y!" Emperor Fri growled as he released a powerful gust of wind around that blew all of the Lava surging towards him away! Only then did he notice the massive ck reaper being Lurking above the ceilings of the room with a mighty ck scythe in its hands! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Seeing it has been discovered, the massive beast didn''t even bother hiding anymore and lunged at the emperor, hacking down at him mercilessly!In response, the emperor summoned his famous magic weapon from his golden spatial ring! "zeguard!" Emperor Fei growled as a massive broadsword fell into his hands and lit up in mes! In just one swing, he released a massive wave of me surging upward andpletely consuming the reaper, going further to even st a hole through the ceiling! "Han!" Emperor growled Even without conveying any message instructor Han could feel the power welling up in Emperor Fei''s body. "Understood!" Instructor Han said as he quickly created a spatial gate, jumping in without hesitation and the Wuxing n head followed him tightly. Seeing them leave the Emperor breathed out and began taking bold steps forward! This time with each step his aura kept growing while the room kept getting hotter up to the point it was almost unbearable for these spirit realm masters. "A few spirit realm masters dare join hands to fight me? Hmph! Even a demigod will find it hard to take my life!" Emperor Fei said as his body started to glow brightly. "Remember the man you are going against is the phoenix king! Even without bing a demigod, I am still immortal!" Emperor Fei said calmly as he kept approaching. These people were scared of this man but their pride as n head and peak experts of this continent wouldn''t let them flee. They have already lost face by joining hands for one man, fleeing is just too much for them! "Vanish without a trace! All of you!" Emperor Fei said coldly as his body shed onest time and exploded. BOOM! It was a massive explosion that tore down the entire royal pce, not even leaving a speck of dust behind!A massive explosion created a twenty-meter-deep crater in the capital of the Fotia empire. Even Instructor Han and the forces of the Hayato and Wuxing n were terrified by the explosion. Everyone watched closely as they waited to see something but all they saw was a massive me in the shape of an egg floating above the st zone. It wiggled for a short period before exploding and from it, a youthful red hair teen about eighteen years of age appeared,pletely naked but he still had the same cold look on his face as he gazed at the crater created by his suicidal attack. Emperor Fei could have killed these n heads through normal means but the issue of the sealed artifacts made him change his mind. "They still live?" The young emperor said with a raised eyebrow. Chapter 178: Derik Angus appears Chapter 178: Derik Angus appears The youth waspletely naked but he didn''t seem to care. On his back was the image of a mighty Phoenix, surging with enough power to make people tremble. It made people believe that the emperor had two sources of power! Thud! Landing gently, the emperor gazed at the massive earth dome and frowned. He watched the earth crumble and within it was a water sphere causing a small smile to appear on his face. Soon the water sphere copsed and thestyer of defense was the countless golden shields surrounding them created by Bad. p! p! p! "Bravo!" Emperor Feiughed lightly with his vicious intentions in his eyes as he watched thestyer of defense crumble, revealing those within. The n heads were all alive but they all suffered intense burn damage, causing their whole body to get covered with blisters. When gazing at the young naked emperor, all they saw was a little demon! There was nothing natural about the long, red-haired youth with razor-sharp teeth and blood-red eyes. The youthful version of the emperor reminded them of the undefeated young man who conquered this entire region with his strength alone! A man they feared and yet today they turned against him, thinking his age may have affected his abilities. How stupid are they? They must have forgotten why this man was once called the Phoenix emperor back then! He is immortal! He is the first man that fought against his god beasts spirit avatar and defeated it, going ahead to make its abilities his! In their opinion, Emperor Fei was the closest thing to a god in the living world back then! Was it because he had be too docile, that''s why they felt they could win? Did they mistake his silence for weakness? They were dragged back to reality by the bright silver light shooting towards them! Boom! Striking the ground violently, Lucien''s silver robe and hair fluttered gracefully as he turned his attention to the youthful naked red-haired teen. He had heard about the immortal trait of those from the Hayato n that has managed to form a powerful link with their god beast but this is the first time he''s seeing it. "Emperor?" Lucien asked with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Hehehe! What''s leaving you speechless my stunning looks or myrge rod down there" Emperor Fei joked making Lucien''s face turn red with embarrassment! He wished he didn''t as in the first ce and quickly pulled out a ck mage robe from his omini pocket zone before focusing on the badly wounded n heads. Seeing their conditions Lucien couldn''t help but tremble in fear! He knew how powerful each one of these people are, yet the emperor was able to put them in such a sorry state. "I know, I''m also shocked They had to work together at a time like this if it wasn''t for that, they would all be dead!" Emperor Fri said with an annoyed face. "If only they were this cooperative when the empire needs them" Lucien said and the emperor nodded his head. "Can I?" Lucien asked and the emperor simply nodded in agreement Grrrr! Grrrrr! Lucien began gathering bolts of ck lightning creating a massive ball of ck lightning above his head. His eyes werepletely ck as his clothes fluttered violently, even the emperor acknowledged the power of this technique. "Not only will it destroy the body, but it will also obliterate the soul as well Yourbat technique is as scary as always" Emperor Feimented with a smile but then he froze. Even Lucien who was preparing to finish off the enemy was momentarily stunned as well. They could feel the chilly hands of death on their shoulders, causing them to turn around quickly only to watch as the space tore open. From it, a youthful pale-skinned man walked out calmly. He was covered in wounds, bleeding from both his eyes and ears but it was ck blood! One thing that caught Lucien''s attention was the fierce green eyes! These are a pair of eyes he is unable to forget! The same one he saw when they called that name. "Your gods are strong Unfortunately, I am stronger" The man said slightly, striking fear into Lucien''s heart instantly! "GET BACK!" Lucien growled as heunched the massive ck lightning sphere at this man but to his greatest surprise, this man only pped it away, as if it was nothing! "You?" Lucien wanted to speak but then he noticed he was hurt by Lucien''s attack, the back of his palm was bruised. At that moment countless chains shot out from the ground and the skies,tching on to Derik. The intense pressureing from him kept reducing rapidly while he struggled but he couldn''t break free! "Do you think you can hold me down? When I am done consuming that child I will consume you as well!" Derik growled madly while he struggled. Just as he suspected this god vein was much stronger than theirs so its restrictions were far much harder for even a realm protector like himself to break! He could feel his power rapidly dropping, from realm protector to god realm to demigod realm and finally the gold realm [A/N: The gold realm is a cultivation realm in my first work, Legendary Guardian .. Derik is our MC there so its only natural I use the realms he is used to] "This much?" Derik muttered in shock. He expected his power to be reduced when he invaded another god vein but what he never expected was that the god vein would be able to suppress his powers this much. Well, it didn''t matter much since all he had to do now is consume Lucien and kill the emperor of this empire, fulfilling Blink''s promise to the humans of this world. Even if he were to go against a demigod, he is still confident he can win against them! Meanwhile, the Emperor and Lucien kept gazing at Derik with shocked expressions on their faces. Everything that happened between Derik and the world was justpletely strange, making it difficult for them toprehend! Chapter 179: The real monster Chapter 179: The real monster Emperor Fei kept his gaze pinned on Derik and even though he could clearly see his power has dropped to that of a peak sprint realm master he was still too fearful to go in head-on. When Derik mentioned Blink the Emperor remembered the silver-haired kid who was the leader of the invaders at the ck water cave. Upon his defeat, the kid imed he served the god of death and his master will avenge him. While the emperor took note of the warning but he really didn''t take it seriously. There were lots of things going on right now that he could barely understand! Where did those rainbow-colored chainse from? How did they manage to drain arge portion of Derik''s power in just an instant? Was there a hidden expert helping them Or is the world looking after them? So many questions popped up in his mind and knowing he could not get the answers frustrated him even more. This man also imed that the gods of their world were strong but he was stronger, doesn''t that mean he single-handedly defeated all the gods of this world? Is that even possible? Lucien on the other hand kept gazing at Derik with an extremely shocked expression on his face. Not because Derik was here but because Rakuzen just confirmed Derik''s initial ims, the Raizen god beast and the others have been defeated by this man. This made him wonder how possible it is to defeat all the godly beings of this world so quickly, in such a short period. Like it has only been an hour at most since he consumed the Raizen god beasts avatar. That means that the Raizne god beast and the other god beasts with the human gods gathered and we''re defeated in mere minutes? Is it that these so-called gods are too weak or Derik is just too strong? [Now is not the time to ponder on thoughts. The world is on our side, it has limited the power of Derik, bringing him down to the realm of mortals Derik had also sustained some serious injuries during his battle with the gods but as a godly being he could ignore it but now his power has dropped, he is feeling the full weight of his injury! If there is the best time to fight him, it is now! This is the perfect opportunity to kill this arrogant death god!] Rakuzen growled, snapping Lucien out of his trance. Hearing this, Lucien''s eyes let out ck sparks as his body was consumed by lightning energy as the figure of the Raizen god beast appeared behind him. Ignoring the confused Emperor, Lucien charged forward with the habakiri in his right hand and a lightning spear in the left! His body moved in zig-zag motions, leaving behind ck trails as he charged forward with his greatest speed! "Die!" Lucien growled as he tossed the ck lightning spear at Derik and instead of falling back he chased after it with killing intentions in his eyes. Derik felt his vision blurry for the first time in a long while. His wounds weren''t healing, causing constant ck blood to roll out of the holes in his body. He was still alive simpler because his body has always been only a shell. Dead and gone with no vital organs, no heartbeats nothing and all that mattered is his soul that''s why he gazed at the approaching Lucien with uncontroble anger. He could feel the soul power within the attacks that looked like normal spells, leading him to believe that this kid had some sort of special pathway that gives him this unique trait. Maybe it is the power source in him that''s giving him that power but all that didn''t matter anymore since Derik already considered this kid dead the moment they met face to face. "Face me head-on? I have seen much more capable than you and yes, they are all dead!" Derik said as he charged forward recklessly. His eyes gave out a bright green light as he waved his hand and a bone spear appeared in it! Bang! Derik stomped the ground,unching into the air and spinning recklessly with his bone spear, leading many to believe he is insane but to their greatest surprise, he split the lightning spear and even sped up even more in a bid to close the distance between him and Lucien. Whoosh! Both sides shed as Derik struck forward but Lucien was already airborne, spinning recklessly like Derik just did previously! "Copying my moves, How bold of you!" Derikughed but his face soon twitched the moment he saw a ming whip heading towards him! "Scram!" He roared as he reached for the whip and grabbed it but even to his greatest surprise, the whip began glowing ridiculously before exploding violently! Bang! Derik''s figure could be seen shooting out of the smoke while Lucien chased, amusing Derik even more! "If only we met in a different circumstance, I probably would have epted you as a disciple!" Derik''s voice thickened as his originally long, neat, and flowing hair turned wild and rough. His muscles began bulging and his hands revealed darkish green ws and even when he grinned his fangs were shown! Boom! The ground beneath his feet shattered as he suddenly stopped retreating and charged forward ruthlessly! "Fast!" Lucien gasped in shock! From the very beginning, he may have beencking in many aspects but one thing Lucien has never been defeated in is a game of speed! But right now, he could barely follow Derik''s movements with his eyes! Even the Lucardo n head is inferior to this man in terms of speed! In just a single breath Derik had closed the distance between them! "Fall!" Lucien growled with all his might as he flung the ming whip towards the death lord bit Derik retaliated by brandishing his w at the whip almost nonchntly! Bang! "I am the real monster here!" Those were the words Lucien heard as he watched the hilt of the habakiri in his hands crumble to dust like they are nothing! Chapter 180: Four against one Chapter 180: Four against one [Habakiri destroyed] Seeing this Lucien''s eyes widened with shock as he considered how much effort was put into the crafting of the magic weapon that served him for so long yet it waspletely destroyed in an instant! "DERIK ANGUS!!!!" Lucien growled ruthlessly as he clenched his fists zing with ck lightning while his body turned dark as he activated the hardening skills of the Abok magic beast [Phantom fist activated] [Steel skin activated] "Haya-Ken First form: Lightning speed fist!" Lucien growled as he released over thrift punches in a second, releasing numerous images but the grin on Derik''s face only widened! "You dare call my name? Bold! Very Bold! I ept your challenge kid!" Derik growled as his ws were consumed by his death aura as he threw them forward, matching Lucien''s attacking speed! [Fool! He has the power of death, to rot and decay whatever he touches, that''s how the Habakiri was destroyed!] Rakuzem screamed but it was already toote, Lucien had already gone too deep to pull out! Peng! Peng! Peng! With each strike, they created a shockwave that left many stunned and after what seemed to be a minute, both sides retreated with confused looks on their faces. For Lucien, it was because he used the phantom fists and attacked Derik''s soul directly. Punching it repeatedly was like a man going to the foot of Mount Everest and punching it repeatedly with the hope of making the mountain crumble. His soul was far too strong and what was even more terrifying was that there wasn''t even one soul in there. While battling Derik, Lucien got a glimpse of his soul, only to see two powerful souls suppressing millions of souls within! None of it made sense but that''s what it is. Putting aside the fact that Derik has two major souls, what he couldn''t understand were the lesser souls within him. Doesn''t that mean he must have killed millions and consumed their souls to get to this level! "He is the real monster here" Lucien said with a bitter smile on his face Meanwhile, Derik was stunned by what just happened. he had expected his death aura to reduce this kid to dust in a matter of seconds at most. Within the fight, he finally found out the secret behind everything! He realized that reason Lucien was able to go this Far and achieve this much at such a young age. "The power source within you It''s not a thing but a personam I right?" Derik asked with a raised eyebrow as he gazed at Lucien''s body which had no injuries on their body. Rakuzen had used his aura to create a small veil around Lucien to protect him from Derik''s decay ability but Derik noticed this. With each time he struck the light veil, he saw the pair of blue reptilian eyes hidden in the darkness! At that moment he realized that this is no power source, it is a being far the level of a realm protector! It was a celestial beast! "And what if it is? Do you think you can take it from me" Lucien said as the tattoos of all the beast assimted began glowing fiercely! "Against you, I can''t afford to hold back...I apologize but I will be going all out right now!" Lucien with an indifferent look on his face as his aura exploded surging fiercely as it created the Ying Yang sign behind him, making Derik chuckle lightly. "Hahahahaha! Do you think that you are my opponent?" Derik simply took a step forward and his darkish green aura exploded, taking the shape of aughing skull above his head. "Alone? No, he is not your opponent, unfortunately, he is not alone!" An old scrawny voice reached their ears. At that moment that space around them tore open and from the two spatial corridors, instructor Han and the Wuxing n head appeared unleashing their aura''s while standing by Derik''s sides but even then Derik still wore an amused look on his face. But then as he was about to speak he felt a powerful aura erupt behind him! If he were at the demigod realm or a higher realm he wouldn''t worry about this aura but for a mortal, he could tell this person was extremely powerful. Derik turned to see a red-haired youth dressed in a ck sleeveless mage robe approaching. With each step, this red-haired youth took the ground beneath his bare feet melted. His fiery orange aura took the shape of a mighty phoenix. "Be it a god or a man, the moment you invaded my Empire you are doomed to die at my hands You will not leave this ce alive Your disciples narrowly escaped You won''t be as lucky as them!" Emperor Fei stood behind Derik while he said these words. Knowing the identity of the true identity of Derik, the Lucardo n head had already informed the other n heads to retreat. They have done their part in the coup, the rest is up to Derik now. The best they can do now is make sure no one interferes in the fight that is about to go down right now. "I really hope you survive, little bird" The old man stood atop a building gazing at Lucien with the same mischievous smile on his face. "My lord! The Lightborn family and the joint forces of the Royal family and the Wuxing family are breaking through our lines of defense They are led by the prominent figures of each n... The other n heads are badly hurt so they request your assistance" A man in dark knight armor said while kneeling. "Okay, okay! Lead the way" The old man responded with a smile. -------------------------------------- Hearing what the emperor said Derik frowned. How dare a mortal speak that way to him! If these people knew everything he has gone through, they would understand they are not qualified to be his opponents! If it wasn''t for this god vein suppressing his powers and the injuries he sustained from the gods of this world, they won''t evenst a second against him. "Mere mortals dare talk smart against me? You all will lose your bodies and souls here!" Derik said coldly. Chapter 181: Death of an Emperor Chapter 181: Death of an Emperor Bang! Derik suddenly shot into the sky to break away from the encirclement but a bolt of ck lightning followed him tightly! "Think you can run? Think again!" Lucien appeared as the avatar of the Raizen god spirit and the mighty Argo shot out of his body, chasing after Derik! [Wind des activated ] Following the notification, the Argo let out a loud screech as it released countless wind des, meanwhile, The Raizen god beast avatar also let out a loud cry before releasing a lightning storm! [Storm of Raizen activated!] It was a lightning storm from above and countless wind des from below but Derik keptughing recklessly, like a crazed beast with his Lycan partial transformation still active! "When was thest time I have had this much fun? When!!!!" Derikughed out loud as his aura expanded beyond his body taking all the hits with little or no effect! CAWWWWWWWWW!!!! Ding! [New ability detected] [Unification move from the Raizen god beast and the Argo! ] [Lightning tyrant Gale Zone activated!] BOOM! The clouds began to gather as countless hurricanes and tornados infused with bright blue bolts of lightning ensured. Within this Zone, even Countless bolts of lightning struck the skull-shaped barrier relentlessly as the hurricanes and tornadoes smashed into it relentlessly. The zone covered close to fifty meters! Even Emperor Fei, Instructor Han, and the Wuxing n head were forced not to get caught up in this dangerous technique! "Powerful!" Emperor Feimented with an excited expression on his face and the others nodded in agreement. The entire capital stopped their fighting and watched the battle going on above and even them couldn''t help but admit that this spell was powerful enough to send the average spirit realm master in an instant!They couldn''t help but wonder how powerful Lucien must be to cast this but unknown to these people, Lucien was stunned as well. There is so much he doesn''t know about the system now and since he has never really gotten the chance to check things after dealing with the Raizen n, he could only watch things y out. Bang! The skull-shaped dome could onlyst for so long before exploding, revealing a figure dressed inplete silver bone armor attire with a green cape on his back and his hands were the death scythe. The bolt of lightning and the tornadoes asionally smashed into him but even then he didn''t move from a spot. Ding! [Golden reach activated] [Raizen dive activated] CAWWWWWWWWW! The two birds cried out loudly as they both turned into two beams of golden and silver light shooting towards the dark knight above! "Hahaha! I ept your challenge!" Derikughed as he made a one-eighty-degree turn and kicked the air, shooting down, turning into a darkish green beam of light! BOOM! Upon collision, the two birds fell off the sky without offering any resistance at all! They kept descending until they suddenly turned into beams of light, shooting into Lucien''s body! Only then did the terrifying storm stop, leaving everybody stunned. "What just happened?" Lucien muttered the question on everyone''s mind. How was his beast associations permanently defeated? [Raizen god beast can not be summoned now] [Argo can not be summoned now] Lucien also noticed he could not even use their abilities, this made him gaze at Derik''s imposing figure in fear! Just who the hell is this guy! "Even my death magic cannot permanently destroy those beasts? What kind of power does the celestial being have to override mine?" Derik muttered as he gazed at Lucien but he could clearly see the massive blue reptilian eyes behind Lucien! "Your power is mine!" Derik said as he raised his death scythe but then another bird cry reached his ears, getting him irritated a bit! Caww! It was like a massive me the shape of a mighty Phoenix, charging towards Derik and the emperor was within it! His body had strange orange markings all over it, giving him an intimidating look that will make many tremble but Derik didn''t even consider using his death scythe this being. He gently stretched his left hand and waited for the Phoenix! "I DARE YOU!" Emperor Fei growled seeing this as an act of disrespect! BOOM! The Phoenix smashed into Derik''s hand but to everyone''s greatest surprise, Derik didn''t even move. The struggle master for a while but even then the Phoenix couldn''t move Derik! Seeing this many found it hard to understand how a small man could pin something thatrge with one hand! The Phoenix couldn''t even break free from his grip! "You will kill me? You don''t have the ability! Let us see if you can take a strike from me!" Derik said as he raised his scythe while still holding down the massive bird with one hand. "NO RUN!" Lucien growled but the Emperor refused to flee from an invader! "Bring it on!" Emperor Fei roared as the me surging around the Phoenix intensified twofold but Lucien and Rakuzen knew it was if no use! They could only watch in horror as Derik hacked down, releasing a massive wave of darkish purple aura that instantly split both the emperor and the Phoenix in two without any resistance. "No!" People of the royal family who saw this were stunned and terrified of Derik at the same time they wished they could fly but they were already surrounded by the enemy forces! The powerful ns of the empire had gathered together and only the Lightborn n and Wuxing n were left to support them, keeping them in a difficult position. "Huh?" Derik had reduced the emperor''s body to ashes but then he saw a human-sized zing egg, leaving him stunned. He frowned slightly as he tried to approach but a ck bolt of lightning appeared in between them, causing Derik to frown. "He is not dead yet?" Derik asked coldly but Lucien remained silent The duo kept gazing at each other for a while and finally, Lucien sighed and turned his back, gazing at the Wuxing n head and instructor Han. "Take the emperor, leave this ce Help your forces and suppress the enemies I will take care of this" Lucien said calmly, making Derik raise an eyebrow. He has lived long enough to see so many foes in his old life and even before he turned eighteen, everyone who heard his name was terrified of him in his world. Gods heard his name and fled, seeing they had nowhere else to run, they gathered and fought him, yet they lost but this kid dared look down on him casually. People of this world do not know his name and that annoyed him. he hated the fact that these people treated him like air. Although Lucien has not always been the most cool-headed person he wasn''t the type to re up recklessly either. His eyes within the skull helmet let out a green sh as he took a step forward before speaking. "And who said the emperor can leave?" Derik asked as he tightened his grip on the death scythe in his hands. Lucien first gazed at those hands before he looked at the masked face. His eyes let out a bright blue light as he responded. "I say he leaves Do you dare stop him?" Derik asked with a raised eyebrow. "Let us find out then!" Derik said as his body shot forward. Before reaching Lucien he vanishes and appeared at the other side of the egg with his death scythe raised and killing intentions surging out fiercely in his eyes but then his body froze as he realized Lucien was gone as well! "In this bone armor, you are much slower" Lucien''s voice reached his ears making him shiver. He looked over his shoulder was no longer than the same kid he had just spoken to a moment ago! Lucien''s skin was now reinforced with any blue dragon scales, he had a dragon spear in his hands, and on his face was the azure blue dragon mask, giving him a terrifying presence! "Vanish!" Lucien growled as swung the spear fiercely, producing scorching blue mes as it moved! Bang! Derik expected his bone armor would be able to take the hit as it has down to all his attacks in the past but when his waist was struck by this spear he felt his bones shift! Boom! Derik was sent flying like aet by the attack leaving many stunned! They gazed at Lucien and realized the youth was literarily breathing out steam. Without wasting time Instructor Han quickly created a spatial gate next to the egg and Lucien gave it a gentle push and watched it roll into the spatial gate. Vanishing instantly! No one knew where Instructor Han sent the egg but putting into consideration the fact that a spatial zone is in ce, people knew it would be close by somewhere but Derik did not know of this! "Kid!..." Instructor Han called out to Lucien. "Good luck," He said after a while. It was clear he wanted to say more but chose not to. " You can leave this to me I will put him down, here and now!" Lucien growled as his eyes glowed fiercely! Chapter 182: Azure mode Lucien! Chapter 182: Azure mode Lucien! DING! [New mode acquired] [Azure mode: Since the host is yet to obtain godhood like Rakzuen but is able to mimic his abilities through the aid of the faceless, the host should be using the iplete azure mode! The host is able to attain the traits of the azure dragon beast with the aid of Rakzuen but for a short time His physical abilities get increased incredibly and his azure blue mes are enhanced with the power of Rakuzen and a touch of the creation authority! Enjoy!] Seeing this Lucien frowned and wasn''t pleased. While the ability could be considered his trump card and it is a way he can use the power of Rakuzen safely without having to hurt himself like before when he got the grade two sealed artifact, soul cauldron. But he hated the fact had to rely on Rakuzen to use this mode and also he hated the fact that the time limit is short! Against a monster like Derik, this can be fatal for him! His eyes drifted to his hands that were just as hard as a rock with the bright blue dragon scales on his hands and his new intimidating aura, Lucien was sure no one under the champion realm couldpete with him now. At such a young age this can be considered miraculous! "All I have to do now is survive this, Kill you and save the emperor and things will return back to normal!" Lucien said closely as he saw the figure shooting towards him fiercely! [End it fast!] Rakuzen warned! "I know!" Lucien said as he crouched and leaned forward slightly. His eyes brightened considerably as he took in a deep breath! Suuuuuuuuu! The sound caught people''s attention and when they turned around they literarily saw the wind surging into Lucien''s body fiercely as his belly kept expanding! AZURE DRAGON ROAR! Lucien spat out and what looked like a sea of terrifying blue mes surged forward towards Derik, covering the whole sky! "This is insane!" The other n heads screamed in fear as they watched the massive surge towards the beam of darkish green light but even then Derik showed no signs of stopping! "Defeat me? survive this and life returns back to normal? Impudent child! When the god of deathes into your life, nothing remains the same!" Derik growled as he held its death scythe and it began vibrating ridiculously as his death aura surged into it! "Death scythe: Alpha!" Derik''s voice had lost its anger instead it oozed with confidence as he swung the death scythe horizontally, releasing a wave of darkish green aura surging forward! BOOM! Both attacks shed and even though Lucien was still spitting out the bright blue dragon mes, Derik''s death aura was pushing his dragon mes back and at a point, it even began cutting through it shooting towards Lucien but even then he didn''t panic. Whoosh! Lucien charged to the side to evade the attack but then Derik''s figure was already there, brandishing the death scythe at him! With no choice, Lucien quickly readjusted his footwork as he parried the attacks sent at him. With each attack strike Derik released waves of death aura so Lucien had no choice but to deflect his attacks repeatedly! Those watching from below, watched Lucien take countless attacks but he didn''t retreat! Derik is a Lycan and has the strength of a werewolf but his foe had the backing of a real dragon and has even be a pseudodragon. His physical capabilities were by far higher than the death god who has been reduced to the level of mortals by the world! In reality, Lucien surpassed Derik in physicalbat. While Derik had no form of training whatsoever in martial arts and always relied on his werewolf instincts to fight like a savage beast, Lucien had practiced and mastered numerous martial arts fighting styles and has even created his own martial art style! In this aspect, Derik stood no chance against him! Peng! Peng! Peng! Bam! This was the opening that Lucien was waiting for as he managed to disarm Derik. In an instant, his stance changed and bolts of ck lightning could be seen surging around his draconian body as he took a deep breath and said those words. "Haya-ken first form: Lightning speed fists!" Lucien growled but this time, it wasn''t his fists but all that power the spear in his hand! The spear was surging with blue dragon mes and ck lightning as Derik attacked ruthlessly! His eyes red up with power as he created over a hundred images of the spear with a single thrust stunning people! But what was even more stunning was that Derik was capable of dodging them all while retreating steadily! His death scythe appeared in his hands as countless spear images rained down on him, forcing him to retreat while Lucien pushed on. "I am getting pushed back?" Derik muttered as he struggled against Lucien. He could barely see the spears raining down on him, making it hard for him to block but then something unexpected happened. Usually, Lucien aimed for his head but suddenly the trajectory of his attack changed and his spear struck Derik''s right shoulder, wielding the death scythe! "You are finished!" Lucien growled as he let go of his spear and it began spinning and blue mes began surging within Derik! "Shit!" Derik growled but it was only toote as an explosion urred and from the smoke above, Derik''s hand fell to the ground with chunks of his flesh from his shoulder! The dragon spear shot into Lucien''s eyes and when he activated his spirit vision, he saw Derik within the smoke breathing heavily! He had lost one hand and half of his face had suffered severe burn injuries. Seeing this, Lucien frowned and couldn''t help but ask Rakuzen how the hell this guy is still alive! [He has an immortal body that cannot be killed by conventional means The injuries he sustained beforeing here may be from the Life gods, his weakness and that''s why he didn''t die but now, I added my godly creation authority to your attacks, preventing him from healing but that doesn''t necessarily mean you can kill him like this!] Rakuzen said Chapter 183: Mercy in defeat Chapter 183: Mercy in defeat Thump! Thump! Thump! Lucien felt his beating heart getting strained, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood, leaving him stunned. He expected the time limit for his Azure mode to be short but not this short. It has barely been up to five minutes since he activated this mode yet he is already at his limit! "Not now!" Lucien cried out weakly. [Your body has been strained all through today You started with the Raizen n, then Raizen, god beast, the Lucardo n head, and now, here You should know you are not in a good conditionPushing yourself any further will have dire consequences Consequences be damned!] Rakuzen said thest part with a light chuckle and Lucienughed at it too. "You know me too well old man" Lucien loosened his grip on his chest and focused on the figure within the smoke. [If I asked you to stop, I am sure you wouldn''t stop, so why try? We can only push forward now! By the way, if I were your shoes I would do the same] Rakuzen replied casually. Meanwhile, within the smoke, Derik was lost in thought. Ever since he entered this world he realized the ws of his abilities and slowly he had already begun to ept it. He realized his world could be considered as a narrow path in a forest while this world is like the whole forest given to the inhabitants to explore. There is more to this world and that''s why he has been enduring humiliating defeats after another! Something he has never experienced all his life. Thews of this world are strict and even the injured gods cannot interfere now and for him, he will never be able to leave this world since it is constantly suppressing his power down to the level of mortals. As the god of death, Lucien has already sensed his death closing in but he wasn''t worried. Death cannot hold a powerful being like him, all he wished to understand is what his next ns are. What if he decides to start afresh here, with his death element but using thews of cultivation to better understand his abilities? "That wouldn''t be too bad" Derik said with a sad look on his face. He has lived for so long and had oppressed many, leading him to delude himself into thinking that he is the absolute but today he has been reduced to this state by a child barely up to fifteen years of age. Whether he has the backing of a powerful celestial being or not is not an excuse to him. As he once imed to be the absolute, he had lost the right to make excuses! Whoosh! With a new resolve, Derik approached Lucien casually with a more peaceful look on his face. His eyescked any form of emotion but he didn''t seem troubled any more by everything that has happened. "You are tried So am I I have to aplish my part of the bargain for those who brought me here and end the life of your emperor So I think we should put an end to the senseless fight with our next move!" Derik said Hearing this, Lucien frowned. Even though Derik seemed different he hated his words. It was clear he was going to kill the emperor before leaving and he couldn''t allow that. "I agree!" Lucien said as his aura exploded Seeing this Derik sighed and snapped his fingers, causing his death scythe to vanish. He leaned forward and his aura exploded as well. His previous life shed before his eyes and only then did he yank his eyes open and say. "You will not be the one to take my life kid You are not strong enough" Derik said causally! "Let us see about that! Azure dragon style: Dragon w!" Lucien roared as he punched forward and the massive ws of the Azure blue dragon appeared, shooting towards Derik! Seeing this, Derikughed lightly as he pressed both hands forward and spoke gently. "Nice technique, But I will be going a bit basic for you now!" Derik said as his death aura vanished and was reced with a more ferocious aura belonging to his werewolf side. The aura expanded as it took the shape of a massive darkish green werewolf without the lower half visible! "You did good kid I look forward to our next battle! Secretbat technique: Lycan roar!" Derik growled and the massive werewolf charged forward shooting towards the dragon w while letting out a vicious roar! BOOM! "Aaaaarrggggh!" Lucien let out a painful cry as his body shot back and blood poured out of a deep wound on his chest! A blue beam of light shot out of his body at that moment, taking the form of a long blue-haired man with numerous tattoos of his body, wearing a blue kimono! Rakuzen caught Lucien''s unconscious body and gazed at his disciple with a prideful look on his face. "Train him well Next time Ie for you I won''t hold back against him!" Derik said while gazing at Rakuzen. "I know what you want to do I know why you are doing all of this and I have to say something! I did the same I became the first celestial being this god vein has created but I couldn''t protect this realm alone I failed and now I am training someone who will seed me Sometimes you can do everything alone You need to have people around you There is strength in numbers!" Rakuzen said "Numbers is for the weak! The path I have walked all my life is a lonely one, a burden no one else can bear! This world needs someone like me This realm needs people like us to keep it safe, if not everyone we love will die miserably!" Derik answered with a frown! "Hahaha! I use to think like that but do you know what I thought before I die? What if I had my best friend by my side Maybe we would have won this battle together I didn''t regret carrying the burden alone I only regretted not sharing it with those who cared about me" Rakuzen said before leaving the battlefield with Lucien in his hands. Chapter 184: Sad ending for both sides Chapter 184: Sad ending for both sides Derik couldn''t help but ponder on the Rakuzen''s words as he watched him leave. He couldn''t help but imagine if Cyrus were by his side now, many things would have been easier. What would have happened if everyone from his childhood team were still with him, Kira, Daemon, Cyrus, Karl, and Donald. Back then they did amazing things even though there were only kids andcked power. A smile appeared on his face as he refused to feel regret now! Things happen, people drift apart, and what determines a man''s worth is if he can get his shit together and move forward. He may have lost many friends on the way but he kept moving forward and that''s all that matters. At least that''s what he believes! BOOM! A massive explosion urred somewhere not too far away and a mushroom cloud of blue mes appeared causing Derik to frown. He looked to the side and realized, Rakuzen didn''t leave, he just distanced himself from the battlefield but he didn''t leave. Derik didn''t know why they stood there but he didn''t bother with them anymore, he simply watched the blue mes in anticipation of the rebirth of the Phoenix emperor. Bam! A beam of blue me shot past Derik and moved towards Rakuzen. Whoosh! In an instant Emperor was standing right in front of Rakuzen and gazing at the unconscious Lucien in his arms. He shot Lucien a sweet smile and touched his face gently with a sigh. "I don''t think the heavens can forgive me for putting a fourteen-year-old through all of this I watched his battle from afar, when he wakes up, tell him I said he did well" Emperor Fei said to the mysterious blue man. Since the man had the same blue serpent dragon design on his clothes and gave off an ethereal feeling, Emperor Fei suspected this man may be the physical representation of Rakuzen but he couldn''t think too deep into it now since he had more important things to do. "Ready for onest dance?" Derik asked with a smile "Let''s go!" Emperor Fei growled as the blue mes exploded while he shot towards Derik. Seeing this Derik frowned once again. While he could tell these blue phoenix mes were inferior to Lucien''s dragon me, it felt more dangerous than that of Lucien. Brrrr! A stream of phoenix blue mes was sent shooting towards him and Derik chose not to run, instead, he threw only his hand forward as his eyes let out a bright sh as his body lit up with green mes! "Hell mes!" Derik growled as he released a wave of chilling green hell mes! The two mes collided but didn''t cause an explosion, instead, they were stunned to see each me trying to consume the other. Derik tried not to think too much of it since he had already considered his strength from the previous world to be wed, all he can think of now is the new strength that this world will bring to his death magic! CAWWWWWWW! Whoosh! From the left a massive fiery blue Phoenix shot out from the side, shooting towards the death god but been then Derik did not panic! He tried to focus on sensing the emperor''s life force to pinpoint his location but due to the blue mes scattered everywhere, Derik could neither tell where the emperor is. "Phoenix pathway... Gives the power of the user life while allowing them to reincarnate each time they die As long as they are not destroyed in the reincarnation process they can be considered immortal" Derik said with a frown. From all, he has seen he already deduced the true nature of the emperor''s ability but that doesn''t mean he had an answer for it. His hell mes consume all things, yet these mes are something he cannot consume but Derik didn''t take this to heart since he has been experiencing these setbacks since he came to this world. Pa! pping his face, Derik regained focus and gazed at the iing Phoenix with mixed feelings His battle instincts honed for thousands of years told him that this blue Phoenix is only a decoy causing him to frown. "In that case! Secret technique: Brilliant w!" Derik growled as he charged towards the Phoenix with a darkish green aura exploding from his ws. "Roar!" Derik growled as he released the powerful w energy attack yet the Phoenix dodged almost effortlessly! ''What?'' Derik gasped in his mind as he retreated while brandishing his w at the enemy, releasing countless w energy attacks yet the Phoenix kept maneuvering through the attacks making him frown! "Charge!" Derik''s eyes lit up as his aura exploded and the image of the massive fiery green werewolf appeared behind him but this time it wasn''t just half but the whole thing! His body drifted back entering the werewolf avatar. "Secretbat technique: Lycan Roar!" Derik let out an inhuman roar as his werewolf avatar shot forward, charging towards the Phoenix! After Seeing the way the Phoenix had dodged his attacks repeatedly he was led to believe that the enemy was hiding within this Phoenix construct! Bang! Just before the two constructs collided, Derik slipped out of the werewolf construct from behind. Derik retreated repeatedly as his eyes hint at doubts while gazing at the green and blue mes struggling against each other. For the first time in his life, he was witnessing something that could stand against his death aura in this new world! "Phoenix mes!" Derik said with an indifferent look on his face but at that moment he felt the cold hands of death on his shoulder, making his expression turn fierce! "You!" Derik turned around but it was already toote! Puff! Derik felt the fiery talons of the partially transformed emperor piercing deep into his chest! At that moment he felt the blue Phoenix mes surging into his body burning rapidly and spreading no matter how much he tried containing it with his aura. "Die!" Derik growled as he rammed his ws into the Emperor''s body and his death aura surged in rapidly, attacking the soul directly! "This time you won''t be able to reincarnate!" Derik said with a vicious smile on his face as he watched the Emperor''s face turn pale while his body was already cracking like an eggshell. "Hehehehe!" The emperorughed causally as Derik''s entire body was quickly engulfed in Phoenix mes. "You may not have organs or feel pain but how will you be able to live when your body is burnt to ashes?You were right about my pathway The Phoenix pathway allows me to reincarnate after death and also grants me the ability to give life to my magic easily but you missed one more thing It grants me unquenchable Phoenix mes They say once it starts burning, it never stops until the target is reduced to nothing it has never failed" Emperor Fei spat out a mouthful of ck blood as his body swayed weakly while he gazed at the burning death god with satisfaction. Even though this stunt lead to his death, he was able to save the empire from this monster and his death will stop the senseless war going on around them. Right now his only regret is that he would not be here to see how strong Lucien will be in the future and this made him sigh. At his time of death, he wasn''t even thinking of his n or his family, he thought of a stranger who came in at ater part of his life. In the end, Lucien and Instructor Han can be considered the closest thing to family he has ever had. "You did good As a sign of respect, I will not consume your soul" Derik said casually, ignoring the blue mes surging around his body. His gaze shifted towards Lucien who was just regaining consciousness and he frowned. He could have killed Lucien, he could have taken Rakuzen away but his curiosity got the best of him. Lucien reminded him too much of himself when he was a lot younger. He wanted to see the path Lucien will take and since he nned on staying in this world for a long time he can easily kill Lucien off if he goes down the wrong path. "Have I grown soft?... Maybe this has to do with my old age!" Derikughed lightly as he slowly descended to the ground and sat in a cross-legged position. He took in a deep breath and guided his god soul out of his body, shooting into the sky and heading in an unknown direction. No one could see this except Rakuzen but he didn''t speak up either. He knew Lucien would have seen it if only he wasn''t too focused on the dying emperor! Gazing at Lucien who jumped out of his hands and charged towards the dying emperor, Rakuzen sighed. He could have left with Lucien but he just stayed back to make sure the emperor''s death doesn''t go to waste. "His power will be his parting gift to you" Rakuzen muttered sadly. something... Chapter 185: Gaining more power even in defeat Chapter 185: Gaining more power even in defeat "Emperor!" Lucien cried out as he shot out of Rakuzen''s hands and charged towards the swaying emperor. Before the emperor''s body could fall off the sky, Lucien grabbed the young red-haired kid and slowly descended with a tearful expression on his face. His mask slowly fell off as hended softly, staggered a bit before falling on his knees with the emperor in his hands. Hepletely ignored the burning body of Derik and focused solely on Emperor Fei not knowing what to say. Seeing the man he considered as a grandfather, a father and a best friend slowly turn to dust Lucien could barely contain his sorrow! He ended up letting his emotions lose and cried his heart out while emperor Fei justid on his hand and watched with a bitter smile on his face. "That was a hell of a ride I never thought there would be someone who would take on the two emperorbo! Damn! But we still came out on top buddy These weaklings have nothing on us!" Emperor Fei finally spoke up and only then did Lucien stop crying. "Yea. Instructor Han was useless again" Lucienughed lightly while tears kept rolling down his eyes and the emperorughed with him. "I guess this is the end for me My only regret is that I didn''t get to see the kind of emperor you will be" Emperor Fei said calmly after a while with a sad look on his terribly pale face. Lucien could tell he meant every word he sad now, shaking him up even more. "I didn''t get to surpass you anymore I didn''t get the chance to beat you down and take your crown" Lucien said with a sad smile making the emperorugh. "I can''t believe we tried to raise a powerful army and ended up not using it" Lucien sighed but then he felt the emperor tighten his grip on his wrist. Gazing at the emperor he saw an unusually serious expression on the gaze of the emperor and even his dying eyes were brimming with power. "The empire will need you Now I am dead and our forces have been weakened badly, the Libet and Drakon empire will try to swallow us up. They won''t stop until there is nothing left! This empire is my legacy This empire is my home, My past, my present, and Your Future! Please! I beg of you Protect it!" Emperor Fei shivered asionally as he spoke. Lucien had never seen the emperor this emotional so he felt moved by the request and quickly responded. "As long as I live No one will harm this empire I will fight till the end I swear it!" Lucien growled and only then did the emperor give him a sweet smile. "Then this will be my parting gift to you My power is yours, Lucien I will be watching over you from above I will go ahead before you and tell the gods of a fourteen-year-old who will definitely rise to the rank of godhood in less than a century! I will make that bet with them and boy, I am pretty sure I will win big!" Emperor Feiughed lightly and as he spoke his voice got softer and lower until he finally stopped speaking. Only at this point did Lucien realize that half of Emperor Fei''s body had been turned to dust and it was spreading all the way to his head. Lucien shifted his gaze back to the emperor only to realize that the old man was already at hisst breathe. He gazed at Lucien and smiled sweetly before saying hisst words. "You don''t have to be worried anymore It is not your fault It is no one''s fault You and Instructor Han did your bests for me and even now, I feel lucky to have met you both" Emperor Fei said before his body was reduced to dust. DING! [Beast assimtion sessful] [Phoenix God beast assimted] Fresh hot tears rolled down Lucien''s eyes as he remained kneeling, unaware of the fact that he was surrounded both by the enemy forces and allies. Instructor Han, the Wuxing n head, us of the Lightborn n, and the enemy forces stood there in silence and just watched everything take ce! The emperor has always been an invincible figure in their eyes and now he is gone. Even though they all tried to take his life together they still found it hard to believe he is dead. They gazed at Derik''s scorching body and they couldn''t help but feel renewed fear for the death god. Either way, this could be considered a double victory for them since they won the battle and still didn''t have to lose anything in the process. If Derik remained alive after killing Emperor Fei and Lucien, what stops him from attacking the empire just for his amusement? "He worried about the welfare of the empire till the very end He was a true emperor" The bulky massive man of the Hammond n! "AZURE!" Lucien exploded with power as his body was quickly covered with dragon scales as a blue dragon spear appeared in his hands! Xiu! Lucien''s body only left behind afterimages as he appeared right in front of the massive man, striking out so quickly no one could respond! "Azure Dragon spear!" Lucien growled as a whirlpool of dragon blue mes surged forward, consuming the enemy like a flood. "YOU!" the n head growled as he quickly activate his defensive sealed artifact, creating a golden sphere around him! BOOM! As the explosion urred the massive man''s figure could be seen flying meters back. Only after flying for over a hundred meters did his body hit the ground rolling rapidly for a while before stopping. What was stunning wasn''t that he was defeated by Lucien, it was that Lucien was able to power through his defensive spell from a grade two sealed artifact in a mere instant, making them wonder how powerful the death god who took the full brunt of the attack head-on is. They watched as the dragon scales on Lucien''s body vanished as he staggered back and fell in Instructor Han''s arms. "The Raizen n is mine The royal family is free to stay in the Rakuzen n territory for safety Should I get news of members of the royal family getting massacred, I can assure you whoever is responsible will lose his family and all his loved ones to me! No one else dies! NO ONE ELSE KILLS ANYONE! YOU HEARD THE EMPEROR, WE NEED TO GATHER OUR STRENGTHS FOR THE REAL ENEMIES SO GET YOUR SHITS TOGETHER AND SET THINGS RIGHT For now, I need some rest I am leaving everything in your care, old man I hope we won''t have to cross des again because of a silly mistake!" Lucien said to the n head of the Lucardo n and flew off. Without a second thought, the survivors of the royal family followed him tightly behind. Unknown to Lucien while he was speaking the image of the emperor could be seen standing behind him with the image of the phoenix god beast standing behind the emperor. He had assimted the power of the phoenix god beast and thanks to the fact that the emperor had already subdued the spirit avatar of the phoenix god beast, he didn''t have to go through the issues of god descent anymore. Seeing the powerful link, these people instinctively followed him and headed towards his domain. Unknown to Lucien the Raizen n members had already abandoned their homnd and moved towards the Rakuzen n territory, alongside other small level ns, increasing the number of the people under his care greatly! -------------------------------------------------- "Ouch!" Lucien muttered as he slowly opened his eyes and his body felt extremely weak even after sleeping. The images of the emperor''s death kept reying in his sleep so many times it made it difficult for him to get a good sleep. Gazing to the side he saw Alice gazing at him with puffy red eyes, showing she has been crying for a while but he really didn''t care now. He still had many things to deal with, so he didn''t have time for this. ''Call me cruel or insensitive, it doesn''t matter now There are things more important right now'' Lucien said in his mind as he walked away. The events of the previous day are still like a dream to him and he found it hard to ept things that have happened. Who would have thought a day woulde when he would wake up and realize he won''t be able to see the emperor again. "Lucien!" Alice wiped her eyes and chased after him. He ignored the youngdy and walked towards the door but before he could open it the door swung open and instructor Han was there. He wore a grave look on his face but upon seeing Lucien he felt surprisingly calm! "Lucien The Rakuzen is on the verge of crumbling! You need toe now!" Instructor Han said hastily! Chapter 186: A new empire Chapter 186: A new empire Hearing Instructor Han''s words, Lucien frowned. He already expected this to happen but he didn''t expect it to happen so soon. Apart from the emperor, the other descendants of the Hayato n had no prominent figure that could rival the emperor in talent or at leaste anywhere near him. Lucien was considered a monster in terms of talent and had the guts and that is probably why someone as powerful as the emperor even bothered looking his way. But with the emperor gone and with a very high possibility that the humans will wield the most power in this new era of the empire, no one really had much regard for the Hayato n. As long as the other ns had experts that can rival them in strength, there is no reason for them to be polite towards them. Lucien didn''t say anything and simply walked towards the throne room at a rather fast pace and Instructor Han and Alice chased after him hurriedly. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bam! The huge grand hall doors yanked open and Lucien walked in with a rather calm look on his face. On his way here, Instructor Han briefed him on everything that has taken ce so far and he found it quite amusing. What started as an argument between two ns turned into a battle but thanks to the magic tower thebatants who dared fight within his domain were reduced to ashes before the fight could escte any further. Entering the room he could feel the tense atmosphere but Lucien acted like none of this concerned him as he walked towards the throne at the other end of the room and sat down. Instructor Han and Alice stood behind him as he rested his chin on his wrist and with his eyes shut as if he was pondering on something. The entire room turned silent as they waited attentively for Lucien to say something but even after five minutes he said nothing making many restless. "You know I just a man who I considered a father just a day ago. Your king and yet this is what I get after resting for a short time" Lucien''s voice was calm but after everything that happened the previous day, many considered him amazing and feared him almost as much as they feared the emperor. "Your emperor died just recently and honestly if Ie here and see you guys plotting vengeance on the empire that has taken away someone precious to us all, I will consider it more reasonable than what is going on right now So I wish to ask a question to all of you right here Does your position in the Rakuzen n or the state of the empire?" Lucien asked calmly. He knew his n grew in strength ever since the Hayato n and the Raizen n joined his with their subsidiary ns. The twelve imperial knights were from the ns who rebelled against the emperor and that''s why they stood no chance. They werecking numbers and then there was also the Derik factor. Everything right now was messed up in Lucien''s mind and even now he knew he still hadn''t checked all his updates from the system. He hated the fact that things were happening too fast forcing him to neglect many important things. "What are your ns now?" Hayato Xio asked. This man used to be the dean of the Fotia academy but after everything that happened he had neither the will nor zeal to train the kids of the other ns. He couldn''t trust himself not to go on a rampage one day and brutally murder all the kids from the enemy ns one day so he decided to just stick with Lucien and since he made that choice as the son of thete emperor, the rest of the n followed him. The Raizen n on their own path had already epted Lucien as their leader and didn''t hesitate to move to his territory, making the Rakuzen the strongest n in the empire as of the moment. But even then Lucien didn''t feel at ease since more power means more opposition. With the kind of strength he has gathered in one n, the rest of the empire will definitely view him as a threat and try to weaken him but none of that mattered to him right now. "Hayato Xio and Raizen Randolf will be the two representatives who are allowed to ry messages to me directly Pass all your grievances on to them and when I return, I will listen to all of them and make necessary changes As for the previous elders of the ns Chill The power system and positons of this n will soon be put in ce There is a ce for everyone For now, I have to return to the capital and have a look at what''s going on Instructor Han has been the emperor''s right-hand man to the very end He will be mine too, so treat him with respect while I am gone Remember news of my absence must not be known by anyone outside this room" Lucien said before exploding into a body of gray mist and surging out of the room. He quickly put on his golden hood over his head as he sneaked out of the pce and left the Rakuzen territory without anyone knowing. The events of the capital have reached every part of the empire by now so the people are shaken badly. Since Lucien had a close rtionship with the emperor, many are scared that they would be the next target of the coup so they felt safer with their undefeated champion around. "Bring up all notifications!" Lucien said coldly as he left the gates of Rakuzen territory. [New achievement unlocked; Tale of an emperor] [Host has reached the depths of hell and has made his way out as well, giving the world a tale to tell You may be forgottenter on in history but this tale will never be forgotten] [New achievement unlocked; An emperor always fulfills his promise] [The host made a promise of taking the Raizen n about a year ago and he has finally fulfilled it. A great emperor will always fulfill his promise or at least die trying] [New achievement unlocked; Recognition of the empire] [For so long only a few have recognized you as a worthy adversary but after your battle with the god of death and your contribution in the coup, the world has recognized you as a man capable of taking the ce of the former Beast Emperor!] [New achievement unlocked; A new superpower!] [With the empire in disarray, only the strong can bring everyone together under one banner! The host has managed to solidify his position as one of the toppetitors for the new emperor position by uniting the empire''s greatest forces under one banner! Well done!] Ding! [System will update automatically] [System updating] [Update sessful] [Name: Lucien Rakuzen] [Realm: 3rd sky of the Warrior realm] [Spirit beast: Faceless] [Martial technique: Dual cultivation technique; body and soul harmony] [Assimted beasts: Raizen, Phoenix, Nightmare demon, Hell hound, Abok, Argo, Lamar, Kasir, and demonic beasts] Seeing this, Lucien frowned since he realized he no longer gained experience points for achievements neither did he gain empire points. He guessed that these things are not necessary anymore for the system and with time the system will just grant him rewards ording to his deeds. Apart from that he also realized that his link to the Rakuzen had increased exponentially. He could tell that Rakuzen was extremely tired after everything that happened the previous days. He could feel that Rakuzen has spent too much power and maybe asleep for some time. Whoosh! Using the teleportation tforms, Lucien reached the capital in just a few minutes and in just a few seconds he reached the location of the royal pce which has now been reduced to a wastnd. There he saw a massive round table and the other major noble head families sitting around the table in silence. us of the Lightborn family felt extremely ufortable since he and the Wuxing n head are the only ones who did not support the coup present but seeing Lucien, he felt unusually rxed while the other noble n heads felt tensed upon his arrival. Right, Lucien confirmed what the system said about him bing a new superpower in the empire. His presence alone has different psychological effects on both friends and foes. Seeing Lucien take a seat without saying a word to anyone many of the nobles were enraged but they dared not look Lucien in the eye. "I guess we are all here" The old man of the Lucardo n said with a slight smile on his face and his eyes shut tight as always. Hearing his words Lucien shot the man a nce before turning his attention to those around him. All the n heads responsible for the coup were present except one, making Lucien frown. "If you are looking for the head of the Hammond n then I am sad to say he sumbed to his wounds You dealt a decisive blow yesterday and we are here to administer your punishment today!" The Luno god beast n head said with a frown! Chapter 187: Chapter 186 Chapter 187: Chapter 186 Hearing his words Lucienughed loudly as his eyes released ck sparks as his aura exploded fiercely but surprisingly nothing around them was destroyed. This showcased Lucien''s immense control over his aura making those on the table even more fearful of him. In the past, Lucien only had the strength to rival spirit realm masters yet he had absolute control over his power just like any other spirit realm master. At this point, everyone has already forgotten he was still at the warrior realm and viewed him as a spirit realm master capable of matching Champion realm masters. "If you wish to punish me, you can try let us see By the way,st time I checked you are amongst those who led the coup against thete emperor In my opinion, this is treason and is punishable by death If I choose to take your life here and now, do you think anyone here can stop me?" Lucien asked with a slight smile on his face. "You dare threaten me?" The Luno god beast n head growled as he got on his feet let his aura explode. Behind him, the image of a massive octopus appeared shooting its tendrils towards Lucien who was seated at the other end of the table. "Sit!" Lucien growled as his aura surged dangerously and the Raizen and Phoenix tattoo on his body lit up brightly. The Raizen god beast and the Phoenix god beasts appeared behind him, letting out terrifying cries of rage that sent the god beast avatar of the Luno n running! It quickly retracted its attacks and vanished while the n head stumbled back in fear and sat obediently. The scene made many who were waiting for the best moment to appear and spring into action against Lucien lose their hope of battling Lucien. After everything that has happened so far, they realized that right now, even without the Emperor''s protection, Lucien is more dangerous than ever since he cansh out without discrimination. "We are here to deal with the major problems facing this great empire and in case you are yet to understand the situation, all you need to know is that this is all your faults I don''t know who have you the notion that the Libet empire will be appeased with the emperor''s death but all I can say is that you all are fools The death of the emperor and the destruction of arge number of forces from the Hayato and Wuxing n has weakened our strength greatly. The empire is in turmoil and this can be considered the best opportunity to gather and wipe out the Fotia empire from the map of the continent. As we speak, the Libet and Drakon are mobilizing their forces and preparing for an all-out attack It''s only a matter of weeks before they reach here" The Wuxing n head said. As the only Champion realm expert here, no one interrupted him and treated him with respect. As much as Lucien hated the fact that the emperor''s killers are allowed to run loose, he also had to look at therger picture here. The death of a n leads to internal turmoil within the ns. The power struggle and much more. These are things he wishedhe could ignore but the empire needs everyone at their best so Lucien could only suppress his anger and work together with these people. "I refuse to let them reach the Empire We have not be so weak as to let them two empires swagger around without fear!" us mmed the table as he growled. Defending the empire simply proves that suspicion of the other empires! Without the emperor they are weak! And if this message is passed across the enemy will put in everything they have in the next attack. A show of strength brings about uncertainty in the enemy camp. As long as they can deal with the first wave of enemies effortlessly, the enemy empires will be unwilling to send more people towards their death. "I agree we need to take the offensive but we don''t have to be too aggressive No one knows the empire''s borders more than we do when the timees, we can use the terrain to our advantage when dealing with the enemy... All we need is everyone''s cooperation in the uing battles all bad blood must be put aside to now" The old man of the Lucardo family kept gazing at Lucien while he said this. Seeing this Lucien snorted and leaned back. He shut his eyes as he tried to focus on the battle at hand. His body was so heavy he began wondering if he is kind of scared. Well, this is understandable since this will be his first campaign and wars are way more dangerous than many think. In war, only one person cannot change the tide of battle. There are so Many war weapons and formations powerful enough to make champion realm masters tremble in fear. If he is to enter battle he needs someone he can trust. So Lucien has no intentions of teaming up with these vipers seated on the round table. "Keep it in mind that I work alone That is my only request for this iing wall Also, I would appreciate it if you all stay away from my territory. Any one of you that dares step foot in this ce will die as fast as he camethat''s all I have to say" Lucien said those words so casually, many would have sworn he wasn''t speaking about taking a person''s life. Hearing this, the Wuxing n head could only sigh. The Empire needed Lucien right now so no one would dare speak against him, especially since his forces are clearly thergest in the empire. His eyes revealed a hint of difort as he saw the displeased l9Oks in the faces of everyone here but he couldn''t dwell on this matter for too long. "With the Absence of an emperor a new council has been formed and everyone present is a member I this council Decisions will be made through intense deliberation and votes This will carry on until this war is over and we find a way to deal with our emperor issues For now, I intend to have smaller ns join hands and rebuild what we have lost. While we prepare our forces for battle with the enemy empires, their job is to try and return the state of the capital to normalcy Luckily only the capital was hit hard by the coup" The Wuxing n head said with a frown and the others nodded in agreement silently. ''The old man made things easier'' Lucienmented in his heart as he sat back and gazed at the skies. He was originally thinking of leaving early but after everything that happened Lucien decided it''s just stay back and listen to what the others had to say. The rest of the meeting was rtively peaceful andhe had no reason to speak up so he just listened. They were briefed of the various powerful ns of the Libet empire to look out for so Lucien was quite interested in this discussion. Apart from the Xing n who have produced the most powerful fighters and warriors in the entire continent, there is also the Zhoa n, known for their strong Affinity with the force element! There was also the Sin n known for producing the most powerful human mages of all time and then there is the Basten family where the royal emperor of the Libet empire hails from. His strength has always been extraordinary and only tales of his descendant''s achievements have been heard of, making the Hayato n look patheticpared to it. The only reason Lucien and the others considered a possibility of victory was simply because of the presence of the Drakon Empire. The Drakon Empire and the Libet empire have been on each other''s necks for so long, it is hard to believe that these people are yet to wage war against each other. Their hatred for each other is so strong even Emperor Fei chose not to interfere with matters concerning these two empires. Lucien and the rest strongly believed that the Drakon empire would not just sit and watch their enemy amass power and wealth. They will be Lurking in the shadows, searching for the time to flee. Because of this, the Libet empire won''t put all their forces into attacking the fotia empire. While some are sent to attack, another set will be set to tail the main army from a safe distance and prevent them from getting ambushed by the forces of the Drakon empire and then enough Forces will be left behind in the Libet empire in case the enemy is crazy enough to consider attacking their empire directly since a good number of their forces are out. Thinking about all of this, Lucien couldn''t help but feel excited. He sincerely enjoyed the thrill of war, the countless possibilities, and the possible oues. For the first time in a long while, he enjoyed speaking with the other nobles and had no reason to be hostile at all. Chapter 188: The Greatest army of all time Chapter 188: The Greatest army of all time The meeting continued for a good part of the day but Lucien didn''t realize how much time had passed since he was having fun. After minor disagreements and arguments, Lucien was able to convince these old men to let him gather his forces and be the one to meet the forces of the Libet empire. Originally he was trying to get them to let him go alone but even the Wuxing n head was against this n. He knew Lucien was talented, terrifying, and all that but there is more to war than normal free and fairbat. Compared to a real battle between empires, their coup would be considered as childsy. They decided that us and the head of the dimir n will be the ones to apany Lucien in this battle. They will put up their forces and together they should be able to raise a two hundred thousand strong army since that''s the least eptable amount of forces they can have if they wish to face the Libet empire forces in battle. Since these two n heads have a strong understanding of how war works, formations, and magic arrays, they didn''t have to worry much. They also agreed that the academy system in the empire should be abolished since they knew many wouldn''t adhere to thesews. Since there is no central power anymore, there is no reason for them to answer to anyone but themselves, as such they do not need the empire to keep tabs on their entire fighting power! These people strongly believed that the leading ns should be more autonomous and Lucien actually agreed with this new system of power. As soon as the meeting was over, Lucien left immediately and returned to his territory. With the newws, he was more like a king in his territory and had no one to answer to, making him feel more at ease. Lucien knew he had only a week to set things right here and mobilize an army of a hundred thousand so he didn''t have much time to waste. By this time he has already forgotten about the magic beast rupture, cultivating below his castle and he was more focused on his personal growth. He returned to the Rakuzen n and since the academy policy has been banned he needed a way to make up for it now. Without thinking twice about the n, Lucien set up different prestigious halls and put the elders of the Hayato and Raizen ns as the masters of the hall. There they train the young and even decided who to consider an inner disciple. The title of hall masters was given to these elders in a bid to soothe their huge ego and make them feel important, meanwhile, the younger generation powerhouse of the two ns was now set up as elders who directly convey messages to Lucien. He had Xio of the Hayato n and then Randolf of the Raizen n prepare the forces of their ns for war, meanwhile, Lucien personally requested the twelve heavenly pce hall masters to assist in the mobilization of the army. He acknowledged the fact that the words of these old men carry a lot of weight so, Lucien did what was necessary to have everyone cooperate without losing much power either. He created the thirteenth hall and dedicated it to the spirit beast cultivators and ced the old man Aponi as the hall master. There he was allowed to train the younger generation of their n and anyone who was interested in spirituality cultivation! Instructor Han and Alice Lightborn were surprised by the way Lucien was able to solve the problem of the n with little or no effort. They couldn''t help but confess that his foresight and ability to judge situations correctly are great qualities and in no time many even request him to struggle for the emperor''s title when the war is over. At first, Lucien wanted to reject, not because he didn''t want to but because he felt its too early to make such serious decisions but then when he saw how much this meant to these people. For the Hayato n, only if Lucien bes the emperor will they be able to avenge emperor Fei and punish those who killed their n member but for the Raizen n, Lucien bing the emperor is a major win for them. As a n that only served the emperor and the empire for centuries now, taking the leading position is a major goal for them which they are willing to achieve if the opportunity arises. With both sides mounting so much pressure on him, Lucien had no other option to agree to this but right now his main focus was on the war approaching. Lucien will need to win a war and perform excellently well to gain the approval of the entire empire. "In this world, strength is king!" Lucien said as he gazed at the small army in front of him. The fifth day had gone by and he was already able to mobilize all the capable fighters of the spirit beast n, with all at the warrior realm and above. He let the strongest warrior of the n, Danas lead the small ten thousand spirit beast army and since he wasn''t aware of the formations and war artifacts used by these people, Lucien didn''t look too deep into this matter. The Hayato n had raised an army of forty-five thousand and the Raizen n raised an army of forty-five thousand as well. Combining it with the ten thousand spirit beast cultivators, Lucien already had an army of hundred thousand under bearing the Rakuzen banner. He let themanders of each army prepare their forces and everything necessary while he returned to his cultivation chamber and focused on his cultivation. While he would love to admit it, he couldn''t deny the fact that he felt anxious and unsure of the battle about to take ce. While he had the dimir n and the Lightborn n by his side, he wasn''t the type to put so much trust in his allies. Lucien knew that if he wanted to do much on this battlefield, Lucien knew he would have to act as an independent unit and strike at openings. He also needed to watch out for the enemy generals and foes capable of standing out in battle. For the two remaining days, Lucien spent it in a cultivation chamber, and there he was given updates on how the army formations are set up. Within the army, there are thousand-manmanders who care for a thousand-man team. Since the main generals cannot directly convey messages to the entire army, they have to rely on thesemanders to help spread the messages while keeping the army in formation. Going through all the information given to him, Lucien couldn''t help but agree that the entire war will be more like an organized battle and this is even more reason why he believed he had to act as an independent unit and breakthrough enemy ranks and formations. "I hate you" Lucien muttered to the sleeping Rakuzen as he put on his blue mask and vanished from the cultivation chamber. On the seventh day, the entire empire was filled with civilians cheering the two hundred thousand strong army and their generals. us and the dimir n head were seated on white horses with frustrated looks on their faces each time they gazed at the empty white horse not too far from them. They were supposed to move by now but because of Lucien''s absence, the army had to wait. Hayato Xio, Randolf, and Danas tried to call Lucien out from his cultivation chamber but the castle''s defensive formation prevented them from reaching Lucien. Since Lucien is the only imperial knight in the army and the highest-ranking officer they couldn''t move without his presence! "Did he fall asleep or something?" us roared as he stared at Instructor Han but the instructor only gave him a slight nod before turning his attention elsewhere. Since he couldn''t exin Lucien''s absence he had no intentions of making excuses for it! ROAR! The grumbling crowd soon calmed down the moment an intense roar reached their ears, making many shudder in fear as they felt an immense aura approaching! The figure came with storm and hurricanes chasing after him as he shot forward! From his body numerous ferocious aura kept exploding at numerous intervals, making the hearts of everyone around beat with excitement! "WELCOME THE LORD OF THE RAKUZEN CLAN! THE THIRTEENTH IMPERIAL KNIGHT OF THE FOTIA EMPIRE AND THE MAN WHO WILL VANQUISH THE ENEMY FORCES! LUCIEN RAKUZEN!!!" The Wuxing n head who was silent suddenly sprang on his feet and screamed! Hearing his words, the people cheered without restraint as the dark clouds gathered and from it, a figure shot out. He was dressed in a bright blue sleeveless mage robe thathad the Chinese serpent dragon design on it. The youth had long silver hair and wore a bright blue dragon mask! Chapter 189: Spies? Chapter 189: Spies? The youth stood on a massive Chinese serpent dragon descending from the skies, giving him an even more intimidating vibe. His body was filled with various tattoos and even though he didn''t wear shiny armor like the others everyone could tell this kid was incredibly strong. Whoosh! Lucien jumped of the azure blue dragon and shot towards the white horse left for him. Even though he moved at a terrifying speed, the moment he reached the horse his body stopped abruptly and he began to descend gracefully. His eyes were as bright as two silver stars glowing brightly in the night sky! "No retreat, no defeat! When we return you will only hear one word from us! Victory!" Lucien roared at the top of his voice before he charged forwards with his horse. His speech was short but rather effective! The two hundred thousand strong armies roared at the top of their voices and charged forward fearlessly! Even the foot soldiers ran with all their strength as they chased after their imperial knight! "That kid sure knows how to make an entrance!" usughed loudly as he chased after Lucien too. He didn''t know why but he could feel his blood boiling and his body itching for battle. He didn''t know if Lucien used some sort of skill or mag I since he found it hard to believe that Lucien can bring out so much strength in people with just a short speech. Gazing at Lucien''s figure from behind they couldn''t help but remember Emperor Fei in his younger days. At this point, even the n heads who were part of the coup couldn''t shake the sense of loss eating them up from within. As If the mood is contagious the civilians began screaming madly as they watched the army charge forward energetically without stopping! The capital remained noisy and loud until the army left the gates and vanished in the distance! Only then did the chanting stop as well, leaving the capital in total silence as they silently prayed for victory over the enemy forces. -------------------------- The Libet empire is located just farther north from the Fotia empire, so Lucien led the army north and after marching for half a day, he had the army setup up camps and rest for the night. Since the army was toorge he could not possibly take note of what''s going on in all the camps so he left that to the generals while he focused on the meeting at hand. In a well-guarded tent at the center of the camps set up Lucien and the other top-ranking officials sat and pondered on everything going on. They had an army that mostly consisted of warrior realm fighters and mages with a considerable amount of mortal realm experts who are considered themanders of each thousand man unit and then the generals were at least at the spirit realm with Lucien as the only exception. He had instructor Han lead one of the units and from what he was told. Instructor Emma works with the dimir family right now so she is one of the thousand-manmanders but Lucien couldn''t care less. He hasn''t met her since the day he was locked up in the dungeon after absorbing the grade two sealed artifact but what was more important is that she never made any attempt to reach out to him so he let their rtionship die out. As long as they don''t cross paths and she doesn''t get in his way, he doesn''t have a reason to kill her. "You can''t go in alone!" us said adamantly with his hand wrapped around his chest. They had already agreed to set up an ambush point when they get to a certain point on their journey but letting Lucien act independently is out of the question. In his opinion, with the emperor gone, the only thing stopping the coup d''etat nners frompletely swallowing them up is Lucien. He is the unknown variable and the most likely to be the new emperor! He strongly believed they agreed to let him lead this battle because they hoped he would be killed off in battle. That exins why no one educated him on the dangers of war formations and unison spells. Even the emperor had to fight with an army talk less of a child. "Don''t forget! I am not alone and if this ambush is going to work perfectly well we need a bait which one of us has the most survivability skills Do not forget I have an army of over a thousand demonic beasts in my small army of undying beings. I am the one with the best shot at this And honestly, I am feeling great right now I cannot be killed" Lucien said with a bright smile that irritated us. He let his cold gaze kill Lucien''s mood firsts before he spoke. "Kid Even the emperor was killed and this is someone who practiced the immortal pathway! No one could kill him in the past and even he could not escape death Don''t be stupid, no one is invincible... " us said with a frown on his face. "I never said I am invincible I only said I am the absolute!" Lucien retorted with a twisted smile on his face. The confidence he kept exuding was even getting to us and he was less aggressive at this point. Seeing how adamant Lucien was on this issue he could only let the kid go in hopes that the kid has more surprises for them as always. "Damn my life That was difficult " Lucien said as he walked out of the tent and stretched. He felt uneasy staying in the same tent with the dimir n head and he knew us felt the same way too. For some reason, he felt like this man was sent by the coup plotters to keep an eye on him rather than fight and us was sent by the Wuxing n head to make sure Lucien doesn''t get set up! He could tell there was still infighting even now they have a powerful foe heading their way and this made Lucien believe he needed to take over the empire as soon as possible. Under the watchful gaze of many, Lucien retired into his tent guarded by two spirit cultivators but he didn''t stay long as he changed into a gray mist and slowly slipped out, darting into the nearest bushes. With his current level of strength, it was nothing for Lucien to sneak through the guards positioned in the forest but then as he moved he realized someone has walked the same path! Did someone feel like sneaking out too or is there any other reason behind it? After experiencing the coup and everything that has happened so far, Lucien wasn''t the type to trust easily. The tattoo of the magic beast Argo lit up as Lucien''s eyes turned golden and the range of his sight was increased immensely, peering into the distance but even then couldn''t see anyone. ''Do I follow?'' Lucien thought as he sank back and tried to consider many things. No matter how much he wanted to y it off in his head he knew there was most likely a spy amongst them and because of this, their ambush may not work out. He could always chase after the target but Lucien didn''t know what to expect so he was reluctant to go forward. The unknown is the greatest fear of a master and only a fool will swagger around, thinking there is no one capable of shutting them down. As cocky as Lucien maybe he was no fool. He had no intentions of diving headfirst into a potential battle where the strength and weaknesses of the enemies are unknown. He could only take in a deep breath and return to his tent. That night Lucien could barely sleep so he dedicated his time to studying. Before he left the Rakuzen n territory, Lucien was able to take a spirit beast record from the underground vault of the n, containing Rakuzen''s fortune. In this book were pieces of information on all kinds of spirit beasts known to man! Since his faceless can take the form and mimic the ability of almost beast, Lucien decided to broaden his knowledge in the spirit beast world and try to increase his choices. He noticed recently that he only copied the abilities of the Rakuzen and even though it is the most powerful option in Lucien''s arsenal for this war, it is too tasking when ites to energy and stamina intake. After everything that has happened he realized in arge-scale battle like this, conserving his strength is key so he needed more options. Lucien spent most of the night reading but then he noticed some strange movement around his tent-making him frown. He wasn''t scared of an assassin, he was just annoyed by the fact that these people ignored the uing war and tried to kill off their greatest chance of victory. Chapter 190: Creed strikes Chapter 190: Creed strikes Lucien remained seated on the king-sized bed with his eyes shut tight and he continued cultivating. He could hear loud sounds outside like a battle had taken ce but he refused to move. As an imperial knight, he had no reason to act unless he is sure the situation is serious! Lucien originally thought that this was an assassination attempt but after hearing a series of explosions, Lucien was confused a bit. If this was an assassination attempt, it wouldn''t be this noisy. Did the Libet empire attack? That''s impossible, they couldn''t have gotten this far in just a week! Something else must havee for them? Magic beasts? Impossible! It is very unusual for magic beasts to gather in hordesrge enough to cause this level of destruction! Lucien was still pondering on the matter when he heard someone walk into the room. He wasn''t flustered and his eyes yanked open slowly as he gazed at the figure with an indifferent look on his face. His eyes let out a murderous light as he recognized the white robes the person wore! He was a member of the creed! Probably an outer disciple since he was only in the spirit realm. Lucien finally understood what was happening. Since both sides have unleashed their forces and left the protection of the protection arrays in the empire the creed decided that this is the best time to strike and take him away too. He guessed that the Libet and Drakon empire forces may be experiencing the same attack at the same time right now since that''s the only way to strike and make sure no one escaped. They didn''te here to just take him, but to kill everyone present. "Master told me to bring you in alive so I suggest you stay calm and be a good dog That way you won''t get hurt" The creed outer disciple said while licking his lips. He had a long snake-like tongue with snake scales visible on his body. His head was bald with only one ponytail swinging loosely, making Lucien wonder how someone bald can have a ponytail but that wasn''t the issue. This person had a sinister aura capable of making people lose themselves in fear but whenpared to Derik this kid is childs y. "How many of you came here?" Lucien asked indifferently, Ignoring the man''s taunts. His face looked uninterested as he gazed at the man thoughtfully. "It doesn''t matter since you don''t stand a chance" the bald guyughed wildly before dashing forward. Seeing this Lucien sighed. He hated the fact that people don''t assess their opponent''s strengths before charging forward. He made the same mistake with Derik and almost lost his life. He still felt annoyed by the fact that Derik spared his life and even imed he wille back for it at ater time! "For your information, I am not a dog Call me a dragon!" Lucien''s eyes lit up with power as he took a deep breath before letting out an inhumane growl! Azure Dragon Roar! A massive beam of blue mes shot forward destroying the tent entirely and leaving a badly burnt creed member. With his tent gone, Lucien could be seen standing in mid-air with his hands ced behind his back, and all those who saw him began cheering him on the moment they saw how to hurt his opponent is! "THE IMPERIAL KNIGHT IS INVINCIBLE! WE CAN WIN THIS!" Many screamed as they charged towards the enemy fearlessly. Seeing this Lucien frown. He thought it would only be these outer disciples attacking but it seems that the creed has its own forces. They may becking numbers but each member of their army is at the mortal realm and since they have the element of surprise many were dead before people could understand what was going on! "Don''t you dare think I will die because of something so weak!" A voice resonated in Lucien''s head, catching his attention. He watched as the burnt body of the creed member yanked his mouth open and from it another him slithered out making Lucien p without restraint. He couldn''t help but admit that such a technique is amazing and convenient in so many situations. His body leaned forward as his eyes let out a bright yellow light while the snake scales on his body thickened. His aura surged uncontrobly, taking the shape of a massive serpent but even then Lucien looked unimpressed. He had already noticed something strange about these creed outer disciples that made him a bit skeptical about their strength. These people barely had other techniques and solely leaned towards one path of power. When using their abilities, Lucien got this feeling that their powers are more like attachments that ingrown! "This power is not yours That is why you will never be able to touch a hair on my skin " Lucien said as the azure blue dragon spear appeared in his hands. The creed member watched him wear a bright blue dragon mask and his aura transformed instantly. His aura rose above his head as it took the shape of a massive blue azure serpent dragon! "I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU! NOT A MERE WARRIOR REALM TRASH!" The man screamed madly as his body slowly transformed into that of a human-sized king cobra but Lucien showed no signs of concern. "I never said you are scared of me" Lucien answered simply as blue mes erupted on his spear. "BASTARD!" The man screamed as he lunged forward, engulfing himself in his strong yellow aura but even then Lucien didn''t move. He gripped his spear lightly as more mes poured out of it before letting go of it! "Azure dragon whirlpool" Lucien muttered as the spear remained airborne even after he left it. The spear began spinning uncontrobly before shooting down towards the iing foe, forming a massive whirlpool of mes surging down relentlessly! BOOM! The two sides shed and for a moment it seemed as if the enemy could hold out against the blue fiery whirlpool but soon they realized that the longer the strugglested the more mes the spear could generate creating an evenrger whirlpool! At this stage, the snake man couldn''t even see Lucien''s figure, all he could see were surging blue mes descending on him violently! "Fall You piece of shit!" Lucien suddenly said coldly as he pressed his hand down and suddenly the spear began pushing the man back! The strugglested for a very short time before the man was overwhelmed and pushed down the massive blue mes! With that done, Lucien didn''t even gaze at the burning corpse of the enemy he quickly shot towards the clouds to check out the battlefield. With the enhanced eyesight of the king-tier magic beast, Argo, Lucien was able to see where the battle was the fiercest and he quickly shot towards that direction! --------------------------------------------------------- "Regroup! Regroup! Defensive formation now!" Instructor Han screamed as he rode his horse around the battlefield screaming! He was still dressed in his nightwear, showing he and his forces were caught off guard and even though he had over a thousand Spirit beast cultivators under his control, they had lost nearly half of their number within a few minutes! The enemy forces are made of mortal realm experts at least and with the light curtain unison spell cast by them, they could block all attacks while simultaneously attacking as well! A hundred-man team had decimated a thousand-man team and even theirmander was no joke! She cast no spells, she used no magic! Thisdy just charged into their ranks and smashed her way through! Their forces consist of beast men whock magic and offensive spells that can harm the barrier so Instructor Han was left helpless! Boom! Boom! Boom! Instructor Han watched her blitz through his forces, decimating his army and bulldozing her way through their spirit beasts! It was obvious she wanted his head and many were dying to protect him! At this point, the instructor frowned as he had to rethink his entire life. He has entered a handful of fights and never for once has he been outstanding. He has always yed the support role and even though instructor Han was not the type that enjoyed violence he hase to understand that violence is necessary! If only he was strong like Lucien, maybe they would have been able to defeat Derik Angus and save the emperor''s life! "Retreat all of you! She is mine!" Instructor Han roared and suddenly jumped off his horse shocking his army. He has used his spatial magic to save their lives and they knew he was a support type so many didn''t expect him to make such a deration! Before anyone could argue against it, Instructor Han had already reached the ground, shooting towards thedy with murderous intentions in his eyes! "COCKY BRAT!" Thedy soon noticed the army was retreating and then she saw instructor Han charging alone, causing her to frown. She was hoping to make this man beg for his life, yet he was charging towards her with so much killing intentions! Chapter 191: Instructor Han goes all out! Chapter 191: Instructor Han goes all out! Bang! Bang! Bang! With each step forward she took, the creed outer disciple shattered the ground beneath her feet, creating small craters that could make any normal person''s heart skip a beat but even then Instructor Han kept charging forward relentlessly. His eyes released terrifying silver light and for the first time, Instructor Han''s aura could be considered terrifying! ''Never again will I be protected by someone else!'' ''Never again will someone have to die for my sake'' Numerous thoughts ran through instructor Han''s head as he charged forward and when he was only fifty meters away from the enemy, he suddenly stopped moving forward as had crouched and mmed his fist into the ground! "Spatial Magic: Spatial Zone!" Instructor Han roared as a semi-transparent silver dome spread from his body surging forward so quickly, even the enemymander could barely react to it. I am instant the spatial zone had already covered over a hundred meters and at that moment the enemymander felt her movements turn sluggish! It felt like she was trying to run underwater, making each movement feel heavy and stressful! "You are not half bad! But do you think this will stop me from taking your life?" She revealed a sinister smile as her muscles began bulging and her eyes turned bloodshot! It looked as if her size had doubled and her aura turned even more terrifying but even then Instructor Han didn''t flinch! "Take my life? I would love to see you try!" instructor Han''s eyes released a threatening silver sh as he grabbed the void and tore it open effortlessly, pulling out a silver dagger from it. Hearing Instructor Han''s response, the army of spirit cultivators cheered relentlessly in a bid to build up theirmander''s morale, meanwhile, the enemymander took a step back! For some reason, she felt like if she made a move at that moment she would die at Instructor Han''s hands. She gazed at his approaching figure but what kept her on her toes were the silver daggers in his hands. It gave off an air of death around him making her feel intimidated. "I got this from the most powerful spatial mage I have ever met... The student of the powerful death god that killed my emperor... When he was defeated I was opportune to take this off his hands before he escaped back to his world... Since then I have been practicing, trying to improve myself... I saw the way the kid fought and I felt ashamed of myself... I had to upgrade myself real quick and right now, I know I am nowhere as strong as him but one thing I am sure of is that the strength I have acquired should be more than enough to deal with a mere pawn like you!" instructor Han said as his silver aura spread all the way to the daggers, revealing bright silver markings on it! His body suddenly let out numerous silver after images as he charged forward. Within the zone, his movement was enhanced and even though the Creed general powered up she couldn''tpare to Instructor Han! Whoosh! Instructor Han suddenly appeared in front of him as he struck forward with the silver dagger but the enemy was fast enough to leap over him and with his fists interlocked he struck down, smashing instructor Han into the ground or so she thought. She saw the massive crater below her but no one was there gazing above her she saw a silver dagger above her but at the same time, she noticed the second dagger was thrown behind her! When did he make so many moves in a short while? What is the purpose of these daggers? She had her suspicion but he could only wait to confirm it! Xiu! Instructor Han appeared behind her just as she expected! Her body twisted unnaturally as she turned and struck at instructor Han who was behind her wondering how thisdy can move so effectively while she is airborne. Bam! Thedy struck the empty air and to her greatest surprise, Instructor Han had already moved to the second dagger above, hacking down mercilessly! Pffttt! Both sides retreated and even though they are short exchanged barelysted five seconds it left a deep impression in the hearts of everyone who watched! In this world, a battle betweenmanders can determine the winner of the war. These duels most time take ce when the two armymanders decide to end the bloodshed between both armies and put an end to the war. Watching instructor Han gain the upper hand in battle got many people pumped while the enemy forces were worried. The shallow cut on the back of thedy soaked her white robe with her blood, but even then Instructor Han wore a frown on his face. He struck with all his might yet he could barely prate the body of the enemy, leaving behind only shallow cuts. In the end, his physical strength is stillcking but his technique and skill can be considered top tier. He wanted to think of ways to improve his strength in a short time but he knew there is no time to focus on such thoughts right now. He shut his eyes tight as he kept ying back Blink''s actions in his mind when they fought for the first time. His upper body leaned forward as his legs crouched slightly and his eyes revealed an intense urge to kill. His body trembled violently as his spatialws surged into his body, making his body vibrate considerably. "Please try not to hold back on me this time... YOU WILL DIE IF YOU DONT TAKE ME SERIOUSLY THIS TIME!" Instructor Han said as his body suddenly let out a silver light and he was gone! "Teleportation?" The enemymander panicked and leaped backward only to realize Instructor Han had reappeared behind her! Whoosh! He tossed the silver dagger at her but just like thest time, thedy''s body twisted in ways it shouldn''t as she dodged the dagger but at that moment it seemed like time had paused. She could see the dagger flying past her from the corner of her eyes but Instructor Han suddenly appeared with the dagger in his hands, striking down at her! She could barely react to the attack and could only grit her teeth when the daggers pierced into her shoulders, dragging her all the way to the ground. Boom! "It''s over!" Instructor Han ignored the cheers of his forces echoing behind him as he struck towards thedy''s chest without restraint. His hands suddenly phased through her body and only when his hand reach her heart did it solidify! "I have got your heart, literarily!" Instructor Han said with a forced smile on his face. Only at that moment did thedy realize Instructor Han was terribly pale, with blood rolling down his eyes, nostrils, and ears. Immediately she realized that these techniques Instructor Han used were way more intense than he made it look. It consumed an enormous amount of power and that''s why he was in a very bad condition even though he literarily had victory within his grasp but even then she dared not make a reckless move or risk getting her heart pulled out! Luckily her army was quick to respond as theyunched a barrage of offensive spells of various elements, drawing Instructor Han''s attention. "NO HONOR!" Instructor Han coughed out a mouthful of blood as he focused all his attention on opening a spatial gate and watched the attacks pour in but that was enough time for the enemymander to make her move! Grrrr! A loud tearing sound sent shivers down the spine of everyone not because something was torn but that question was what got torn! Instructor Han staggered back as blood gushed out of his spot where his arm should be, causing him to fall on his knees but even then he wore a defiant smile on his face as he spoke. "You kill me here and nothing changes! On this day you broke the sacredws of a duel and took advantage of it... Taking my life in the process! Even with my death, the world will know that I won! You lost to a support mage!" Instructor Han said those words with slight chuckles before shutting his eyes and waiting for the final blow. "Stupid mortal... History is written by the victor... I can assure you, no one will know what happened here today!" the enemymander said as she raised her hand, ready to p Instructor Han''s head off his body and many believed she is capable of that after they watched her rip Instructor Han''s hands off his shoulder almost effortlessly! His army charged forward with desperate looks in their eyes but they were too far to reach him. Xiu! Boom! The moment she swung her hand with killing lights visible in her eyes a blue ball of me struck in between her and instructor Han creating a massive shockwave! When the dust cleared everyone saw Lucien standing in between thedy and Instructor Han, gripping her hand tightly! He actually stopped her attack with his physical strength alone! Chapter 192: A powerful foe arrives Chapter 192: A powerful foe arrives BOOM! Her hand was stopped by Lucien effortlessly and no matter how much she tries to pull back she just couldn''t break free from his grip. Gazing at Lucien what the femalemander saw wasn''t the kid normal people saw but it was a massive blue azure Chinese dragon standing behind the kid and staring down at them. His eyes showed no emotion as he continuously gazed at thedy as if he were searching for something but after a while, he sighed, showing his disinterest in her. "And who said you are dying today old man... it''s too early for us to meet up with the emperor at the other side..." Lucien said as he shot Instructor Han a nce with an eye that showed no emotion. Both the enemy forces and the enemymander stood still and no one dared make a move as some spirituality cultivators arrived with healer! Only then did Lucien make his move. "That hand it belongs to my friend!" Lucien''s eyes revealed murderous lights for the first time since he appeared. He gripped the hand stuck on her chest before she could react, pilling it out forcefully and tossing it over to the healer behind him! "I don''t need a cripple as a friend and an ally... You better let them attach your hands or you will never go into battle with me again" Lucien said indifferently while he watched the enemymander retreat while bleeding horribly. As long as Instructor Han''s hands were still intact they could still reattach them but he needed to rest for a while for the treatment to be effective and that''s why Lucien spoke to him in that manner. He could see the fighting spirit in Instructor Han''s eyes and he wanted to quench that fire. It will be neededter on in the future but not now, not here. He waited patiently as instructor Han was slowly pulled to his feet and with the help of a few people he was led out of the battlefield but before he left he heard something that made tears run down his cheeks. "You really surprised everyone today... If the emperor were here he would have said you fought well... Han, you finally caught up to us" Lucien said without looking back but he could feel the emotions surging through Instructor Han right now. For a man who has always been protected by people to finally stand on his feet and fight to protect others, it can be considered a major achievement to him. He remembered how much effort he put in his secret training just for this day when he will be acknowledged by everyone. As instructor Han was led away the army in front of him all bowed respectfully as they created a path for him to leave. These people were not impressed by his strength or power disy! They simply respected his spirit and fighting will to never give up till the end. Even in what looked like his final moments he didn''t show fear, instead, he looked down at the enemy and made bold statements. In their opinion, Instructor Han is worthy of their respect even though he is not a spirit beast cultivator. With Instructor Han gone Lucien felt a huge burden lifted off his back since he had no more reason to worry. In fact, he was surprised by the fight and could have reached earlier but when he saw instructor Han fight back he was just too shocked that he couldn''t help but observe a bit. Just like the instructor said, if her army didn''t interfere, she would have been dead already. In his opinion, Instructor Han won that fight fair and square! The shameless ones are those in front of him right now. "None of you will leave this ce alive!" Lucien dered with intense killing intentions surging uncontrobly from him. His eyes gave off a murderous glow as he leaned forward and his silver hair turned blue as it was consumed by bright blue mes. Meanwhile, his hands and legs changed into talons while a pair of fiery eagle blue wings appeared behind him! Caww! The cry of the fiery blue phoenix stunned many as they saw the mighty god Beast appears while gazing down on them as if it had a life of its own. Many have heard of the beast men''s most powerful ability known as the shift, where they can take the shape of their god beasts and gain a portion of their power. For so long Lucien had depended on the abilities of the beast assimtion, ignoring the god beasts but now he saw no reason to hoi back! Whoosh! His body shed as he charged forward and the blue mes around him gathered around his hand taking the shape of a wing, boosting his speed even more. Bang! Lucien''s body reached the enemymander in just a breath and he swung his talon fists engulfed in mes at the enemy but the enemymander promptly retreated causing Lucien to frown. The fact that she had already turned her back on him while fleeing showed that she had no intention of fighting him at all! "You think you can get away?" Lucien growled as his blue eyes burnt even brighter and a blue phoenix me surged around him. His eyes revealed killing intentions as he vanished for a moment charging towards the enemy! "Warhammer formation now!" The femalemander screamed fearfully when she realized Lucien was catching up! Bang! The army of a hundred soldiers at the mortal realm didn''t panic. In their opinion, Lucien is only one man so they can deal with him easily. They gathered together and began chanting as a massive array appeared beneath them! Bam! It felt like the power of a god descended upon the enemymander as her body expanded even more and she was covered by a bright red energy armor! "I know you are still a novice inbat so you know little about battle formations and array spells! I, Lana of the Creed family will teach you what true strength looks like" Lana growled as she stopped fleeing and charged towards Lucien. "The strong need no army... We are the embodiment of power and authority... The fact you need the help of a few kids proves that you are not strong!" Lucien growled as he charged forward and swung both hands forward. The illusionary blue me wings spread wide and fast,pletely overshadowing both him and the femalemander! "Fall!" Lucien growled as he pushed the wings forward, trying to drown the enemy in zing blue mes but she charged out of it like it is nothing, heading towards him! "Cocky Brat!" Lucien growled as he released the me wings and prepared to take the enemy attacks head-on Bang! Both sides threw blows and the moment they shed Lucien felt his fist go numb but he didn''t stop, neither did he retreat. His eyes only red up even brighter as he swung a massive right fist at the enemy only for her to counter! Peng! Lucien growled in pain as he felt his bones crack but he didn''t retreat. If instructor Han could push his soul and will into this battle, without wavering, he has no other choice but to defeat the enemy at her own game! [Steel skin activated] Lucien''s skin turned ck as it was consumed by blue mes and ck lightning surging around him. "Haya-ken First form: Lightning speed fists!" Lucien growled as his hands moved so fast he released over a hundred after images of his fists as he struck forward meanwhile what was even more shocking was that Lana could keep up with his speed and her strength was stillparable to him or even slightly greater! Any normal person will be terrified at this point but Lucien could only reveal a sinister smile. Many tend to forget the true nature of his abilities and focus too much on the physics aspect! [Phantom fists activated!] At that moment, Lucien''s fists were shrouded in some sort of gray fog but Lana was too distracted to notice! Each time their fists struck a small portion of her soul was chipped away and her strength kept dropping at a steady rate until when even the Warhammer formation could not improve her strength enough to match Lucien! Bang! Crack! The red armor around her fists shattered as her figures broke and twisted in ways they shouldn''t. Thud! Lana took a step back in an attempt to flee but her feet felt light and even before she could move Lucien was already standing by her side with his hand on her shoulder and her hand! Skkkkrrrrrrrrr! A loud tearing sound could be heard as people watched Lucien rip her hands off her body before pping her head away without wasting any time. Even in victory, when many cheered happily for his overwhelming victory Lucien remained silent and gazed at the empty clouds with a frown. He could feel an enormous power source heading his way. Oneparable to the suppressed death god! A Champion realm expert! A core member of the Creed Chapter 193: A champion realm master! Chapter 193: A champion realm master! Cheers and cries of joy filled the air from all sides of the battlefield as the Fotia empire forces slowly gained the upper hand against the invading enemies. The enemy may be strong and filled with top-tier experts but bringing an army of just a thousand mortal realm experts to face off against a two hundred thousand strong army is no different from begging for death. Thinking about this, Lucien had a very bad feeling about everything and couldn''t help but feel ufortable. Originally he could easily write this off as an attempt to take him away but he knew the other forces of the Libet and Drakon empire were going through the same thing so he refused to think they will do differently for the Fotia empire. The Creed is not the type of group to let such an opportunity slip past them! They sort the unification of the continent under their rule and because of that, they will always take the opportunity to weaken the empire''s defenses until they are strong enough to invade and subdue fast enough to stop the other two empires from stopping them. Considering these things Lucien could tell something didn''t add up. He already defeated outer disciples and these outer disciples are in no way capable of dealing with n heads, so sending them is no different from sending them to their death. "Something is wrong!" Lucien said as he gazed at the head of Lana and her dismembered body. Bang! Bang! us of the Lightborn family and d of the dimir family suddenlynded beside him with a triumphant smile on their faces. They must have dealt with enemies around their region, making them extremely happy. "The enemy forces are retreating... I had the army surround them... none of them are leaving this ce alive!" us said with a confident smile but then he saw the dismembered body of Lana and her head looked like it was forcefully torn off her body, making him shiver in disgust. This is a savage way of taking someone out, it''s no different from how animals treat their prey after a hunt! us and d gazed at Lucien''s back and couldn''t help but shudder in fear! It seems that rumors about him are right he is more beast than human. But what they found more eye-catching was Lucien''s current form. They could feel the aura of the dead emperor lingering around him and his phoenix god beast shift mode looked amazing. At this point, they concluded that the battle between Lucien and Lana was not a fight but a one-sided beat down. Meanwhile, Lucien could feel his injuries heal! The mes of the phoenix god beast have healing qualities even more capable than a lot of healers. Compared to the Azure dragon mode, this form may be weaker but it felt extremelyfortable. [Phoneix God Beast shift] [This mode grants the host enhanced strength and speed with the power to control the undying blue mes of the phoenix god beast... Its healing capabilities are top tier and in this form the host gains the phoenix god beast avatar as an ally in battle!] The system brought up the description without even giving him the chance to ask. Lucien felt like the system has be more advance in so many ways that it even reacts to his thoughts. He sincerely wanted more time to look into the system more but then he felt a powerful aura heading his way. us and d turned pale in fear as they took a step back while gazing at the skies. At that moment, they realized the forces of the Creed were not retreating, instead, they were regrouping! Lucien soon realized that these people didn''te here to win, they were only here to cause a little havoc and time for the main enemy to arrive. The pressure around them was intense and even Lucien found it had to stand straight without trembling! While the emperor was only at the beginner stage of the Champion realm, Lucien could tell that this foe must be at least at the mid-stages of the champion realm! Champion at this level gain what many call an anomaly! Just the same way a spirit realm master gains a martial technique to help guide his or her cultivation towards a certain direction, Champion realm experts at the second stage of the realm can create an anomaly, which is more like creating a separate space of existence where their power what makes up the world. It is more like a domain spell but bigger and deadlier! It is said that within an anomaly, the champion realm experts are the sole gods of their domain! And a battle between two champion realm masters is mainly just two powerful beings trying to pull each other into the anomaly! This is a foe even more terrifying than the weakened death god that killed the emperor! Sensing such a huge presence, Lucien was momentarily stunned. He knew the person approaching is most likely a core member of the creed organization and to the best of his knowledge this person alone should be capable of dealing with the emperor, doesn''t that mean the leader of the creed organization is even stronger than this then why haven''t they conquered the continent? Why continue small scales battles are skirmishes when you have the strength to suppress everyone? He knew that empire defenses are amazing but he doubted if their creed organization decides to put their mind into conquering the empire then it is only a matter of time before it falls! "You too support... I will lead the attack! Have the men retreat! Everyone returns to the empire while the three of us deal with this problem here and now" Lucien said those words decisively as his body levitated off the ground and floated towards the clouds. His hands were ced behind him and his blue azure dragon mask has been summoned on his face, giving him a fearless and intimidating aura. Hearing Lucien''s words and watching him move towards the iing energy signature, us and d gazed at each other with stunned expressions on their faces and even though they have never seen eye to eye on multiple asions, these two were sure of one thing! Lucien is crazy! He dared go on to face an opponent far stronger than the emperor and he even chose to risk his lives to save the army below them. Getting the army to retreat was not an issue but taking on the champion realm master is the main issue. "This reminds me of when we were younger... Little and impulsive" d spoke as he gazed at Lucien''s back with thoughtful eyes. "But that''s what took us to the top!" us said with a bitter smile. "Yea... And as we aged we forgot all that and that may be why we find it hard to make a breakthrough now... We are all used to staying in ourfort zones and none of us even attempts anymore..." d said with all sincerity. "Yep... who would have thought it would take a kid to make us understand these things... I see why the emperor favored him over the others" us responded before they went their different ways, trying to rally their forces with the help of themanders. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Meanwhile standing above the entire army, Lucien focused his gaze on the clouds above where the incredible aura wasing from and even now he refused to deactivate the shift mode of the phoenix beast emperor. He couldn''t let down his guard against an enemy and as funny as it may sound, Lucien was nervous since he was never seen an anomaly in real life so he doesn''t know how to deal with it, but he couldn''t bother with that right now. All he has to do now is focus on the enemy right in front of him and deal with this matter to the best of his ability. Lucien just stood there in silence for over five minutes and watched their forces regain formation and retreat in an orderly fashion while keeping their defensive formation active in case the enemy forces attack. Surprisingly the forces of the Creed organization didn''t chase, instead, they just stood and watched but Lucien couldn''t bother with this as he noticed the pressure closer than ever! He looked up only to see a pale man with a bald head and ck paintings on his body. Unlike the outer disciples of the creed organization, he wore a golden robe with an eye symbol around his chest. Behind him were two hooded figures in white and golden attire indicating that they are inner disciples of the creed. Seeing this, Lucien frowned and wondered if he made the wrong choice. He expected the enemy to be just one man but it seemed that the master brought his disciples along, with each of them possessing an aura far stronger than that of an average n head. "You sure took your time to get here" Lucien said with a cold voice and thanks to his mask his facial expression was hidden from them. To them what they saw was a young silver-haired youth, dressed in all blue attire with a dragon blue mask. His aura was like no other they have experienced before! It did not contain the power of one but the power of many! Chapter 194: To the limit and beyond! Chapter 194: To the limit and beyond! Bang! Lucien''s body surged with power as his eyes kept shing various colors and his shadow expanded, taking the shapes of the various magic beasts within his body. His right eye suddenly turned blue while the left eye turned silver! At that moment, the massive phoenix behind him moved to the right and the Raizen god beast avatar appeared by his left. He could feel his body trembling as his body was engulfed with blue mes and ck bolts of lightning surging around it! Seeing this the two disciples behind the champion realm master were astonished and instinctively took a step back while their master gazed at Lucien with an amused look on his face. "Excellent! This exins why he wants you! I can see it now! You are truly worth the effort!" The man said with so must energy Lucien felt he was getting yed. "Smile all you want shit head! In a moment I will wipe that smile off your face!" Lucien growled as his body exploded and for many, it seemed time had stopped but Lucien was still moving at an incredible speed! Boosting his movement capabilities with both the fire and the lightning element, Lucien was no different from a blue and ck streak of light! HAAAA! BOOM! A powerful explosion urred stunning many but no one was as stunned as Lucien. The strength he dedicated to this attack would make any spirit realm expert fear for his life yet this man stopped his fist with just a finger! "COCKY PIECE OF SHIT!" Lucien roared as his body twisted in ways it shouldn''t as he gathered momentum with his left hand and threw a powerful left punch! BOOM! Lucien''s body could be seen flying back uncontrobly, while the two god beast avatars behind him tried to catch him but they were blown back as well. After crossing what seemed like a hundred meters, they finally stopped but Lucien was in very bad condition. His chest had caved in as he continuously coughed out blood! He staggered asionally, almost falling to the side but even then Lucien had a smile on his face. Brrrrr! Instantly his body was consumed by the phoenix mes and when it vanished he waspletely fine, physically but mentally he felt defeated! He reached for his face and realized his mash has fallen off, making him sigh! He came here hoping to gain fame in war but here he is fighting a champion realm expert, more powerful than the three great emperors of the continent. ''Fuck my luck!'' Lucienined in his mind as he stared down at the enemy. Unknown to him, people were more stunned by the strength he just disyed, especially the disciples of the champion realm master. Whileing here, they both argued that they could deal with Lucien but after he showcased this level of strength, they came to the conclusion that Lucien is far above their level! Only a champion realm expert can subdue this monster! "While the spirit realm is considered the first step out of the mortal realm and into a more enlightened state The champion realm is considered half a step into immortality! We are just a step away from touching the gates of the demigods the difference between the two may only be a realm but in reality, the two are no different from heaven and earth. They are worlds apart! A level someone like you can''tprehend until you step into it" The bald champion realm master spoke again with so much passion, Lucien was finding it irritating. At this point, he sincerely wished none of them had powers and they could just resolve their differences with a normal fist fight. "You are full of shit... You know that right?" Lucien said with a slight frown on his face as he stretched his shoulders. Using his wind walking spell, Lucien began walking towards the enemy with an indifferent look on his face! Totally different from what everyone expected. After taking a hit from this man, many expected Lucien to be terrified of the enemy or at least act cautiously but now he was indifferent. "You know, a few seconds ago, before you opened your big mouth, I kept thinking of ways to take you down and none of them seemed to y out in my favor but after listening to you should so much bullshit at me, I decided that I have to beat the crap out of you... Failure is not an option... Surprisingly, it makes me feel more confident! By the way, the Champion realm is just a name... In the face of true power, it is nothing!" Lucien said thest part and his aura exploded but this time it came out in the form of a gray mist surging uncontrobly! The gray mist surged around him, taking the form of the Chinese Ying and Yang symbol, instantly surpassing his wild aura and making it almost unnoticeable, yet dangerous. The bald champion realm master of the Creed gazed at Lucien with a slight frown on his face. He watched as thick dragon scales appeared on Lucien''s body but his Phoenix and Raizen god beast qualities did not leave! He activated his Azure dragon mode, leaving behind his twin shift modes which were already cing a lot of burden on his body! Since he didn''t have Rakuzen here to talk him out of this, Lucien considered this as a rare privilege to push his body to its limits and beyond! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Boom! Lucien''s aura exploded violently as his body trembled violently! Blood sipped out of the space between his dragon scales and other holes all around his body! The space around him trembled violently while his aura kept surging violently but it seemed to be restrained by the powerful gray mists! Boom! A Series of loud explosions could be heard rocking the space around Lucien making many believe his body is about to copse under the pressure of so many power forms! "Continue this and you will die, kid! The master only wants to speak to you,e quietly and we won''t have to go through all the trouble" The champion realm master said with a slight smile but it was clear he was not as jumpy as before! Chapter 195: Trump card Chapter 195: Trump card Watching the immense power surging through Lucien''s body, everyone instinctively backed away as they waited to see his body overload and crumble under the pressure. His dazzling eyes had blood rolling down them and the pressure around him was enormous! The faceless spirit beast had already taken the form of the Azure blue dragon raging with power just like its master. At this moment Lucien remembered what Rakuzen told him about the faceless! It is a unique spirit beast that feeds off the real emotions of the wielder! As long as Lucien has the strong urge to win, the faceless will do everything in its power to make that possible and at this moment, Lucien''s will to win was at its peak, putting the faceless at its peak right now! BOOM! Lucien''s body vanished entirely, leaving behind the beast avatars gazing at the enemy coldly! ROAR! Letting out a dragon roar, Lucien gripped the hilt of his dragon spear tightly as his body reappeared behind the bald man, releasing a strong whirlpool of blue mes, surging uncontrobly! "Azure dragon spear: Whirlpool;" Lucien growled as he incorporated the blue mes with the phoenix mes, the Raizen god beasts lightning, and his spirit gray mist, causing a powerful chain reaction that created an attack with looked like the whirlpool of so many colors and different terrifying aura surging down madly! "Insignificant!" the Champion realm master growled as he threw his hands upwards and a massive yellow palm appeared above his head! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Countless explosions rocked the battlefield as both sides struggled for over a minute but there was no victor! No matter how much power Lucien poured into the attack he couldn''t shatter the yellow hand, enraging him even more! "You overestimate yourself, Kid!" The bald man said as he sped his hands together and pushed his hand forward! Whoosh! Lucien''s attention was drawn by a bright yellow light and when he looked to the side he saw the hand of a massive beast shooting towards him! "If this is the best one of the pirs of the creed can do, then I am disappointed!" Lucien roared as he turned his attack towards the massive yellow hand and struck forward! Countless sparks and shockwaves rocked the space between them and unlike before the creed master was only blocking! But this time he was attacking! Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhh! Lucien cried out as his body shot back and blood squirted out of so many holes in his body as he was thrown back over a hundred meters! His hands were broken and disfigured beyond recognition and his eyes seemed to have exploded due to the power of the enemy attack but even then he keptughing wildly! Gazing at the fourteen-year-old kid whose hands are twisted beyond recognition and his eyes were no different from empty eye sockets with blood flowing out, yet he keptughing, even though creed champion realm master felt a chilling cold touch his spine. "KILL ME WITH THIS? YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH!" Lucien growled as his body was quickly consumed by the blue phoenix mes! Remembering the healing abilities of the phoenix mes, the creed champion realm master was rmed and forced to move fast! He has expected this battle to be easy and even though he can still kill Lucien with just a little portion of his power he felt some sort of fear for the kid! Someone whose power level keeps rising the tougher the battle begins is not a good sign so the man was more than willing to end the battle before things get out of hand! "I won''t let you!" the man growled as he sped his hands together and a massive spirit beast resembling a gori appeared behind him. "Fall!" the champion realm master growled as he struck down viciously and the gori replicated his moves striking down as well! Whoosh! "Youck patience old man!" Lucien''s cruel voice echoed from the pir of blue mes engulfing him! Xiu! A streak of ck lightning shot out of the mes and charged towards the side.it darted around so fast that even the enemy could barely follow Lucien''s movements! Whoosh! Lucien appeared by the side with both hands sped and to the enemy''s greatest surprise the Faceless in the form of the azure blue dragon replicated his actions, alongside the Raizen god beast and the phoenix god beast. "AZURE DRAGON ROAR!" Lucien bellowed as his neck swelled up with bright blue light seen within it! He took a deep breath and spat out a beam of blue mes! Just like him, all the spirit avatars replicated the same move, releasing numerous beams of various elements attacks! Seeing this the champion realm master of the creed organization frowned as the air around him changed. He sped ced his hands in front of him in a cross shape and the massive gori figure appeared with him within it, taking the full power of the attack! People watched in disbelief as the massive gori was pushed back by the attacks, with its yellow aura body revealing numerous cracks on it. Compared to Derik Angus, this man is more like a weaker Version so Lucien had no issues damaging him in the azure dragon mode! The man still gazed at Lucien in disbelief since he didn''t expect Lucien to be able to use this much power! He knew nothing about the god of death, Derik Angus, or the Azure mode of Lucien. He only knew rough details of the story revolving around the death of Emperor Fei so he was caught off guard! "The death god was barely able to deal with this... For you... I don''t think you can deal with it!" Lucien said as his eyes let out a bright sh and he mimicked the man''s movement and sped his hands together before pushing his left hand down! At first, the man felt unsure of what was happening since he couldn''t feel anything different but the next moment he felt a powerful killing intention directed towards him! He looked up only to realize that the clouds above had taken the shape of a massive Chinese dragon head with red glowing eyes gazing down at him. Chapter 196: Beast anomaly! Chapter 196: Beast anomaly! "Azure dragon style: Dragon w!" Lucien growled as he pushed down and from the dragon head-shaped clouds a massive blue dragon w fell from the heavens and descended upon the yellow aura gori pushing it down almost effortlessly. The champion realm master was too stunned by the power Lucien had just revealed was fat beyond his expectations and given the fact that it was strange this champion realm master was too distracted to even bother blocking properly! Boom! People watched from a distance as the massive blew dragon ws pushed the massive yellow gori all the way to the ground without giving it a chance to struggle. They gazed at Lucien''s figure as if he was some sort of god who has done the impossible! He managed to deal damage to a foe over three realms above him and even hold out against him for a whole. Even if he were to die in this battle, the world will remember him as the youth who made the impossible possible! "The imperial knight is invincible!!!" "INVINCIBLE!!" The retreating army cried out in joy as they saw Lucien gain the upper hand in battle. d and us who had intentionally dyed their time of return to aid Lucien due to fear felt ashamed. While they are too scared to face one of the pirs of the creed organization, someone from the younger generation is doing this for them. How can they return and hold their heads high while gazing into the eyes of the people after all that has transpired here? Wouldn''t it be too shameful if the people are told of Lucien''s bravery while tales of them fleeing spread across thend! Have they be too old to realize that their pride as warriors should be considered the most important thing here? "Once I see an opportunity, I will jump in..." us said. "Don''t bother with that, if we truly want to help, we need to stop those two disciples of that monster from interrupting their battle" d said as he gazed at the bald man''s disciples gazing at Lucien with intense hatred. Meanwhile, Lucien gazed at the massive ten-meter-deep crater below where the champion realm master was knocked into by his final technique. He felt tired but he wasn''t so exhausted like the previous time he used the azure mode to face Derik Angus. He guessed he should be able to maintain this form a few more minutes and that should be enough time for their forces to leave, then he should be able to find his way out. As much as he hated to admit it, Lucien didn''t really expect us and d to help him. In his opinion, staying back here to face off against this man means their chances of dying at his hands are over seventy percent, regardless of their numerical advantage. So it''s their choice to help or not since all he can do now is do his best and hope everything else goes well. Whoosh! A figure shot out of the crater and it was the champion realm expert! His golden robe was a bit dirty and he had blood flowing down his forehead taking away the original graceful look he once had. He looked calm but everyone present could feel his anger and many wondered what will happen between him and Lucien now. "In all my years as a spirit cultivator, only the master has put me in such a condition... You should be proud" The man said as his eyes let out a bright yellow light and just like Lucien different Aura couldn''t be felt emanating from the man! Ding! [Warning] [The enemy is a spirit cultivator blessed with a unique spirit beast called the Akame! This is a spirit beast with the ability to consume other spirit beasts and gain their strength... This spirit beast can take the form of all spirit beasts consumed and it can also grant other people the power of these spirit beasts stored within it] Seeing thest part, Lucien frowned. He remembered the two creed outer disciples he just fought, both of them have the ability of a spirit beast! The first one was a serpent while the second one is still unknown because he didn''t pay much attention to Lana, neither did he give her the chance to show everything. At this point, Lucien deduced that the creed is more organized than many think. With the presence of core members in the form of the organization''s pirs, each pir has inner disciples and even outer disciples with thousands of normal cultivators at profound realms! He guessed that this man is just one of the pirs and those he has been meeting are his outer disciples meanwhile his inner disciples are just observing by the side. He wanted to dwell on this thought for a bit longer but he wasn''t given the opportunity to do so. Lucien watched as the man moved his hands in a circr motion, creating what seems to be like a circr gate leading to another world. Seeing the Lucien instantly knew this man has released his anomaly! He watched as the gate to the anomaly waspleted and within the strong gate were numerous spirit beasts of various kinds and this is all he could see just by peeping through the entrance! He watched as the space around the gate was getting distorted by its existence and after a while, the gate vanished but Lucien knew it was still there. In a battle between champion realm masters, the anomaly is activated and then hidden from the enemy by making it go invisible! It can be moved during the battle and the main goal of the fight is to Trick the others into falling into their anomaly and that''s why many experts avoid moving duringbat! Lucien quickly activated his spirit sense in hopes of seeing the invisible anomaly leaving him stunned. Even the spirit sense he had so much faith in couldn''t pick up the location of the anomaly making him feel extremely ufortable! Chapter 197: Resolve to win! [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 197: Resolve to win! [Bonus Chapter] Lucien gazed at the enemy and knew things were about to get serious. Spirit beast cultivators at the spirit realm do not gain any martial techniques, instead, they gain a few skills with their spirit beasts making things a bit easier since he wasn''t expecting strange or mystical technique but even then he didn''t look down on the enemy in front of him! Lucien was no fool, neither did he truly believe that hested this long just because he was strong enough. The fact remains that the creed wants him alive and that is why this man is yet to crush him entirely. But Lucien has never been the gracious type to let an opportunity like this slide especially in a critical moment like this! "Get back! Take everyone and leave I will keep there for as long as possible Don''t worry I will be joining you guys soon" Lucien screamed the moment he felt us and d''s aura shooting towards his position. They were finallying to aid him but he knew that, apart from him, this champion realm master will not hesitate to one-shot any of these people and kill them brutally, so he decided to take this opportunity and make sure everyone escaped safely! "What?" us muttered as he stopped in his tracks with d and gazed at Lucien''s back with a frown on his face. As one of the leading family heads of the Fotia empire, us has never fled from an opponent, neither has he ever watched a young teenager fight his battles! But right now he knew he could notpare to Lucien in his Azure mode so getting involved will most likely hinder him. Apart from the Wuxing n head, Lucien can be considered the strongest person in the empire right now! Getting involved in a battle like this is no different from asking for death while slowing Lucien down! "We need a symbol Someone who will make the enemy think twice before making a move on us" d said as he remembered the days of the emperor. Attacking members of the Fotia empire was akin to incurring the wrath of the great phoenix emperor so no one dared act recklessly around them. Even the Creed organization has never boldly attacked them like this when emperor Fei was still alive but now things are different. Anyone and everyone feels they can do as they please against them and get away with it! "We need a symbol? You and the other dumb old shits killed him! I hope you are satisfied with the oue of your stupid actions" us said with a tone filled with venom before flying towards the retreating army. Thousands died today in a battle between them and the Creed and all of this would have been avoided if only the emperor was still alive. He would have loved to kill d but the empire was already weakened, losing another spirit realm master will only make things worse.d could only listen to his harsh words in silence and retreat as well, while asionally stealing nces at Lucien! "They are leaving? I never remembered giving them the permission to leave!" The champion realm master roared as his body let out a bright yellow light. sping his hands he pped down viciously and above the retreating army, a massive yellow palm appeared above, descending like the judgment of a divine being! "I don''t remember giving you the permission toy your filthy hands on my subordinates!" Lucien growled as his body let out a bright blue glow. He sped his hands together and threw his palm attack up! ROAR! The fleeing army saw the massive yellow palm descending from the sky, making them panic but then a loud dragon roar erupted from nowhere and a massive dragon hand appeared just above them, swinging upward and colliding with the golden palm! BOOM! A powerful shockwave urred and the champion realm master was enraged! How dare a warrior realm teenager act cocky around him! His disciples noticed his foul mood and charged forward but their advance was soon blocked by the avatars of the Raizen god beast and the Phoenix god beast! The power these two god-beast avatars released was in no way lower than that of Lucien! "Kill them all!" The champion realm master lost his cool and screamed at the top of his voice and the thousand man Creed army broke formation and chased after the Fotia empire army with the outer disciples leading the charge. "YOU DARE!" Lucien''s eyes turned ck as countless tattoos appeared all over his body and shot out rapidly! In an instant, a thousand-man army of demonic beasts appeared with the beast assimtions like the Hell hound, the king tier magic beast, Lanka! the king tier magic beast Argo, Abok! Seeing an army appear to intercept the enemy forces, us and d breathed out a sigh of relief as they retreated at their max speed. They chose not to look back anymore since they hated the fact that they can''t do anything for Lucien right now! "No matter what,e back alive kid! The empire needs you!" us screamed at the top of his voice just before they flew out of Lucien''s view. Hearing this Lucien couldn''t help but smile as the nervousness he felt earlier hadpletely vanished the moment he heard those words. Images of all those waiting for him back at the empire shed across his eyes and finally, the image of the emperor appeared at the back of his head! HMMM! BOOM! Lucien''s aura exploded violently as his red markings surged around his body and that of all his assimted beasts, causing their aura to rise as well! [Demonic Berserk mode activated] At this point, Lucien realized that he was yet to look into all the abilities he acquired since his death till now. He swore to look into all of this the moment this battle is over after he returns to the empire! "RETURN TO THE FOTIA EMPIRE, TELL THEM I WON!" Lucien roared at the top of his voice and all those that heard him held their breath as they all screamed! "UNDERSTOOD!" us, d, and the others roared at the top of their voice in response! Chapter 198: A one sides beat down! Chapter 198: A one sides beat down! Lucien''s final words left many emotional but it was enough to move the hearts of his army. Both his army and that of the other n heads were affected by his words, leaving the entire army in a pumped condition! They were all eager to return to the empire and await Lucien''s return. "To think that kid would have this much effect on so many people... Even I can''t deny it anymore, the empire needs an emperor and I can only say that Lucien is the best candidate" us said calmly. "I agree that the empire needs a symbol of strength... An emperor to unify our forces and that''s why the coup happened.. the emperor had be so dormant it was difficult to tell if he still had ambitions... The emperor Fei we killed is not the same man we swore to serve... He was no different from a sharp sword that turned blunt, making him unable to use" d finally opened up on what he felt. Listening to him, us may hate this man but he couldn''t doubt the man''s integrity! d has always been the silent, yet calctive type that observed for a while before acting. He never did things impulsively, neither did he do this without considering so many options. So when forced to have a conversation with this man, us always took it seriously! "The blunt de can always be sharpened... There was no need to break it and discard it!" us responded with a frown. "Not when you see a sharper de! You see, when I asked to be Lucien''s subordinate, just hours before the coup I wasn''t joking neither did I carry any ill intentions... I joined in this coup to usher in a new power... one with so much fire burning within him, this continent will not be enough to satisfy his hunger! when this is all over... If Lucien survives, he has my support... I will make him emperor" d said with the usual dull face. Hearing this from d''s mouth, us sighed. He never knew what this man was thinking but he also knew that d has never been the type to lie. So he could only believe his words and work towards helping Lucien take the throne. -------------------- Lucien could feel an unknown power surging through his body. He felt his rage getting fueled by an unknown force, clouding his vision and his thinking making Lucien worried. While this is a good thing for his undying army of beast assimtions, it can be considered a bad thing for him in a one versus one deathmatch. Unable to think clearly when facing a more powerful foe like this man can lead to his untimely death but Lucien knew the power boost is necessary for him to win. "Kasir!" Lucien said as his gray aura shot out of his body before taking the form of the eight-legged king-tier spider. PST! Countless webs shot around the battlefield and unlike what anyone would expect, this massive of web is purely made out of its aura, making it difficult to tear. Lucien stood in the web threads and slowly began approaching the enemy. The entrance to the anomaly may be invisible but it didn''t mean it isn''t there. Surrounding the entire battlefield with these spider webs, Lucien was assured of one thing! Once the anomaly entrance gets close enough, he will be alerted. Seeing the confident look on Lucien''s face the champion realm expert was enraged. His main goal was to bring Lucien back alive, yet this kid dare look down on his time and time again! All because he decided to hold back and let things y out the normal way! "You overestimate yourself! Kid!" The man roared as he sped his hands and suddenly the gate leading to the anomaly appeared behind Lucien! "Do you think you wouldst a second if I want you dead? You dare y the hero in my presence? Cocky piece of shit!" The bald champion realm master growled as he struck forward and a powerful force knocked Lucien into the anomaly not even giving him the Chance to struggle! Bang! Lucien found himself in a deserted world filled with only sand but unlike an actual desert, the ground split at so many points, leading Lucien to believe that this ce has suffered from repeated fissure assaults! He felt like his link to his beast assimtions had been severed, leaving him with only his Azure mode active. "To think you can maintain that form in this world... You are truly special but this is where it ends!" The clouds gathered and took the shape of the bald man''s face. Saying this from the split parts of the ground a massive yellow spirit beast serpent shot out and lunged towards Lucien! "Not enough!" Lucien growled as he summoned the azure dragon spear into his hand and struck forward, creating a massive whirlpool of blue mes! His attack created powerful shockwaves as if formed some sort of firewall preventing the enemy from reaching him! But that was not all! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Lucien could feel the ground tremble and when he turned around to see, he realized these were a pack of rhino-like spirit beasts charging towards him. Without the power of the mighty phoenix, Lucien had no way of defending himself so he knew he couldn''t act recklessly! Huff! Lucien left the spear to hold the snake back while he focused on the rhino''s heading he was. His eyes released a powerful blue light as his neck expanded and his body slid back a bit. Azure dragon ROAR!!!! Lucien let out an inhuman roar, releasing a powerful beam of blue mes, smashing into the charging rhinos! Booom!!! Even with the attack, the rhinos kept charging forward while Lucien continued spitting out the beam of blue dragon mes! He could feel his body getting pushed back by thebined strengths of the rhino''s causing him to frown. While he simultaneously struggled with the two foes he noticed more gigantic spirit beasts he had never seen before popping up from nowhere! Chapter 199: True motive of the creed! Chapter 199: True motive of the creed! Pfft! Lucien spat out a mouthful of blood as the rhinos rammed into him but thanks to the dragon scales he could endure the reduced damage but this left his body aching. Bang! Lucien''s body struck the ground hard and his eyes felt unusually heavy but he couldn''t afford to go to sleep right now! In a world where the enemy is the sole god here, Lucien couldn''t afford to bezy. He has heard of Anomalies of various types but he has never heard of someone sessfully escaping it but that wasn''t enough to kill his fighting spirit. Many failed to escape and even he is destined to die here, it doesn''t mean he would just sit there and wait for death! Boom! Lucien barely jumped out of the way when the massive gori descended on his previous location. His body shivered slightly as he saw the serpent shooting towards him with what looked like a centipede burrowing through the ground as it charged towards him! Countless birds were hovering over them, leaving Lucien in a dilemma. The ground was not safe and the air was even worse. ording to the little he knew about an anomaly, Lucien knew that an anomaly is a domain that is linked to the creator! As long as he can reach the edges of the anomaly and attack it, the bald champion realm master will take damage but then there is only one problem! He was surrounded by hordes of spirit beasts of different forms and shapes! Leaving this ce is almost impossible, not to talk of reaching the edges. As a fighter and one who never quits at that Lucien sighed and decided to pour all his strength into this final move. This is the ultimate technique of his Azure mode and he knew this act will leave him in a paralyzed state for a while, leaving him vulnerable! Boom! With no other choice Lucien let out a loud cry as his aura exploded violently but that didn''t stop the beasts from charging towards him. Seeing this Lucien knew he had only one shot at this so he couldn''t mess up even if he desperately wanted to. Roar! A terrifying growl could be heard as his aura surged upwards alongside the dragon Scales on his body! Above his head, they took the shape of a massive blue Chinese serpent dragon! Compared to it all the other spirit beasts looked like midgets and even Lucien looked like a rat beside its feet! "Soar!" Lucien roared as he disregarded his safety and watched the dragon shoot towards the sky. His eyes let out a bright blue sh as his muscles tightened and his body leaned forward before he struck forward. "Azure dragon style: Roar of the Azure Dragon!" Lucien growled as he watched the massive beast let out a loud scream before releasing a massive beam of blue mes towards the sky! Upon releasing the attack, the dragon slowly faded away just as Lucien''s vision was fading. Everything was blurry and his legs were too weak to carry him. His body fell to the ground but not before he heard the painful cry of the enemy and regardless of the oue now he was satisfied. "I protected them just like I said I will... Emperor" Lucien muttered as his vision faded and he fell to the ground like a rag doll. ____________________________________________________________ Lucien felt true peace for the first time in a while. It waspletely dark and silent and any normal person would assume he or she is dead but as someone who has experienced death before, Lucien was sure death can''t be this peaceful, especially someone like him who harbors the Rakuzen sign on his body. He waved his hands around his face and even though he could see it everything around him was pitch ck. Lucien was no fool to believe this was some sort of dream since he was well aware of what it felt like to be unconscious and sing Rakuzen has not yet tried tomunicate with him so he concluded that someone else was messing with his mind! "Show yourself!" Lucien said coldly and almost immediately he got a response. "Your perception is quite high... Only one out of a million will notice the irregrities here and defend against them properly... Weldone kid" A voice echoed from the distance and soon a person came into view. The person wore a pure white robe covering all parts of his body. He had snow-white hair and perfectly pale skin. His body gave off a strange chilling aura and his eyes werepletely ck. Seeing this, Lucien realized that this person must have altered his Physical appearance but Lucien didn''t ask why, he simply raised an eyebrow and the man chuckled lightly before he exined why. "None may look at god directly... Have you forgotten those lines?" The man asked as well but Lucien wasn''t buying it. As far as he is concerned all the gods were trapped somewhere by Derik Angus and even they broke free they should be too bothered with their recovery before even considering dealing with mortals. That''s if they can do that with the limitation of the god vein ced on them. "You are no god..." Lucien said indifferently. "Not yet... I am only a realm below the god realm" The manughed lightly but Lucien''s eyes widened as his body trembled terribly. The realm below the god realm is the demigod realm and the only person who is said to be a demigod in this continent is the leader of the creed organization. Considering all of this, Lucien''s gaze turned cold as he crouched while leaning forward slightly. He tried to summon the Azure dragon spear but nothing was responding to hismands. "Chill, I mean no violence, neither did Ie here to harm you" The man waved timidly as he spoke but Lucien wasn''t buying this harmless image this man was trying to build. "Even if you came to harm me I have no way to defend against someone of your caliber... I will only die a sad death" Lucien sighed as he decided to rx and let things y out. "If I may ask, why are you after me? Why do you terrorize the continent? What do you aim to gain out of this?" Lucien poured out the first three questions that hit his mind. Hearing this the manughed and snapped his fingers, summoning what seemed two thrones and he sat on one while signaling Lucien to sit on the other. "I have no ill intentions directed towards the continent... in fact, all I want is peace... As for why I want you, I believe you have a great destiny attached to this continent... We are unique Lucien... We are the only ones who can protect this continent from what ising for us... I need everyone working with me" The man said calmly. "Working for you!" Lucien corrected the man coldly as he sat on the throne and crossed his legs. "You still didn''t answer my questions... Why?" Lucien asked once again but this time the man remained silent and didn''t smile orugh. He waved his hands and created something like a silver cloud. There he saw countless images of things he has not seen before. In these images were extremely shot humans with war machines he has never seen before. Then there were extremely handsome people with long de-like ears. Another race was that of green monsters with inhumane body sizes, muscles, and more monstrous looks than humans. Amongst these people, he saw dragon-like beings but with human shapes. These people were from different races but Lucien has never seen them before. For a while, he was momentarily stunned and unable to speak as his brain tried to process the information he just acquired. How can these races exist without him knowing about them, but they do not live in this part of the world, does that mean that there is another continent? "What the hell is this?" Lucien muttered in shock and only then did the man smile. " The future enemy... the invading force that will wipe out the entire continent... This is why you all need me... This is why the continent needs the creed..." The man said calmly but even then Lucien was not convinced. He failed to believe that these people had any reason to attack their continent. If they have existed for so long, why did they wait till now to attack the continent? The two have never made contact with each other so why do they wish to attack their home? There were countless questions and Lucien didn''t have the answer. The only one who had answers to all his questions right now is the man sitting in front of him. He could tell this man could easily manipte the information to suit him well but Lucien didn''t know why he felt like this man wasn''t lying either. For the first time in a long while, he felt confused! Chapter 200: Victory in defeat Chapter 200: Victory in defeat Lucien kept gazing at the Leader of the creed organization with a slight frown on his face. As much as he would love to leave here and forget everything he has seen today, he knew he couldn''t unless the man said so. "How do you know what''s all of this... how can I be sure that this is not all a ruse?" Lucien asked with a frown on his face. "The arrival of the death god to this world left the gods or our continent defeated and many injured... If you believe that in this world only one set of gods exist then you are wrong... This world is so vast even a realm protector like the one that killed your emperor could not see everything! With the gods of our side weakened and our backing gone... It''s only natural for them to take over while their gods deal with ours... This time, our gods will not leave unscathed if they don''t recover their strength on time" The creed leader said with a sigh, causing Lucien to frown. There are too many things this man just said that he is unable to understand. The gods cannot directly interfere with the realm of mortals due to the god vein but that does not stop them from trying by using the god''s descent. Lucien didn''t know much but the fact that these gods are yet to attack the weakened gods of their continent means that the god vein also has measures set up to prevent them from doing so. The only loophole now is the mortals now. If the believers of the Raizen god beasts are to be wiped out, doesn''t that mean the god''s source of faith power is cut off, making a full recovery impossible? "I knew you were sharp... Your thoughts are on point" The creed leadermented making Lucien shiver in fear! This man can read his mind? What the hell is this man or is this rted to his pathway? At this point, Lucien decided to be more careful with his thoughts around this man but the man just chuckled at his thoughts and stopped paying attention to them. "Gods need a constant intake of faith power to maintain their existence or at least grow in strength... Once a person reaches the demigod realm and above, mana is of no use to them anymore. They can only feed off the faith of those who believe in him and that''s their only source of strength and probably existence. That''s why gods cause minor events that force the weak to bend their knees and pray to them... the greatest fear of a god is to be forgotten" The man exined, leaving Lucien a bit stunned as the full picture crossed finally popped up before his eyes. If these people can invade and use the god''s descent to enter the realm of mortals and subdue all the forces of the continent, forcing them to pray to them, doesn''t that mean that it''s only a matter of time before their gods vanish? "Why should I care about what happens to the gods? We owe them nothing" Lucien argued and the man agreed. Their gods are not actually role models neither have they done anything impactful to positively affect the lives of those under them so it''s only natural that Lucien hates them and does not wish to get involved with them but then this has more to it. "Gods do not care about mortals and toy with them whenever necessary... I refuse to be one of their ythings, neither will I let my fate be decided by a being who I know nothing about... For this, to work I need a unified continent and as much power of faith as possible... If I can reach the god realm there is a chance" The man said with a grave look on his face but Lucien wasn''t impressed! He knew that this man was their best shot at surviving but not their only choice. Seeing how deranged and fanatic members of the Creed are, Lucien was sure if this man got what he wanted the continent will be thrown into chaos by the same man iming he wishes to save it. "I refuse! The continent belongs to us and us alone... if you wish to fight and make it yours be my guest but don''t expect us to just hand it over without a fight..." Lucien said coldly and then shut his mouth before continuing. "Thank you for telling me what is toe and it''s okay... I don''t intend to lie on the ground and wait for death... I will make sure my people are ready" Lucien said, expecting this man to get annoyed but the man still wore the same gentle smile on his face. He tapped the silver cloud once again and more images appeared. It was images of the people falling on their knees and praying to him. The invasion had started and when the empires got destroyed the only ones these people could rely on are the only ones capable of fighting against the enemy and only the Creed can do that. When that happened they had no choice but to sit and pray to the demigod amongst them, granting him all the power of faith needed. But what Lucien couldn''t understand was that the images were blurry and the scene kept trying to change. Gazing at this Lucien realized two things. The Creed leader is from the seer pathway and that exins why he can see into the future and tell about the events about to happen! The next thing he understood was that this future this man just showed was not certain since the images kept shifting like they shouldn''t be there "There is no absolute in this life... No future is certain! You should know this too as a seer" Lucien finally spoke up making the man frown for the first time since they met. There are uncertainties and the only reason he couldn''t see himself in that future this man showed is simply because the man couldn''t see his future! That exins why he wants Lucien on his side since he cannot tell his future. "You cannot reach me... That''s why you want me on your side... something is wrong with you and that''s why you can only speak to me in this manner... You could havee out in the open and have the entire world see your awesomeness, subdue them with strength but you couldn''t because you just can''t... Are you hurt? Are you sealed? Do you need our faith to strengthen yourself enough to break free? I get it now... You cannot see my future and sing I have be such an influential figure you want me on your side... That way you can draw more people to your side? Or do you simply want the power of the celestial being lying dormant within me? The answer to this question is simple! You will never get it! NOW, LEAVE MY MIND!" Lucien growled as a pair of reptilian blue eyes yanked open behind him and the creed leader turned pale in fear and the dark world crumbled violently. ___________________________________________________________ Wam! Lucien yanked his eyes open to see a crumbling anomaly and numerous deceased spirit beasts lying on the floor lifeless. Gazing at what should have been his final moment Lucien was stunned and when he got on his feet he noticed the only standing figure staggering weakly! It was the bald head champion realm master covered in blood. His mana circuits have been damaged badly and his robes were covered in blood. He was bleeding from all openings on his face and looked more haggard than usual. Lucien knew his final attack is not enough to deal this much damage, making him wonder what happened. "I went out of line and the lord punished me! Hahahahaha! He is so just and righteous!" The bald manughed hysterically and only then did Lucien realize what happened. This man was sent to capture him and not kill him! Before he could deal thest blow, the creed leader must have stopped him by using the same technique gods use on mortals who have a strong link with them God''s descent! Since the creed leader is only a demigod and this technique is yet to be perfected he left this pir in a very bad condition. The creed leader must have been banking on his conversation skills. He may have expected to be able to pull Lucien over to his side so he wasn''t prepared for what will happen if he fails. "The death of a pir at my hands will make me even more famous but the truth remains that I lost... I don''t even feel like doing this now" Lucien muttered. He finally had the chance to put an end to this man and im victory for himself but all that meant nothing. He felt like he lost and should be dead. This victory is more like a stain on his pride than an achievement. Who would have thought a day woulde when he would need to use underhanded methods to win! Chapter 201: A Leap to the mortal realm Chapter 201: A Leap to the mortal realm Lucien kept gazing at the defeated champion realm master and felt confused about what to do next. He hated the fact that he desperately needed to kill this man right now even though he didn''t earn the win. Not killing this man meant that he will be given the chance to recover and that will lead to Lucien dying in this anomaly. [There is nothing you can do about it... You have to live! Many people need you alive... This time you have to be selfish!] Rakuzen''s voice echoed in his head making him frown. [Also don''t go about waking me up like that... I haven''t even recovered much and you already need my help... Don''t you think it is strange that you always get involved in dangerous things people your age shouldn''t know of?] Rakuzen added with a slightly frustrated voice. "I apologize old man Raku... I realized the creed leader had invaded my consciousness through the enemy and because of his overwhelming power I could not summon the strength of my mind... I needed a greater force to drive it away and you are the only option" Lucien gave a dryugh while rubbing his forehead. He was experiencing a serious headache, enough to make his body tremble badly and at this moment, he realized that his body was too weak meanwhile the enemy was trying to use the power of his anomaly to regain his lost strength but his injuries are too bad for him to recover in a short time. But Lucien knew if he kept hesitation the enemy will surely recover and his death will be imminent! [Make a choice... Fast!] Rakuzen said with a frown and Lucien frowned. His strong sense of decency and pride is the only thing preventing him from killing this man off immediately. But since his life is on the line as well he had no other reason to hesitate! Lucien raised his hands and watched it slowly transform to the ws of a dragon. He raised his hand high and was about to bring it down but then he noticed something. Lucien realized the strong feelinging from within! This was the first time he could feel the strange power within him extremely restless! Ding! [Beast assimtion possible! Does the host wish to activate the Beast assimtion at a time like this?] [Y/N] Seeing this Lucien frowned. He has never heard of the beast assimtion working on spirit beasts but then spirit beasts should not even exist after death but this is possible because this anomaly is the final resting ce of these spirit beasts. What the heck? Spirit beasts should not even be killed! They can''t be killed normally! Once defeated, they returned to the body of the summoner and recover by relying on his strength. This meant that whatever are the side effects of the god''s descent used on this man, it simply meant that the creed leader is more ruthless than it seems. [This man may survive now and gather enough power to finish you off but the injuries run too deep... He will die in a year or two!] Rakuzen said in a calm tone. Hearing this Lucien nodded in agreement and clicked the Y button. Xiu! A powerful suction force began to pull but contrary to Lucien''s expectations it wasn''t just the spirit beast but the entire realm was getting consumed by him! "What the hell!" Lucien cried out as he spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back. Yellow symbols began glowing all over his body, making him shiver badly but only for a short while! Lucien felt the world around him crumbling even when it is desperately trying to enter his body! [This Lunatic is trying to copse his anomaly with you within it! Kill HIM NOW!] Rakuzen growled! "Damn you!" Lucien growled as he charged forward! The champion realm master sprang on his feet but he seemed too weak to defend himself properly; Bang! Lucien dug a hole through his chest with his hand bulging out of the other side of the body with his beating heart in his hand! "He hehe hehe! You have crossed the Creed! My death will not be in vain! No one will remember you after the master kills you... You will be forgotten in history!" The bald man kept coughing out blood whileughing, causing some to fall on Lucien''s face. His eyes were like that of a mad dog, gazing down on Lucien like a superior being but Lucien didn''t feel intimidated, neither did he avoid the gaze of the enemy. His grip on the beating heart of the enemy tightened as Lucien took a few more steps forward until he was gazing down on the enemy eye to eye. "I am the one alive and you will be dead soon... Don''t worry, I will send your mastering your way soon... You won''t have to be lonely...Also, say hi to Dakar to me when you see him!" Lucien said as he crushed the beating heart of the enemy, The crumbling world finally stabilized as it slowly surged into Lucien''s body. he felt his body shiver as his magic circuits expanded ridiculously, threatening to burst! BOOM! _______________________________________________________ While the retreating army of the Fotia empire ran with heavy hearts theymented deep down. How could dare let a fourteen-year-old sacrifice his life for them, the elders! They hated the fact that they weren''t the ones who stayed behind and let Lucien run for his life! They didn''t mind if all two hundred thousand of them died while trying to protect this one kid who seemed to have shocked the entire continent time and time again! Brrrrr! At first, they could feel Lucien''s aura shing with that of the champion realm expert violently but then the enemy''s aura suddenly began to rise at an rming rate, terrifying them! They felt Lucien''s aura struggling against the towering aura and slowly it vanished without a trace! He is dead? The hearts of many skipped a beat since everything happened too fast for them to process! How did Lucien lose so fast? How did he die so fast? Soon these people realized that Lucien expended all his forces on putting the army of the enemy at bay just to give them a chance to escape! The thought of returning and having the world hear tales of how they ran, leaving a fourteen year old to die in battle filled their hearts and us was the first to react! "Fuck it!" us growled as he turned around and began charging towards the direction of the enemy! Seeing this many began turning back and charging towards the enemy with murderous intentions in their eyes, including d! Even if they died they would take the champion realm bastard with them! Whoosh! In just a few minutes when they got closer these people noticed the massive yellow sphere above and soon realized what was going on! Lucien wasn''t killed, he was forcefully dragged into the enemies anomaly and to these people, this is no different from death! "Wipe out his forces! When he leaves the anomaly he will have only use to sea with!" d growled and charged forward with us! In his opinion, Lucien had created the perfect opportunity for them! With the champion realm master away, they can overwhelm the small army of the Creed with their numbers advantage, and when it is all over they will be able to focus their entire force on whoeveres out of the anomaly! Lucien''s death will not be in vain! The battle began and with only two inner disciples and a few outer disciples, the enemy forces were quickly overwhelmed. With d and us dealing with the inner disciples of the creed, the other thousand man generals like Hayato Xio, Instructor Emma, Instructor Han, and the other instructors quickly defeated the outer disciples, and soon only the small one thousand man army of the creed were left! To their surprise, these people showed no fear from the beginning till the end. They remained in formation and held their ground against the two hundred thousand man army and to everyone''s army, the battlested for a few minutes before they were finally wiped out! At this point, the massive yellow sphere began trembling, catching the attention of the remnants of the creed forces and the Fotia empire forces. Everyone watched with anticipation even though they knew that expected oue! Boom! Following a loud explosion, the massive circr sphere above the battlefield shattered and what the people saw was something no one expected! It was the creed champion realm expert, gripping Lucien''s hand which held his crushed heart, sticking out of his back! "Impossible!" That was all the inner disciples muttered in shock, forgetting about their enemies, us and d. Luckily for them, us and d were too shocked to take advantage of the situation! Seeing Lucienpletely exhausted and covered in blood, they could only scream one word! "INVINCIBLE!" Chapter 202: Returning a hero! Chapter 202: Returning a hero! The cheers of the Fotia empire army shook the skies causing many to scream with joy until it felt like the space around them was crumbling. Lucien weakly gazed at those below cheering him on and he felt annoyed. He wished he could do more than this, he wished he was actually strong enough to face this enemy and win in a free and fair battle. In the minds of all those below, Lucien has given them another surprise. It is said that no one steps into an anomaly and lives to tell the story but Lucien has done it! He has proven all those old monsters wrong and once again, brought glory to the Fotia empire. us and d knew the significance of what just happened and they were extremely pleased. All this while they spoke about needing a symbol! Someone whose name will strike fear into the hearts of their enemies and make them reluctant to fight them. Just right now Lucien took that role! Who would want to mess with someone who defeated a champion realm master with just the warrior realm cultivation level. Who would want to mess with the man that mananged to oppress the enemy even within his anomaly and win? Who would want to go against the only man who has stepped into an enemies anomaly and has stepped out of it alive even though everyone said it was impossible. These people didn''t know how Lucien did it and honestly they didnt want to know. What made Lucien intimidating was not his power but his mysterious nature. He has an unknown spirit like being within him, who is said to be his mentor and his original strength far surpassed that of gods and thats why Luciens current strength and weaknesses cannot be told. Since know one undertands his martial technique or his cultivation methods. They watched Lucien pull his hand out of the dead man''s chest and watched his drop to the ground,nding head first. Meanwhile Lucien shivered and staggered in mid air, threatening to fall. The inner disciples of the champion realm expert quickly charged towards their dead leaders body Like mad dogs But us and d finally took advantage of the situation and struck them down. Ding [Beast anomaly consumed] Ding! [Hosts level is too low to use the anomaly] Ding! [Due to the forceful cultivation upgrade from the warrior realm to the mortal realm, host has sustained grave damages to his mana circuits and needs some time to recover... For that reason, the system will have to put the host is a sleeping state for a week, to allow the healing process take effect] Seeing this Lucien smiled and took two steps back. He needed the rest so he didnt even mind sleeping for two weeks, what he was worried about was how much the empire can change after he is gone for a week. "I''m leaving the rest to you guys" Lucien shot us and d a nce before saying those words. His body jerked back and people watched him fall uncontrobly, luckily he was caught by Hayato Xio of the phoenix god beast n. The man quickly checked Lucien''s pulse and only heaved a sigh of relief when he confirmed that Lucien is still alive but even then he knew Lucien''s situation was dire. "I don''t know how you did it kid but good work kid... The emperor would have loved to see this happen" Xio said but the weak Lucien could only shoot him a sweet smile before passing out. ------------------------------- The news of the Creed''s attack on the forces of the three empires had spread across the continent and suprisingly they won agianst the Drakon empire forces, tailing the Libet forces and they also won against the Libet forces preparing to engage the fotia empire forces, killing many important figures of that empire but when they reached the Fotia empire, the creed forces lost. Every single one of them were murdered in cold blood and the Fotia empire forces sustained the least casualties than the other ta empires leading many to ask how it happened. The most shocking news was that of one or the four pirs of the Creed dying at the hand of a warrior realm underdog, Lucien Rakuzen in battle, even after using his anomally. The thought of someone losing within their anomaly has never been entertained before sing it never happened, so when people first heard of this they were stunned. What was more shocking was the fact that Lucien Rakuzen was hospitalized after the fight, and the entire Fotia empire brought together their best healers to help aid the recovery of this fourteen year old. Many expected the second faction within the empire that instigated the coup to take advantage of the opportunity and eliminate Lucien permanently, instead the empire joined hands and put all effort into healing Lucien''s grave injuries. The images of Lucien gripping the heart of champion realm expert with a will grin on his face had spread across the continent and he was even more famous than ever. Many considered him a hero and for that reason, the two empire made no attempts to attack the empire since then. Whether it was because of their respect for Lucien or their fear for the Creed empire, no one had any means of knowing the truth. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Within his mind, Lucien sat in a cross-legged position, meditating. Even though his meant to be unconscious, Lucien was remain conscious within his mind and train. He could feel the changes in his consciousness after he gained the anomaly but of what use is something he cannot use. Lucien kept gazing at the gates of the anomaly with the endless army of spirit beasts within, wondering how to make use of this with his lower level. He knew after rejecting the creed leaders advances, things would be a lot difficult from hence forth. Before the enemy wasn''t trying to kill him and he found it extremely difficult but now, things will be even worse Chapter 203: Me? Emperor? Chapter 203: Me? Emperor? Exactly after a week, Lucien''s eyes yanked open as he felt his body has turned sour. Since he hasn''t been moving for a while he felt stiff and his joints hurt bad. "This is annoying" Lucien muttered as he looked around but couldn''t recognize the room he was in. Ever since he reached the human realm Lucien realized he could see even more clearly, he could hear farther and he was more focused than ever. Since he was too was physically strained, Lucien couldn''t tell if he was getting stronger, all he knew was that the mortal realm had increased his physical capabilities to its utmost limit and beyond. " This realm... the difference is far too great than the rest!" Lucien muttered as he circted mana all over his body in a bid to hasten his recovery. [The mortal realm pushes your abilities to the limits of mortals... You be the best version of yourself as a human or a beast-man who is yet to ascend into the realm of the immortals] Rakuzen repliedzily. Hearing this Lucien frowned as he tried to move his limbs and was relieved when he realized they were responding. "Doesn''t that mean one''s attainment in the mortal realm differs? Like a fighter gains more physics capabilities meanwhile a mage acquires greater link to his or her element...* Lucien said with a hint of astonishment in his eyes. This means that his attainment will be based on both physical and magical attributes! Only a few people can boast ofbining both sides effectively. Thinking about this Lucien was pleased with his achievement. [Hybrids... That''s what we called monsters like you back in my days] Rakuzenughed weakly. Even without being told, Lucien knew that Rakuzen was exhausted. It hasn''t been able to recover its energy before getting forcefully awakened. Thinking about this Lucien could only sigh and sit up properly. His eyescked the usual excitement since he was in an unknown location. He could feel protective magic arrays at the entrance, meaning he would have to wait for those who locked him up here to let him out. Lucien couldn''t tell if the main reason for all of this was meant to protect him from outsiders or if it meant to stop him from leaving. Lucien knew he was taken in by allies but he couldn''t be sure of what happened afterward since there is no one to exin the situation to him. [What do you n to do?] Rakuzen asked. "I don''t know what you think but I don''t n on waiting for whoever ced me here toe to get me out," Lucien said before taking two bold steps forward. He would have loved to use magic but he still felt quite weak so he decided to depend on his beast assimtions. Xiu! Lucien''s eyes let out a bright blue light as his body leaned forward and bright blue phoenix mes surged around his body, preparing to erupt but just before he could charge forward he heard the door unlocking! Wam! The massive iron door yanked open and Instructor Han walked in. Entering the room he saw the supposed unconscious patient, crouching and preparing to pounce on the iron door making him frown. "Why do you always pick violence first, you could have knocked! the guards outside will let you out but no... I was just a second away from letting you kick the door down" Instructor Han had his hands wrapped around his chest, with an unimpressed look on his face as he spoke. Hearing this, Lucien calmed down and finally felt amused by the whole matter. "What am I supposed to do? I wake up in an unfamiliar ce and you expect me to act friendly?" Lucien tried to defend his actions but Instructor Han just snorted loudly and walked out of the room, leaving the door open. Lucien could only sigh and walk out of the room, following him from a distance. The duo walked in silence for a while as they made it through the long corridor, before taking the stairs to the right. To Lucien''s surprise, this ce didn''t have any teleportation formation, making him wonder what part of the empire this is. He followed instructor Han up the stairs and then took the turn to the left before he finally reached a massive door with numerous powerful aura signatures on the other side. He didn''t necessarily feel intimidated, he just felt it was weird to have all the major n heads together at a time like this. It felt like they were waiting for him to wake up from his slumber and join them. Yanking the door open, Lucien walked in with instructor Han just to realize that this royal courtroom was filled with countless important figures in the empire, presenting key figures of the empire. His entrance turned the entire hall silent and soon after everyone got on their feet and began pping. When did they rebuild the royal pce? And why is everyone so friendly and excited? Lucien frowned but then he saw that Wuxing n head standing behind the throne where Emperor Fei use to sit, signaling him toe and take a seat. Everything was moving so fast, Lucien was too slow to keep up so Instructor Han decided to exin things to him. "After you miraculously defeated one of the four pirs of the Creed everyone realized how much the empire needed its symbol back! A single figure that will make the enemies of this empire reluctant to make a move... After much deliberation, everyone agreed that no one is more suitable for that role more than you!" instructor Han whispered into Lucien''s ears making him shiver. All this while he thought another civil war will break out after he tries to take over the throne but right now these people are willingly handing over the throne to him! No matter how calm and indifferent a person may seem, once a massive piece of news like this hits them, they will be left speechless! Right now, Lucien could only gaze at the crowd with an astonished look on his face. Chapter 204: Beast Emperor Chapter 204: Beast Emperor Lucien remained standing there wondering all of this is just a dream. His dream has always been to be the emperor of the Fotia empire but this is not how he wanted it to happen. He was prepared to enter in a few years struggle with emperor Fei until the old man epts defeat and concedes. Lucien never expected it to just get handed over to him and at least not by these people but he found it reasonable. As the only one who has seeded in killing a pir of the creed, it is safe to say he is on par with the other emperor''s if not slightly stronger. Putting him up as the poster boy of the Fotia empire will make many people reluctant to attack the empire or its inhabitants. They were nning to use his fame and strength as a shield but Lucien was more amused than they were. Did these people really think he has a chance against a champion realm expert with an anomaly? They overestimate him! [You got the fame, you have the opportunity... You don''t have to tell people what happened... Be the empire''s shield and strive to get enough strength to back up your fame... That''s all I can say] Rakuzen said when he felt the reluctance in Lucien to ept this position. Only after listening to Rakuzen speak did Lucien regain his calm and his oppressive aura finally emerged. He took a bold stride forward, ignoring the gaze of all those on him, the ps and cheers. Reaching the throne he nodded at the Wuxing n head and sat down. "Emperor Fei was once called the phoenix emperor and the Drakon empire calls its emperor the dragon emperor... What shall we call you?" The Wuxing n head said in a loud voice catching everyone''s attention. Hearing this Lucien was immediately intrigued! He had never really thought of this so he really didn''t have anything in mind. If it were the past he would have picked a title rted to the Raizen God Beast but things are different now. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the crystal viewing orb ced at various corners of the room. Guessing just by the number Lucien guessed that the entire empire was watching. Everyone was watching to see what the new emperor is like and he was sure the spies of the other empires must be watching as well. cing a hand on the armrest. Lucien let his chin rest on his coiled fist before taking in a deep breath and speaking. "Beast Emperor!" Lucien said. Hearing this everyone was silent, they pondered on the name for a while and found it reasonable. Not only is Lucien not pinned by one beast, but he also has numerous magic beasts within him, so doesn''t that make him a Beast emperor? While people cheered andughed, Lucien was more interested in notifications popping upon his face. Ding! [Achievement Unlocked] [Return of the Beast Emperor] [Host as reached the first goal of the system by bing the new beast emperor! With the help of the system and Lord Rakuzen you are destined to be the greatest emperor that has ever set foot in this continent] Ding! [Hosts territory has increased, covering the entire continent! Now the system can spread its influence over the entire empire and make things easier for the new emperor!] Ding! [Primary goal achieved... System updating] [System updated sessfully] Ding! [Rakuzen dragon defense towers and other defensive formation blueprints are now avable... The host can now share his knowledge with the world!] Ding! [Gaze of an emperor upgraded] Ding! [New goal acquired...] [Be a beast god!] Seeing all of this, Lucien felt more burdened than relieved. If he had the emperor by his side he would have been less disturbed but that wasn''t the case. Lucien kept getting this strange feeling that he is alone in this and the struggle has only begun. He is yet to reveal the existence of other races heading towards their continent. Wam! Suddenly Lucien got on his feet stopping the cheering as he gazed at the crowd ahead of him. He knew the people were watching and his actions alone got the crowd quiet with anticipation. "The battle is not yet over... Right now the enemy is not the Libet empire or the Drakon empire... It is the Creed! Soon this continent will be pulled into a war by the Creed but as your new emperor, I will not fail... I will not experience defeat! Never!" Lucien roared and the entire empire erupted! Those who have gone into battle with Lucien began chanting invincible while the rest were moved by the atmosphere and they cheered on! Even within the new royal pce, Lucien could feel the cheers of the people outside, he stood there and let himself get immersed in the feeling of leading many! [You picked an excellent title and made a cool speech... Well done little one] Rakuzen said but Lucien wasn''t paying attention. He was lost in the feeling, allowing himself to move with the crowd. His eyes remained shut tight as he meditated on the issues arising. He could feel death approaching from all corners and even though it has never been done before, Lucien was sincerely interested in creating an alliance with the two other empires. Only with all three united do they stand a chance of resisting the invading enemy forces. At this point, Lucien realized his life has just been filled with battles and hardship. He has been jumping from one fight to another, making him unable to live peacefully and enjoy his youth. Lucien realized how much time he has lost and he now realized the burden of bing an emperor is much. What if the other empires refuse to listen to him? What if they allugh at him and call him crazy? What will the people say if they see their emperor begging for an alliance? "It doesn''t matter anymore... If they refuse I will just have to subdue them all" Lucien muttered as he finally opened his eyes Chapter 205: A new empire! Chapter 205: A new empire! After the long day, Lucien retired to his chambers and focused on the messages sent to him by the system. Apart from various blueprints regarding the empire defenses, Lucien soon realized that most of the unrealistic of the system was slowly fading. He could no longer use the empire points to make constructs appear magically, he could not teleport cities or towns anymore. He only got blueprints detailing how it can be done. Going through these things, Lucien soon realized that the system was evolving and slowly bing a part of him and as such a lot of magic features are disappearing with it. It seems that the system has deemed that the level of assistance he needed is lower so it is trying to make sure Lucien is notpletely reliant on it. He hated the fact that he didn''t make good use of the system when he still had the chance. Back then when the shop option was avable, Lucien could have used his exp points to learn all the pathways to a profound level but he never did that. He kept stacking points for a day that may nevere and here they are,pletely wasted. After going through the blueprints, Lucien handed it all over the Wuxing n head, to present it to the other nobles and have them begin construction immediately. After that Lucien drowned himself in the Empire''s policies, going through them and making amendments. In just a week, major changes had already taken ce in the empire. Lucien granted more freedoms to the ns and families in the empire and allowed them to own personal forces. The academy concept waspletely abolished, but the academy remained. Attending the academy was made optional and unlike before each n can have their secret cultivators but this time legally. Before the emperor made sure every cultivator was recorded, that way he can monitor their progress, and even though this was for security reasons, it lead to disagreements and in the end, These ns still found a way to hide their secret cultivators. Lucien nned to give everyone more autonomy and also get everyone involved in the running of the empire. If these old men believe that they are valued by their emperor, why would they rebel? During this time, Lucien ced every n head in what he called the council. Every major issue regarding the empire must go through them and afterward, these elderse up with their rmended solutions and present them to Lucien who is to make the final decision. In just a week the first defense magic tower was finished, leaving those who worked on it astonished. Who would have thought that something this amazing could exist, making them wonder how Lucien got the blueprints of towers that can detect negative intentions of people and wipe them out without hesitation. What these people did not know is that all of this is controlled by the system and Lucien didn''t have to do anything about them. In the blink of an eye, a month passed by and the creed was yet to make a move but information of one of their possible hideouts were leaked and the two other empires were preparing their forces to raid the ce, leaving Lucien in a dilemma. All through his life, he has been used to doing things himself so sending out a team to deal with this was something he found disturbing. After the construction of the first tower, the other towers were finished quickly. A massive wall was built around the empire and with the help of the magic towers, a massive magic barrier surrounded the empire! With the empire were over twenty Rakuzen sculptures ced at various points and various spots within the empire and everyone knew these statues are not as simple as they look, making Lucien believe that the empire is safe enough for him to leave and head into battle. He didn''t fancy the idea of letting people die for him in battle and what if a pir of the creed organization appears there, how do they n to deal with it? "If I may ask again... Why are you all stopping me from leaving?" Lucien was in his silver royal robes and a silver crown on his face but none of that made him happy. "You are our symbol... What If you die off? You barely won against thest pir you fought, what if you die this time?" us of the light-born n growled and many nodded in agreement making Lucien frown. These people had already made up their minds to stop him from leaving in the first ce. "Answer me then... Apart from Old man Wu, Which one of you can battle a champion realm master and win?" Lucien asked coldly as he yed with a strand of his hair with his eyes zing brightly. Hearing the question, the entire room turned silent, making Lucien chuckle before continuing. "It''s not about my safety... This is all about taking advantage of this opportunity... I am confident in the empire''s new defenses, even a champion realm expert will find it difficult to break in, not to talk of leaving, and even if they do, they have old man Wu to deal with... As for my safety... I have my methods, I have my ways... That''s how I have been surviving all this while... I don''t n on sending people to their death, so I believe I need to be there" Lucien said with a serious look on his face while he kept ying with his hair. (Authors note: Ever since Lucien ascended the throne he calls the n patriarch of the Wuxing n, old man Wu...) Hearing this people were stunned and as much as they wanted to refuse, they knew Lucien was making a point. He is the only one that can fight against a pir and honestly they knew the two other empires would send their old monsters forward too but they just felt like sending out the emperor is too demeaning for their empire Chapter 206: Die!!! Chapter 206: Die!!! Lucien gazed at the councilmen contemting and he sighed. He knew these people had his best interest at heart and even though they plotted the downfall of the emperor they still value this empire as their own and that''s why he didn''t execute them the moment he became emperor. They have already lost an emperor, so losing another one in just a month will be disastrous for the image of the empire and the morale of the people. Should Lucien die now, their greatest shining star will vanish and the next in line who can match the other emperor''s will be the Wuxing n head but the man was old and his talent spent. He could never break into a higher realm and that''s why they picked Lucien over him. Many consider him as the empire''s guardian, who has always been impartial. Watching over the empire until what is left of his life span runs out. "I do not wish to see a third emperor during my lifetime I had hoped to die while emperor Fei remained in power but now he is gone, I can only wish to see you leave a mark in history before my death You need to understand that no one here wants you dead and that''s why they refuse to let you go" The old man said and Lucien sighed. Under everyone''s gaze, Lucien stood up and took the crown off his head. He walked down the stairs and finally stood on the same level with the noblemen before casually flinging the crown to d. "Hold it until I get back" Lucien said casually before stretching quietly. "I am a fighter On numerous asions, I have served this empire I fought for your sake and I am ready to do that again The job of a leader is to serve the people Why would I send a hundred people out there to lose their lives when I alone have a higher chance of resolving this issue?" Lucien said as his eyes released a frightening rainbow-colored light. Boom! His robes exploded, revealing all the beast tattoos on his body, glowing brightly. His muscles kept bulging and his aura kept rising. "Send me again Let me make this empire proud again It will be a great shame to the world that the emperor of the new Fotia empire, left the empire and came back in one piece even after fighting off so many foes!" Lucien said as his aura raged immensely. The councilmen were moved by this and with no other choice, they sent Lucien ahead. The army of the Fotia empire remained and with the Wuxing n head still there so anyone who had the intentions of invading when he left will have no choice but to rethink. The only downside to all of this was that Lucien was forced to leave with an assistant. Someone who will keep the empire informed of his actions, that way they can know where he is and see what is happening directly. ------------------------------------------------------ Roar! Citizens gathered around the northern gate the moment they heard the news about their emperor''s departure. They waited under the son but no one was worried at all! Soon the roar of the mighty dragon entered their ears as they all looked up excitedly only to see the massive Chinese dragon, far bigger than thest time they saw it with the graceful youth whose face is covered with a bright blue dragon mask. The sleeveless white robe, adorned with bright blue serpent dragon images on his robe. "Invincible" Lucien said calmly but his voice was like intense thunder ps shaking the skies, making the people cheer even more. Ever since he reached the mortal realm, Lucien strongly believed that his abilities had increased greatly when magic and the physical aspect were considered. Lucien slowly descended from above but then he suddenly stopped and his eyes narrowed. A blizzard surged towards his direction making him frown. He sensed a familiar aura he despised and after so long, it was heading towards him! She was dressed in a pure white gown as she stood atop a pir, heading towards Lucien. "Die!!" Lucien roared without hesitation as his murderous intention made many shivers! The blue Chinese dragon roared as it charged towards the ice pir! "AZURE DRAGON ROAR!" Lucien growled as he spat out a powerful beam of blue mes towards thedy! "wait no!" Instructor Emma gasped but the attack was too fast for her to block but then a massive gray mist appeared in front of her and the attack sank in, never to make it out of the other side! "Who!" Lucien''s eyes revealed killing lights as he looked around only to see the person standing above the fog! It was the Wuxing n head wearing a stern look on his face! ''You are the emperor now, CONTROL YOURSELF!!'' The old man''s voice echoed in Lucien''s head. The entire ce was silent as the people below were a bit confused by what happened. "AS EXPECTED OF THE EMPEROR YOU COULD FIND ME EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRYING TO HIDE MY PRESENCE!" The old manughed and people turned to Lucien to hear his response. "If you keep doing this you will end up getting hurt old man, Wu" Lucien said as his dragon slowly turned around and began heading towards the northern gate. Hearing this people began cheering madly. Lucien had killed a champion realm expert and now he spoke to another champion realm expert as if he was just like any other warrior. Why won''t they be excited? "INVINCIBLE!" everyone screamed as they watched the dragon and the ice pir leave the empire. As they left, old man Wu could only watch them leave. For some reason, he felt that instructor Emma will not make it back alive and he sincerely hoped Lucien can control himself and not kill the youngdy in front of the transmission crystal she had held. If the empire sees that how would the people feel? How will they be able to respect their new emperor? Chapter 207: Important Chapter 207: Important The journey to the central area of the continent was a silent one. To conserve mana just in case of an ambush Lucien and Instructor Emma moved on foot and in silence. During the journey, Emma walked behind as Lucien moved ahead, never bothering to look back. It has been more than a year since they had a fallout and in just one year, Lucien hadpletely changed. He was taller and his build was more solid than normal. His eyes were like two bright torches and his hair was much longer than before. At this age, Lucien could be considered extremely tired attractive. No matter how much Emma wanted to speak to Lucien she couldn''t say a word since she was scared he would instantly go crazy and kill her off in one stroke. After her incident with Lucien when he was persecuted by the empire he rules now, she was recruited by the dimir family and in a bid to support her new backers, she ignored everything and testified against him. She didn''t even have the decency to visit him after he was kept in the dungeon for so long. When she was asked to apany Lucien on this mission, she couldn''t help but wonder what is going on in d''s head. She felt like they were all a part of his big game of chess! Does this man derive joy from creating chaos and terror? What would he gain if she died at Lucien''s hand in this mission and the entire empire is put in a state of distress? "Something is wrong..." Lucien finally spoke up making her heart skip a beat. "All the magic beasts... They are gone... I can''t sense the presence of any here!" Lucien said coldly. When speaking, Lucien didn''t even bother turning around to see her. He just kept moving while pondering on what to do. He felt like something was wrong! With his enhanced senses, he could tell that there was nothing around like the entire area was empty! Their scent was fresh making him believe that these magic beasts left recently but the question now is where? And why did they leave? while Lucien moved he pondered on this and ignored everything and kept working forward. He hated the fact that he knew nothing about the situation and could do nothing to fix it. Lucien wished he could know more but whenever he tries to use his seer pathway, all he could see are magic beasts gathering together and leaving together towards one direction. The direction led to the Libet empire and even with their number Lucien didn''t think they will be able to break past the Libet empire defenses even if they try. Right now he couldn''t bother with the Libet empire so he just chose to keep moving towards his goal. ording to the information he was given, the Creed forces have built a stronghold around what seems to be a dungeon that just recently appeared in the central region of the empire. The fact a stronghold was ced there, the three empires guessed that what must be down there is at least a grade two sealed artifact or possibly a grade one sealed artifact. After the events of the past, the three empires are more than willing to strike at the Creed forces whenever the chance surfaces, so Lucien was sure they were sending their forces too! In a situation where a Creed pir is involved, he didn''t have to worry, since he won''t be fighting alone. The real battle is when the creed forces are destroyed and the three empires have topete against each other for the sealed artifact. Thinking about this, Lucien couldn''t help but frown! He had such a hard battle ahead, the empire was watching, and right now he was apanied by someone whom he hated with all his heart! "Could this trip get any worse?" Lucienughed bitterly ------------------------------------------------------------- Days passed and they kept moving without looking back. During the lonely, cold nights, Lucien stayed away from the campfire and only stayed in his tent, so he didn''t speak to Instructor Emma all through. He could tell thedy was making flimsy attempts to reach out to him but he had no intentions of speaking to her. They kept traveling in silence until they finally arrived but contrary to Lucien''s expectations, he was the only one here. He couldn''t see the army of the Libet empire or the Drakon Empire. Hidden well in the thick forest and consciously suppressing his aura, Lucien observed the enemy''s stronghold and he was shocked to realize that this operation won''t be as simple as he thought. This so-called stronghold was well fortified with magic towers, Defensive formations, magic walls, and a strong army within! This is no different from invading a small kingdom! This made him wonder how much effort these people have put into this ce and this made him believe even more that there must be an actual grade one sealed artifact down there. That night, Lucien stayed in the same tent with Instructor Emma since it was far safer for them to stick together, and also, they couldn''t light up a campfire since there were too close to the enemy base. She wore a loose white gown which revealed all her bumps and curves that could make any man lose concentration but Lucien wasn''t moved. By the way, he had seen this so many times before! "You are not going to speak to me? No hateful words, no questions, nothing?" Emma finally mustered the courage to speak up and Lucien who had his back turned on her slowly yanked his eyes open. "There is nothing to talk about You betrayed and abandoned me when I needed you the most You should be grateful you are still alive! Now sleep!" Lucien said coldly and shut his eyes once again but then a powerful explosion made the tent tremble violently, causing him to dash out! Quickly putting on his silver robe he shot into the air, heading to the creed stronghold! Someone has finally made a move! Chapter 208: We meet again! Chapter 208: We meet again! Xiu! Lucien appeared some distance away from the stronghold and what he saw left him shivering. It was an army attacking the stronghold! What left him stunned was that the army was made up of undead skeletons, undead magic beasts, werewolves, and even an emperor-level magic beast! All of these were part of the undead army! "It can''t be" Lucien muttered as he took a few steps back and silently prayed his instincts are wrong. He knew this diabolic aura and thest time he came in contact with the owner of this aura, he almost lost his life and the emperor ended up dying at the hands of that man! How could he still be alive? He watched the phoenix mes reduce his body to ashes! "Derik Angus!" Lucien muttered with a trembling fist and enraged expression on his face. "You still call that name without care? You must be seeking death!" A familiar voice echoed behind him and when he turned around he was stunned. Derik Angus seemed much younger than before and the face wasn''t entirely his boy Lucien could clearly see the resemnce! Based on Lucien''s strong sensory skills, he could tell Derik was at the early stage of the mortal realm but the power swirling up within him far surpasses that of a mortal realm mage! He wore a ck sleeveless robe revealing his fairly muscr build. His hood was kept down, allowing people to see his ck hair tied into a ponytail with a green undercut. Gazing at this figure, Lucien trembled with fear and excitement as well! He was scared of the enemy in front of him but he also has the chance to avenge Emperor Fei now! "The emperor of the Fotia empire graces the battlefield with his presence Unexpected! I represent the Libet empire and since we have amon foe, I suggest you behave until this is all over!" Derik said with a slight smile on his face! Lucien wanted to move but just like him, a youngdy was standing with a transmission crystal meaning that the Libet empire is watching. Lucien knew the importance of forming a strong alliance with the neighboring empires If they wish to survive the invasion was about to happen so he couldn''t act against Derik. What he couldn''t understand is why Derik was different and how he managed to join the Libet empire! "I will have to request your help in taking down this stronghold! These people are quite capable" Derik said with a slight smile on his face. His gaze shifted from Lucien to the battlefield where Hus undead army was getting decimated by the magic torrents! Only the emperor tier wind beast was dealing substantial damage on the stronghold! "Raiken?" Lucien was stunned by the big winged beast and soon realized this was the emperor tier form to the Raizen god beast! If Derik actually managed to kill this, then his chances of winning against Derik are extremely low. "why would I help you?" Lucien asked as he calmed down and gazed at the battlefield. "Because you can''t win against me" Derik answered immediately without a second thought, making Lucien''s eyebrows twitch. He really wanted to crush this bastard who dared say such crap to him but right now there are more important things to deal with. As long he knew Derik was alive and stays in the Libet empire then he can have his revenge when this is over. "Stay away... you will only get in my way if you get involved" Lucien said to Emma before shooting towards the enemy stronghold. "You too, Kylie" Derik said to the woman in aplete ck ninja attire with half of her face covered. Xiu! Bright silver and Darkish green lights could be seen heading towards the stronghold and two magic towers instant locked down on them! Whoosh! As the energy beam was fired, both men shot towards the sides escaping the attack as they reacted with attacks of their own! "Azure dragon style: Whirlpool!" Derik growled as he struck forward releasing a whirlpool of blue mes surging forward! "Break!" Derik growled as he brandished his death scythe towards the tower releasing a massive arc of darkish green aura! Peng! Peng! To their greatest surprise, both their attacks only struck a mana barrier surrounding the towers! This mana barrier was strong enough to withstand their attacks and since mana does not age, it wasn''t affected by Deriks death aura! Bam! The mana beams shot towards the two youths in retaliation, not even giving them time to flee! Boom! People from both empires watched as their representatives were dragged to the ground by the beams from the magic towers, creating a five-meter-deep crater to each! "Kill me with this? You must be dreaming!" Lucien growled! "This is nothing!" Derik''s voice echoed across the entire battlefield. Bang! Bang! Two powerful explosions urred as two figures shot into the skies once again. While Derik was covered in a white bone knight''s armor, Lucien''s body was covered with thick blue dragon scales! Both theirs were zing with power as they grabbed the air and pulled down furiously! Krrrrr! Following a powerful lightning strike, a massive bone fist and a massive dragon fist descended from above the clouds, like the divine judgment of the gods! The massive hands crushed the two towers effortlessly, getting the attention of the other towers holding back the undead army below. "Leave... I will deal with the city defenses... Just make sure you stop the creed forces within the dungeon!" Lucien said as he slowly levitated towards the remaining magic towers facing in his direction. "Don''t be stupid... What if I go down there and there are two creed pirs down there? We move together" Derik yawned as he spoke. He looked more uninterested than bothered. [Remaining calm in a situation like this is a privilege reserved for the strong...] Rakuzen said and Lucien nodded. He could remember when emperor Fei said those words and how cool-headed he was even when he got wind of the coup about to happen. With more power, one had to worry about fewer things. "Alright, just this once, I will help you" Lucien said while stretching. Chapter 209: Strange magic towers Chapter 209: Strange magic towers Derik notices that sudden change in Lucien''s attitude but he didn''t mind. He had already concluded that the youth needs the focus so he didn''t speak on the matter again. His eyes released a bright green sh as his bone armor was set aze and the green mes soon took the shape of a bright green chain tied around his arms and his bone armor! His eyes revealed killing intentions as he focused his gaze on the powerful magic towers and nothing more. "There are a few spirit realm masters in there, with about ten thousand mortal realm cultivators down in there... Even If we break down these towers and burst the wall open, we will be forced to take on quite an impressive amount of talented individuals... Are you ready for that?" Derik asked with an indifferent look on his face. "Just a few thousands? Just don''t slow me down" Lucien responded as his shadow spread wide and a thousand demonic beasts appeared from within, Joining Derik''s three thousand undying undead army to make it a four thousand undying force! Seeing this, Derik was stunned since he didn''t think Lucien''s power has even reached the levels of the underworld. He couldn''t help but admit that he has been looking down on Lucien all this time and he confirmed that this ally may be more capable than he thinks since he didn''t use this ability in their previous battle. Xiu! Lucien didn''t bother waiting for Derik and charged forward he was currently using the Azure dragon mode and even though his time limit has been increased due to his increase in the realm, it still didn''t mean he had all the time in the world. The moment he was just a few hundred meters away from the defensive walls, All the towers focused on him, sting at him indiscriminately! Whoosh! Whoosh! Lucien''s body twisted and turned in inhumane ways as he evade many beams of mana, approaching the magic torrent really fast! Just when he was a hundred meters away from the defensive walls the magic towers lit up and they began shooting two beams of mana each! "What the hell!" Lucien muttered as tried to advance but he saw no space to move. The magic torrents ignored the undead army below, focusing on him! Each attack was released to predict his actions making dodging even hard for him! Xiu!!! After retreating for a while Lucien bit his lips and decided to take the step forward, no matter the consequences! His body drifted back at first and then it shot forward at astonishing speed! Bang! Bang! At that point, two mana beams were fired with each heading towards Lucien. To deal with it Lucien quickly dropped his attitude, going lower than the attack and surprisingly finding himself in between two mana beams. Almost instantly the two beams surging from above and below began rising, closing in on Lucien. Before he could escape from the sides, two beams of light could be seen shooting from the sides traping him within, and giving him only one option! Move forward. From the enclosed space, Lucien could feel the intense aura surging uncontrobly! He could feel the air tremble as the remaining tower strangely focused their energy at one point, forming a massive ball of unstable mama, three times that size of the original beam! At this point, Lucien could only feel the cold hands of death ced on his shoulder as the massive ball of mana rolled towards the exit point! Was he going to die like this? "Not without a fight!" Lucien roared as he punched forward, creating a massive dragon fist head of him, smashing into the massive mana ball, creating a massive shockwave! Peng! Peng! Peng! Sounds of shattering dragon scales could be heard as the blue dragon scales on Lucien''s body began shattering as blood rolled down his nostrils, eyes, and ears! "Aaarrrrrggggghhh!" Lucien could feel his bones breaking as his body felt weakened. "You are getting cocky kid, jumping off without me... I only see death, when I look into your future!" Derik''s voice echoed from behind as arge skeletal hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed onto the big mana ball, lessening the pressure on Lucien. With Derik''s help, Lucien could finally breathe but he was in a very bad condition! "take a step back kid... This is for the big boys" Derik''s voice suddenly became too close. Turning around Lucien realized Derik was standing behind him and before he could even react, Derik grabbed him by the shoulder and effortlessly flung him back! At that moment the dragon w holding back the ball of mana vanished, leaving the skeleton hand to deal with it! "You are dealing with me now!" Derik said with a frown as he forced the massive bone hand to redirect the direction of the mana ball. Boom! A mushroom-shaped cloud appeared not too far from the battlefield but Derik was too focused on the magic towers and frowned. He could feel the presence of something else manipting these towers from the shadows. Even a spirit realm master will die here if they are adamant about raiding this stronghold. "It''s the creed leader... He is a demigod just a few steps away from bing a god... He must possess the creation authority like Rakuzen and that''s why he can replicate structures only Rakuzen has bestowed me with and that''s how he can control these towers from a distance!" Lucien said while breathing heavily. Hearing this at first Lucien was a bit confused, why would a demigod need to go through all this stress of having minions and having weaker people do his job? If he were a demigod he would have subdued the entire continent by now. In his world, Demigods were not suppressed by the world Like gods but after fighting the emperor tier magic beast, Lucien was sure that there were almost no limitations ced on demigod beings in this world but for some reason, there are no surviving demigods apart from the creed leader alive! Chapter 210: Strength of the creed Chapter 210: Strength of the creed Thinking back on it, Derik realized that the god realms in this world is just like theirs. There can only be one death God and one God of life. So what happens when a new cultivator reaches the demigod realm and is only one step away from reaching the god realms with the same authority with the current God of that pathway? If he were the god he would most likely kill the person and avoid a future threat! Realizing this, Lucien couldn''t help but shiver. His gaze darkened as he tried to consider how many demigods that may have died at the hands of the gods of this world. Even if the emperor realm magic beast managed to kill him, it would still be killed the moment the Raizen god beast recovers his strength! "This world is more terrifying than I thought!" Derikmented when he finally realized there werent demigods around this ce for a reason. The creed leader must have been a demigod who survived the assault of the god in the same pathway and managed to escape and hide himself somehow. Maybe he is too injured toe out directly and needs to use the power of faith to heal his injuries or he is just too terrified to move and reveal his location to the main god so he works through this method! Either way this man has earned Deriks respect for his resourcefulness and his craftiness! "Amazing... The creed leader... I want to know that kind of person he is" Derik said as he shot Lucien a nce. "He is a psychopath!" Lucien responded coldly but for some reason he was more terrified of this mortal realm Derik to the immortal creed leader demigod! "Even better!" Derikugehd lightly as he focused on the magic towers gathering mana once again for another attack. "You support, I strike" Derik said coldly as his body exploded and his figure vanished. Countless beams of mana raced towards him from different directions but Derik''s movements were so nimble, he literaryly barely evaded those attacks. "Come!" Derik growled as he spun the hilt of his death scythe, spinning it in a circr motion as he deflected countless attacks directed at him. Since the towers focused on quantity, the quality of the attacks greatly reduced allowing Derik to deflect them with almost no effort! Whoosh! His foot works gave him the opportunity to retreat when overwhelemed while pushing forward when necessary! Slowly Derik steadly reduced the hundred meter distance but the closer he got the slower he became! The sheer numbers of the attacks were bing too overwhelming even for him to knock off easily! Peng! Peng! Peng! In barely a second Derik had deflected over ten beams and he still couldn''t see the towers because his view was blocked with countless beams! ROAR! Azure Dragon Roar! A massive beam of blue mes shot forward, smashing into a magic tower and destroying it instantly! "Switch it up when necessary! Dont be too rigid old man!" Lucien said with a taunting smile on his face as a blue azure dragon spear appeared in his hands before he charged forward! "Last time I checked you were gasping for breath..." Derik taunted as he charged forward once again. With both of them leading the charge and the tower was forced to divide its focus, giving them the opportunity to destroy more towers! In just a few seconds over five towers had been destroyed leaving behind only five! "Just a little more!" Lucien said as he charged froward and Derik summoned the huge skeleton hand to block most of the attacks heading his way! He watched Lucien apper infornt of one of the towers, shing madly with his azure dragon spear, releasing a massive wave of blue mes in a bid to destroy the tower but then it vanished! "The hell?" Derik cried out as he noticed the other towers were now floating and the towers at the other side of the fortress, which couldn''t get to them originally was spinning madly around them now! "How many are there?" Lucien said with a frown as he easily counted over ten towers surrounding them with just a nce. He could swear there were at least twenty of those towers preparing to strike at them. Van! At that moment a massive red magic array appeared them releasing a bright red light which made Derik and Lucien feel heavier. The heavy feeling made them fill weaker and they could tell that their cultivation dropped by at least a level! Realizing what was happening, Lucien was rmed! This is an ability he got from Rakuzen''s creation pathway, allowing him to make such godly enhancements to his building and castles! How close did the creed leadere to bing a true god that granted him all these creation authority abilities? At that moment, the massuve stone walls of the stronghold lifted above the ground and from there the ten thousand man army led by ten spirit realm outer disciples slowly walked out boldly while maintaining battle formation! They showed no fear as the walked out while maintaining a defensive battle Formation! Every thousand man troop had a spirit realm master as their leader, forming a terrifying force that would make any man tremble! Derik could not tell if it is just one creed pir that is present since they were already in the cave and this cave was preventing his godly senses from reaching far. "They are really throwing out the big guns right now! A mobile magic tower? When the hell did fairy tails be reality?" Derik said with a hint of annoyance in his tone. Meanwhile Lucien felt extremely nervous. He had never entered a situation like this and he didn''t think the enemy would have this much strength so he felt disturbed. "What do we do now?" Lucien asked with a worried look on his face. He expected Derik to be bothered and worried but when he gazed at Derik he only saw indifference and boredom. "We do what we do best, kill them all" Derik yawned Chapter 211: When death comes Chapter 211: When deathes Hearing Derik''s response, Lucien and the army below were stunned. Even an emperor will tremble when forced to fight such arge army with so many external factors limiting their power. In such a situation only an anomaly can save them and yet, this youth spoke down on them like they are nothing! How bold and cocky can this man be! Lucien was going to speak more but seeing the utter confidence in Derik''s eyes he couldn''t help but remember Emperor Fei! No matter the odds and even when Derik fought against him, Emperor Fei never showed any form of fear or concern. He remained calm and almost indifferent in all situations. He created an invincible image in the hearts of all those who believed in him and even in death he could be considered a badass! "I have been stupid all this while" Lucienughed as he pped his face with a wide grin on his face. "You finally understand what it means to be strong" Derik said with a slight grin on his face. "Forget about everything else, no matter how bad it is, don''t care, don''t show fear just absolutely believe in your strength and spread the confidence to your subordinates... That''s quite dumb and overbearing but it makes me feel good" Lucienughed as he gazed at the magic towers circling them and yawned as well. He is the sessor of the only celestial being created by this realm, how could he be afraid of mere mortals? Disgraceful! "Now your head is in the game... Let us begin" Derikughed as he stretched his hands above his head and the bright green chains wrapped around his hands shot forward! Xiu! Xiu! Xiu! Numerous beams of mana were fired towards Derik but Lucien came in at that moment! His figure appeared beside Derik and the images of the Raizen and Phoenix god beast appeared around him! sping both hands together both beast assimtion avatars wrapped their wings around the duo shielding them from the constant attacks. The power of the magic towers was still too high and with their power suppressed some of the beams found their way into the barrier wings and struck the duo. Thanks to Derik''s bone armor, the beams could not breakthrough. Meanwhile, Lucien''s dragon scales deflected the other attacks! "Let me show you the power of death!" Derik said calmly as the chains reached the red magic array above, making the hearts of the creed forces skip a beat in shock! Wondering how a mere mortal realm kid ns to destroy an array even spirit realm cultivators can''t. Bang! As soon as the green chains struck the red magic array above everything trembled as ittched on to it. Slowly the green color began spreading from the green chain to the red magic array turning it green. In just a few seconds the entire magic array had turned green and slowly began to crumble, rendering everyone, including Lucien stunned. "What the hell is this power?" Lucien muttered in shock. "The power of God" Derik responded immediately! The ability to rot a person''s body using his death magic is already deadly enough it gives many people sleepless nights, including Lucien but now it has got as far as rotting magic at such arge scale! With the magic array gone they had regained their full strength and even the two god beasts'' avatar were twice their original size. "You take care of the magic towers, I will deal with the army below us!" Derik said and turned into a beam of light, shooting towards the army below. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Derikughed madly as a darkish green gas began expelling from his body until his figure waspletely hidden in the gas. The army below gazed at therge body of gas shooting towards them and they couldn''t help but tremble! A pair of bright green eyes appeared within the gas appeared as it grew in size and might, resembling a massive storm descending from the heavens! "Defensive formations!" The thousand armymanders growled as they all lost the will to fight such a terrifying beast! Every member of each thousand-man army unit began chanting and what seemed like a massive purple turtle shell barrier appeared, forming a massive dome atop the huge army! Boom! When Derik struck, a powerful shockwave urred as the barrier trembled and the death aura spread far and wide around the barrier. They could slowly see the barrier thinning out under the relentless attack by the death aura but this only made them more enraged! One man dared to take them on all alone? Imbecile! "Rebound!" The creedmanders growled and another set in of incarnations was made, causing the purple barrier to glow brightly! BOOM! The massive magic barrier exploded, repelling all the death aura on it and hopefully, this should be enough to badly damage Derik but to their greatest surprise, there was no scream of pain or no sign of Derik. Where did he go? That was the question on so many people''s minds but looking ahead they realized the Undead army seemed more organized and quiet than usual! The figure a man in bone knight armor stood and silently reached for the sky, making a bright silver bone spear appear in his hand. His eyes let out a bright green sh as he began sprinting forward for a while before tossing the spear forward! Whoosh! The silver spear shot forward but the thousand-man unit aimed at reacted quickly and erected the purple barrier once again but this time something unexpected happened! Boom! The spear broke through the barrier, piercing through the body of over ten cultivators before it finally stopped moving and fell to the ground. All then soldiers aged at a visible rate in front of everyone and were reduced to dust! "This" People muttered and started at Derik in horror. "If there is ever a god worth serving it is me... Idiots like you all who dare stand in my way will only have themselves to me when deathes..." Derik said coldly as another bone spear appeared in his hand. Chapter 212: Pushing his body to its limit and beyond! Chapter 212: Pushing his body to it''s limit and beyond! Saying those words Derik leaned back again as he tossed another spear forward into another thousand-man unit! In just a single move he had killed another ten mortal realm experts and he did these things so easily, even an army couldn''t help but shiver in fear! Just a small cut from his bone''s spear is enough to guarantee a death in a fight and this made the enemy forces extremely disturbed! "Ten spirit realm masters? A joke! You will need twice that number if you even wanna consider the possibility of winning against me" Derik said coldly as another spear formed in his hand. "KILL HIM!" Themander roared as countless spells flew into the air raining down at Derik but even then he showed no sign of fear! "DIE!" Derik''s eyes released strong killing lights as he tossed the spear forward but this time he was aiming for a spirit realm master and not the weaklings! "You darepare me with this trash? Cocky piece of shit!" a burly white-haired man growled as his body expanded at a ridiculous pace and his skin turned blood-red as he grew a horn at the center of his forehead and then grew a tail, ws, and fangs! ROAR!!! The man let out a scream as he spat out a beam of purple demonic aura but just like the rest, the spear tore through the beam and pierced through his soul, reducing to dust while killing another ten mortal realm soldiers behind him Meanwhile! Bang! Bang! Bang! Derik left himself open and numerous spells rained down on him, dismembering his body and reducing him to a bloody paste. But surprisingly, a cloud of darkish green smoke lurked around his body and soon a new him was formed, regenerating out of his blood alone! If it were in the past Derik wouldn''t have acted so carelessly since his god soul was yet to fuse with this mortal bodypletely, but now it was done, Derik had regained his immortal body that cannot be destroyed through normal means! He was no different from his undead soldiers! "They are weak... Charge!!!!" Derik growled and only then did the silent undead army behind him cry out and charge forward! "This world is mine to take!" Derik growled as his body levitated off the ground and while waving his hands in a circr motion, numerous bone spears formed behind him, spinning like wheels! "Vanish and be nutrition for my cultivation!" Derik growled as he released the spears into the battlefield, reaping souls of the enemy forces while breaking their defenses and giving the undead army a chance to slip into the enemy formation and wreak havoc In just a few minutes the Creed army was engaged in bitter closebat with the undying army! Meanwhile, Derik had left Lucien behind, running off without even giving him the chance to ept or reject his offer. "Bastard" Lucien muttered as he gazed at the twenty or so magic towers with a bitter smile on his face. He saw one of them lit up while aiming towards Derik causing him to frown! "Ignore me? I refuse!" Lucien growled as he brandished his azure dragon spear at the magic tower, releasing numerous waves of blue mes at the magic tower,pletely consuming it! Ding! Ding! Ding! Numerous bell ringing sounds could be heard as all twenty magic towers turned towards Lucien and focused on him. "Fuck my life" Lucien muttered with beads of sweat running down his forehead as he watched these towers gather around him! [You can do this] Rakuzen finally spoke up in his head. "I don''t need you to tell me that!" Lucien growled as he allowed his body drop, escaping the enemy enforcement by escaping below! Xiu! Xiu! Xiu! Countless beams chased after Lucien but he suddenly kicked the air and shot towards the left, evading the attacks. "Rakuzen!" Lucien growled as he punched forward and a massive dragon fist appeared, shooting towards a massive magic tower! Whoosh! The magic tower moved abruptly to the left, evading the dragon fist! [If the tower can fly you should know it can move!] Rakuzen reminded Lucien. "I KNOW!" Lucien growled as he growled and the Raizen and Phoenix god spirit avatars charged towards the torrent whole he retreated even further! Four magic towers stayed back to deal with the two beast assimtions while the remaining sixteen chased after Lucien, bombarding him with barrages of mana beams, giving him almost no space to dodge but Lucien still maintained the smile on his face! "Come on! ENTERTAIN ME!" Heughed wildly as he stopped retreating and stood his ground. Letting go of the azure blue spear, Lucien allowed the spear to spin violently, creating a massive vortex of blue mes, surging so widely Lucien looked like an ant standing behind a massive curtain! Within the swirling blue mes the magic towers were random,cking enough uracy for Lucien to evade easily. He watched and waited for the magic towers to approach. His eyes revealed strong killing intentions as he gazed at the magic towers gathering their energy to create magic barriers as they prepared to dive into the swirling blue mes. The moment he saw the perfect opportunity his eyes let out an intense blue sh as he sped his hands together! ROAR!! Following the intense dragon roar, two massive dragon hands appeared from the sides, closing in on the magic towers caught in its attack! BOOM! The dragon hands sped together, squashing the magic towers caught in it! In just one move Lucien had already wiped out ten magic towers, leaving behind only six chasing him! "THIS NUMBER IS NOTHING!" Lucien growled as his hands began moving in a circr motion and a massive gate slowly took form! "Anomaly!" Kylie and Emma carrying crystal transmitters gasped in shock. Those viewing saw this take ce and they couldn''t help but shudder. Lucien was still at the Mortal realm but he was trying to utilize the champion realm ability, anomaly! "THIS BRAT IS REALLY SOMETHING!" Derik sensed the intense power surging and couldn''t help but look up! Chapter 213: Winning a war! Chapter 213: Winning a war! Derik saw the anomaly gate and frowned. He may not be from this world but he knew the rules of this world. Only a spirit realm master can attain a martial technique and only a champion realm master can attain an anomaly! Lucien had already done the impossible by attaining a martial technique at the warrior realm, yet he was showing signs of attaining an anomaly at the mortal realm! How the fuck? What these people didn''t know was that Lucien was yet to form his anomaly, instead, he absorbed the anomaly of the creed pir he defeated with his beast assimtion, and right now he was trying to open up the anomaly! [What the hell are you doing? Your body is not ready for this! You cannot use this power now! You will only hurt yourself!] Rakuzen warned but Lucien ignored the voice in his head and focused on opening the gate! He felt like he was trying to push a mountain and even then he didn''t stop. With blood-red eyes and a bleeding nose, Lucien kept pushing! Numerous mana beams were fired at him but none of them could break through breakthrough the massive circr gate forming in front of him. Some towers tried to go around the gate but then they were blocked by the Raizen and Phoenix god beast avatars! [STOP THIS NOW!] Rakuzen growled but Lucien kept ignoring him. "This wi be over in an instant!" Lucienughed with a bloodied face as the gate waspleted and it yanked open abruptly! Whoosh! An unknown number of golden spirit beasts of different kinds charged out of the anomaly, charging towards the floating magic towers and the army below! "Die! All of you!" Lucien growled like a beast as blood kept squirting out of numerous openings on his body. Seeing this Derik frowned, he soon realized that Lucien was pushing his body to its limits and beyond by summoning something like this with such a small cultivation base. Lucien was able to consume someone''s anomaly since it was rted to beasts with his beast assimtion ability, thereby bypassing thews of this world through a loophole. "Crazy kid! But I won''t let him steal the spotlight!" Derik growled as he charged forward and threw his arms forward! nk! nk! nk! The green chains tied around his arms shot forward, spreading out and multiplying into numerous smaller chains,tching onto numerous enemies! "Die!" Derik growled as he pulled and sessfully pulled out the soul, pulling them into his body! Bang! "Let''s go!!" Derik screamed as he stomped the ground and shot into the air. His eyes revealed powerful killing lights as a bright green death scythe appeared in his eyes. The ck de turned green as his eyes let out a green sh and he turned into a bolt of green lightning and raced towards the ground. Bang! Creating a powerful shockwave that send many flying, Derik charged forward fearlessly and brandished his weapon on the enemies gathered around him! His green scythe cleaved through the body of the enemy and went straight for the souls, smashing them in two! Derik was like a moving bulldozer, plowing through the enemy forces, alongside his undead army, reaping the souls of the weak! "You dare!" A unitmander roared as he charged forward and quickly shapeshifted into a lion-type demonic beast with bright purple eyes and ming purple tail! Roar! The beast let out a loud cry and it pounced on Derik, releasing Flurries of w attacks but Derik didn''t retreat. His eyes revealed killing lights as he tightened his grip on the green soul scythe and ignored his defense, hacking recklessly! "Tear!" Derik growled as they both blitz past each other and stopped Everyone watched as Derik staggered back a bit as numerous holes appeared on his chest but he still wore a cruel smile on his face. Bang! At that time the huge lion demon slumped and fell to the ground like a lump of rock. Its eyes were pure white with no sign of life in it! Seeing this many gasped and even Lucien above smiled weakly. But Derik was bothered. As a being that has lived for thousands of years, only a handful of things can excite him or catch his interest! Coming over here, the only people that have gotten his attention are the three emperors and the creed organization with their mysterious leader. When he looked deep into the creed information he realized that these creed pirs have the abilities to pass on their cultivation pathway to their disciples and followers which isplete crap and usually impossible. The one Lucien killed was a Spirit beast cultivator and all those following him could enhance their strength and features using the powers of spirit beasts. Now he was taking on these people he realized all of them could transform into a demon and looking back on the cultivation methods, Derik realized this is the demon kin cultivation pathway. With this, he guessed the cultivation pathway of the creed pir within that dungeon. "The demon kin pathway is moreplicated than it looks... An extremely terrifying pathway that even gives me goosebumps... Meeting the creed pir within the dungeon will be an issue... Unless he makes the mistake of dragging me into an anomaly, winning against him will be hard" Derik muttered. At this point, he no longer focused on the battle since he considered this their victory. Each Creed soldier killed is resurrected by his power increasing their forces and at this moment, his original four thousand undead armies have increases to nine thousand, with a five thousand member addition while the enemy forces had dropped from ten thousand to five thousand! This was a steady and scary process and with Derik''s anomaly open, the summoning of countless spirit beasts to hunt the enemy made the process faster. At this point, Derik just stood and watched as the enemy forces got massacred. Even the silver realm outer disciples were ganged on by numerous foes and since these foes cannot be killed they end up getting killed. Chapter 214: God statue descent Chapter 214: God statue descent Puff! Lucien spat out a mouthful of blood and all the golden spirit beasts flying around were recalled into the anomaly, after which the gate vanished almost immediately. His face was terribly pale and he almost fell off the sky, if not for his Phoenix god beast avatar supporting him. "Heal" Lucien muttered weakly as the blue Phoenix mes engulfed his entire body burning him for several minutes while Derik wiped out what was left of the Creed forces! He made sure no one survived and made sure to resurrect the corpses of the enemies, meanwhile, he greedily consumed the souls of the dead on the battlefield. He considered using this as nourishment to reach the spirit realm but doing it in the open will attract the wrong type of attention and when the time finallyes, he may end up gaining the wrong attention. "We will hold back a bit till this mission is over" Derik said as he walked towards the enemy stronghold, leaving Lucien behind. He had seen Emperor Fei use the Phoenix mes to heal even the worse injuries so he knew he would be fine. In fact, he never thought that this was thed''s n. "He is as reckless as theye" Derikmented almost absentmindedly as he walked past the walls of the stronghold with over fourteen thousand undead armies following him tightly behind. Even though one thousand out of the thirteen thousand were Luciens demonic beasts, they still showed Derik respect and followed his order religiously! Entering the stronghold, Derik saw a normal army camp with almost no difference from the regr military camp at the far end of the stronghold, at the foot of a mountain was a massive purple portal glowing brightly. That should be enough to attract Derik''s attention but what really got his attention was the human statue at the center of the camp. The statue was that of a man whose face was covered with a good, dressed in a robe and since it wasn''t colored, Derik couldn''t bring up more details. He contemted if this is the statue of the creed leader and he wished its facial features were revealed. "You are an anomaly... You shouldn''t be here!" Derik had already walked past the statue when he heard those words and he turned around. He gazed at the statue and saw it looking ad him with zing white eyes within the hood! Visible mana circuits could be seen all over the body of the statue and Derik understood what was going on. "God''s descent... You reach this ce through a statue dedicated to your worship... Gods are quite difficult to evade" Derik yawned and the statue frowned. Even when standing in front of him, Derik treated him like air and he could understand why. Apart from Rakuzen, Derik has reached the highest level a cultivator can reach within this realm! His strength is unfathomable and the annoying thing was that even in his new body, his limits are yet to show, throughout the battle. "Last time I checked... Using God''s descent on a statue, you can only showcase ten to twenty percent of your true strength... Meanwhile using god descent on a living being, you can show power purely based on the person''s capabilities... Do you think you can win against me with twenty percent of your strength?" Derik asked with a raised eyebrow and a clenched fist. His shadow expanded and all thirteen thousand undead armies returned to his shadow while the one thousand belonging to Lucien backed away slowly. As a man who was once a god, he knew these gods could permanently kill anything below their level, including the undead so he had no intentions of letting this being wipe out the army he worked so hard to gain! "Yes..." The creed leader responded decisively! Hearing this Derik frowned. He knew almost nothing about the enemy and how he operates. He knew nothing about this man''s pathway and how his power works. All he knew is that this man fought a god and survived! Almost reaching the realm of gods! "Just Lucien and I are more than enough to deal with your army and defensive formations... When the Drakon empire forces arrive, do you really think you can stop us and their army?" Derik rephrased the question and this time he asked with a clenched fist. He was getting this ominous bad feeling about something but he didn''t know what. "The Drakon empire forces will not being.. They have been dealt with... Ambush points were set up the stop the armies of the three empires, what I didn''t expect is that the Fotia and Libet empire would be crazy enough to just send two people... That way you escaped the ambush point without knowing it... Lucky you... Or should I say unlucky?" The creed statue said with an amused tone making Derik frown. It what this man said then they were truly lucky to have decided toe here alone but were they truly lucky? "And what stops you from recalling the force and have them nk us from behind now? That way there is nowhere for us to go" Derik asked. "Like I said before... I can guess the limitations of Lucien Rakzuen but you are an unknown factor... You do not belong to this world... Sending the army here is just me blustering your alreadyrge army of the undead... Should I let something like this happen, you won''t need anyone''s help to find the creed and overwhelm us with sheer numbers... I will just have to keep my conflict with you at the barest minimum until I can find a way to deal with you properly" The creed leader spoke. "That sounds nice but I''m guessing that doesn''t mean you will let me enter this dungeon without a fight... Right?" Derik asked. "If I can kill you here... The creed''s n will progress by a huge leap so no, I won''t give up on this opportunity" The statue said as it entered a fighting stance. Chapter 215: Strength of a Seer Chapter 215: Strength of a Seer Hearing these words Derik chuckled and slowly stretched while gazing at the god descent statue with cold eyes and murderous res. "Kill me? Everyone who has made such statements has failed" Derik said coldly as he took bold steps forward as his body leaned forward, preparing to pounce on the enemy at any moment. "You have never met anyone like me" The god descent statue said calmly, ignoring Derik''s intimidating advances. "Anyone like you? Bitch! I have killed men twice as capable as you are!" Derik growled before shooting forward! His body shot forward like an arrow as he shed downwards with his green soul scythe but just before his weapon could make contact with the statue it took a small step to the left, barely evading the attack! Bang! As Derik''s body flew forward, the statue struck down with its elbow, knocking him down to the ground with so much force, Derik spat out a mouthful of blood while the two sides of his body curved upwards while his torso dug deep into the ground, creating a bone-cracking sound. When did he dodge? When did he counterattack? How can he dodge from that distance? Did he see it alling? Countless questions ran through Derik''s mind as he felt the air in his lungs get pulled out forcefully. "Die!" The statue said as it raised its fist and struck down but before it reached Derik it stopped and jumped out of the way. AZURE DRAGON ROAR!! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! At that moment a powerful blue beam of light shot at the statue''s previous position and just a second after Lucien could be seen standing beside Derik''s body with an amused look on his face. "I left you only for a few minutes and this is what I see?" Lucien sneered but Derik remained silent and slowly rose to his feet. His facecked all forms of emotions as he acknowledged he got beat down previously because he acted too impulsively and let his emotions get the best of him. He didn''t argue with Lucien, neither did he get pissed at the enemy, instead he just analyzed what just happened and tried to understand the true ability and pathway of the creed leader. "You are no fun" Lucienmented when he realized Derik wasn''t talking back, instead he focused on the enemy ahead and tried to consider his next move. "The creed leader follows the seer pathway... The ability to see the future and to an advanced level he can see slightly into the future in battle... That''s why he was able to evade our attacks effortlessly" Lucien said and Derik frowned. Everything finally made sense and he finally understood why things weren''t going his way in the short exchange. His eyes revealed strong killing intentions as he charged forward once again but this time, without the death scythe. His primary choice of weapon vanished as the green chains returned,shing at the stone statue violently! Even with the numbers advantage and speed, the statue gracefully evaded all the attacks easily without one getting a hit on it! Whoosh! "We move in together!" Lucien growled as his figure appeared behind the statue with darkish blue lightning circling his fists as he threw a punch forward! Wam! The massive stone figure crouched quickly to evade the attack and its body spun as it threw a powerful kick directed at Lucien''s waist. Peng! The stone leg struck the zing blue azure dragon spear before sending him flying! Lucien felt his arms go numb as the kick connected, sending him flying to the less. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Lucien grounded his feet on the ground to prevent his body from losing bnce. Before he couldpletely regain control over his body, the stone statue could be seen chasing after him with killing intentions in its eyes. ROAR!!! Lucien let out a roar while spitting out a powerful beam of blue aura but the stone statue sidestepped, evading the attack! With a few well-aimed side steps, it closed the distance between it and Lucien throwing a powerful punch aimed at his skull! "Get Lost!" Derik growled as he grabbed Lucien and tossed him back while throwing a punch of his own! Boom! A powerful shockwave urred as the two fists collided, sending Lucien flying even farther! Bone-shattering sounds could be heard but Derik still wore the same wild look on his face! Crack! Crack! His knuckles returned to their rightful position as his injuries healed at an rming rate that made but Kylie and the viewers stunned. The current Derik was no human! His hair had grown longer with each string of hair standing! His eyes kept on releasing powerful green light and his teeth had fangs with his hands having ws! Seeing this version of Derik without the armor, giving off a very ferocious aura, many were stunned. "In the face of true strength, all forms of tricks are useless!" Derik growled with his unusually deep voice as he charged forward again! Bang! Bang! Bang! In just a few seconds both sides had traded hundreds of punches! While the statue dodged many andnded clean hits, Derik''s healing factor kept him standing and going as he kept releasing a flurry of punches aimed at the enemy! At first, his punches were blocked and parried but soon he begannding a few blows, leaving the statue with numerous cracks on his body. Bang! Derik received a powerful punch to the center of the chest sending him, skidding backward. He felt his chest cave in and his body trying to fix just injuries but the stone statue had increased its attack speed, dealing more damage than he can heal at a given time! "DON''T FORGET ABOUT ME!" Lucien growled as he sped his hands together and a massive azure blue serpent dragon head appeared from the clouds! A powerful beam of blue light could be seen striking down like a divine judgment, shooting towards the stone statue! Boom! The beam struck the ground creating a ten-meter-deep crater but when everywhere cleared up and the dust settled down, the stone statue was not there! It dodged the attack! Chapter 216: Strange painting Chapter 216: Strange painting "I missed?" Lucien was breathing heavily as he gazed at the empty hole on the ground and frowned. His body trembled since he put in so much power into summoning that massive dragon head and even right now his legs were quaking barely able to carry his body. Whoosh! A figure appeared behind him, throwing a powerful right hook aimed for the skull but before it could reach a green sh appeared between the stone statue and Lucien and that was Derik! "GET BACK!!!" Derik growled like a wild beast as he brandished his ws at the exposed stone first heading for Lucien''s skull! SECRET COMBAT TECHNIQUE: BRILLIANT CLAW!!! Derik''z w released waves of green aura, surging dangerously! With just a single w swipe, Derik severed the stone arm almost effortlessly! "You!!!" The stone statue growled as it tried to pull back but Derik had no intentions of letting this opportunity pass by! "Who said you can leave?" Derik''s eyes released dangerous lights as an intense darkish green aura exploded from his body, taking the shape of a werewolf standing on its hind legs! "Secret technique: Werewolves Roar!!!" ROAR!!! Derik let out an intimidating roar as the werewolf avatar out a furious cry and charged forward. Whoosh! Just before it could hit the god descent statue, the statue sidestepped to evade the attack but it soon saw Derik right in front of it! "I am the absolute!" Derik roared as he swung both ws upwards, releasing w-shaped energy projectiles at the statue! Leaping to the side the statue evaded the attack but then its eyes widened as the roar of a werewolf could be heard from behind and the massive werewolf figure descended from above smashing into it and pinning it to the ground! "NOW!" Derik and Lucien growled as both of them lunged into the air with the grip on their weapons tightened as they struck forward! While Lucien released a powerful wave of scorching blue mes, Derik released an arc of intense death aura! BOOM! BOOM! Thud! Both figuresnded roughly and slid back as they tried to recover. They both took in heavy breathes and waited for the dust to settle in hopes of seeing a destroyed statue. Whoosh! A strong wind blew away the dust and they saw the statue standing with both hands destroyed, numerous holes and countless cracks on its body. The bright silver light in its eyes was no longer as strong as it use to be and both of them could feel the power fading. "You two are only a minor setback... When the timees for me to reveal myself... You will all die painful deaths!" The statue roared before itpletely crumbled and broke apart into numerous pieces. Huff! Both men released sighs of relief as they fell on their backs and just breathed in. Never have either of them been involved in a series of intense battles. The oue could have gone sideways at any time and their hearts were always beating fast all through the battle! Scary but exciting! "That was awesome!" Lucien said after a while and Derik nodded in agreement. While Derik has always been used to getting involved in one-sided battles, no matter how many they are, he just overwhelms them with sheer number and power, but today he found himself in a battle where the oue was so unpredictable he even considered the possibility of losing while fighting! "Yea... They put up a really good fight" Derik responded while trying to stabilize his breathing. "I think I would have run out of mana a long time ago if I didn''t have Rakuzen''s backing" Lucien said and Derikughed. "Same here... My condition is a bit special so, I cannot be affected by the mana scarcity in the area" Derik replied with a slightugh. Kylie and Instructor Emma watched as the two men bonded and talked whileughing. The two empires watching through the transmission crystal watched what was going on and honestly didn''t know how to deal with this matter. These are empires known for hating each other but as for Derik and Lucien who just joined hands to win such an intense and crazy battle so people felt that the synergy they had in battle, making it almost impossible for them to criticize the bond these two just showed in battle. The battle finally ended and after a few minutes, Derik and Lucien rose on their feet before gazing at the two girls and signaling them toe over. With the stronghold destroyed and nothing else left to do, Lucien and Derik walked towards the purple portal and felt it calling out to them. They approached slowly as the voice in their head got stronger and before they could even consider leaving Derik and Lucien were suddenly pulled into it by an unknown force, leaving Emma and Kylie stunned and dumbfounded. The entrance to the dungeon had vanished and since this is the first time something like this is happening, everyone was too confused and stunned to do something about it. They could only watch and wait while hoping Derik and Lucienes out of this alive. Meanwhile, Derik and Lucien felt their body getting pulled by an unknown force through what seemed to be like a light tunnel! Bang! They were both thrown on the floor when they reached the end of the light tunnel. "What the hell was that?" Lucien muttered but Derik ignored him and surveyed the surroundings and he was stunned by what he saw. The entire cave was like an underground crystal mine where only bright crystals can be seen. Each of these crystals contains intensive mana, beneficial for cultivation but that''s not what caught their attention... What caught Derik''s attention was the painting at the ceiling of the d Cave, leaving them dumbfounded. While Lucien had a rough idea of what he saw but was still a little bit confused, Derik understood everything perfectly! His eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists and growled. "I will not be anyone''s ything! Do you hear me?!!!" Derik growled as his aura exploded, surging dangerously. Chapter 217: Truth about the realms Chapter 217: Truth about the realms The painting above revealed countless god veins in space with each and every one of them possessing a being with a shadowy figure looking over it! There were more paintings of those shadowy figures removing a god vein and putting in new ones. Even though their face could not be seen, the look in their eyes was that of amusement! While many would believe that those beings are the gods of the world, Derik knew it wasn''t. a god''s power is limited! Even a realm protector cannot destroy a god vein! That''s why ke was trying to swallow the god vein, Derik knew he would die no matter how badass his devour power is! Those beings in the picture are the celestial beings far beyond their level, putting in new god veins and destroying the old ones. This reminded him the time of his god vein has passed and soon the celestial beings will seek to remove it just like they did to the world of the old gods when he was little. Cyrus, Elsa, Blink, Clovis, and everyone is still there! He promised to create the perfect world there and he had done it! There was no way he would let someone kill off any being swoop in and crush them as if they are just ants! "What is mine will not be taken away Never again!" Derik hissed as his aura slowly died down and his temper turned calm. Lucien just stood there and watched in silence! Just like Derik suspected, Lucien felt those beings are the gods but in truth, they are the celestial beings. He didn''t know why Derik suddenly red up but he knew everyone has his scar and deepest pains to deal with. For every reason, there is a reason and for someone to be the god of death and destruction in his world, killing all the gods anding for their world, he knew Derik had a reason. He also knew Derik had a reason for seeking Rakuzen''s power and he also knew there is a reason Derik gave up on killing him for now. Maybe he made a deal with Rakuzen while he was unconscious or he just had a change of heart, Lucien didn''t mind. There are many things he didn''t know now but he wasn''t bothered since he assumed Rakuzen was keeping it away from him for his own good. "No one else could get in The girls are stuck outside! Don''t you find that strange about a dungeon?" Lucien said and Derik looked behind him and yawned. "This is no dungeon This may as well be considered the core of the god vein For a god vein this advanced, the core decides who goes in and who stays out! Those two have no business here since they will not be a part of the struggle about to take ce!" Derik exined briefly and walked towards the exit of the room and Derik chased after him! At the exit of the massive crystal, the room was crystal stairs leading to deeper parts of the core. These crystals let out bright rainbow-like colors, illuminating the darkroom and on the walls were pictures and images of the celestial beings and their goals. The celestial beings, knowingly create inferior god veins and slowly upgrade them with time! These god veins lead to more powerful gods, slowly making the old gods who do not invade fade away in time and die off. This sequence of activities aims to bring out the strongest in the realm and add them to their forces! As Derik exined while going down, Lucien couldn''t help but tremble each time he was told more about the world he lived in. Even if he reaches the god realm, he will end up dying at the hands of celestial beings who see him as a ything? Seeing this Lucien frowned and tried hard to understand what was going on. He remembered Rakuzen''s story, about how he reached the celestial realm by consuming everything with his beast assimtion ability, quickly reaching the ranks of the peak beings. Once he reached the celestial realm, he was at first ignored but when he proved to be stronger than even the most powerful celestial beings due to the nature of his power and authority, they joined hands just to kill him! That story remains fresh in Lucien''s mind and today he understood why something like that happened. They are not supposed to reach the realm of the celestial and Lucien understood why now. He finally realized why Derik wanted this power and his ultimate goal! To be the ultimate being that can protect this realm against the celestial beings. The more he knew about Derik, the harder Lucien found it to hate him. Everything so far has be a bit more clearer and he too realized the reason Derik left him alive. "So why didn''t you kill me when you had the chance?" Lucien asked Derik who was gazing at one of the paintings. "Because there is strength in numbers... If I consumed you and had your powers and mine in this body, I would still find it a lot more difficult to win the battle we just won today" Derik said with a slight frown on his face. The next picture he saw was that of the elves and other races invading a new continent! This continent and destroying everything within it! On normal asions this wouldn''t mean much but based on the little knowledge Derik had of how this should y out, he is an anomaly! This event shouldn''t have happened this soon. Both continents were meant to nurture more powerful gods and prepare for the battle as the veil separating the gods of the different continents will drop and both sides will sh in a life and death battle. But Derik''s appearance brought about the defeat of the gods of this continent even before the battle began. Seeing this as an opportunity to gain an easy victory, these gods from a different continent can only start the invasion with their worshippers since the veil is yet to drop. As long as their worshipers can wipe out the human and beast-man race here, the gods of this continent will not be able to recover their power before the veil drops since there is no source through which they can get the power of faith! Chapter 218: Shocking fact Chapter 218: Shocking fact Derik shared his findings with Lucien dumbfounded and since Lucien already knew about the invasion he wasn''t too shocked, he was only stunned by the reason for the sudden invasion! Thinking about this, he knew the gods of the new continent will end up using the god''s descent ritual to allow themselves to get involved in the war and boost their chances of victory. They were gonna go against gods in the body of mortals! And this exined why the creed leader kept emphasizing the defeat of the continent and how everyone should submit to him if they wish to survive. With the power of the seer on his side, he can gain the tactical advantage in the war, and even after the war, when everyone directs his power of faith to him, his strength will rise at an rming speed, allowing him to far surpass the level of gods and enter the level of realm protectors! In that realm, the creed leader is sure he will be able to take on the gods of the other world alone. "If we follow his n, he definitely won''t share power...He will kill us and consume us to gain his powers and he will most likely kill the weakened gods, consume their powers and elevate their strength to reach the same level as the celestial beings... A nice n but I don''t trust him... I won''t put the fate of my family in the hand of a psychopath" Derik said and Lucien nodded in agreement. While Derik may not have said it, he believed the god descent statue they just fought us nothingpared to the real thing. He strongly believed that the Creed can see more than the future! His power as a seeker is so overpowered, that''s why he believes he should be the sole god in this world and realm! Thinking about this, Derik entertained the thoughts of consuming this man and gaining the power of this man. He could further improve his abilities and reach a level where he can truly be invincible! While they walked down the stairs Derik considered his next sort of actions and what kind of martial technique to develop and follow. He knew a lot about the various martial techniques in this world and honestly, he didn''t find any of them interesting or special. He knew something about the world right now and he couldn''t help but say that the current pathways are nothing special. The God of death in this world Dakar is just a mage with shadow magic and hisbat technique allowed him to solidify his shadow! Just like that, otherbat techniques improve one''s abilities by little means, like that one that returns a man to his peak condition and this martial technique is only useful when you and your opponent are old! He currently had enough souls stored in his body to force a direct breakthrough into the spirit realm, where he can form his Martina technique. "I think, at the point, ke can be used as the best example" Derik muttered to himself as he shut his eyes tight while walking down the crystal stairs. He slowly opened his eyes to see the bottom of the stairs and three figures standing there. While one was dressed in a golden sleeveless robe the other two were dressed in white robes. "We have visitors" The golden-robed man said with a smile as he looked towards the stairs. He had bright gray hair with a perfect set of white teeth and slightly pale skin. Judging based on his demeanor one would assume he is a nice person but Derik could see his rotting soul concealing his evil intentions. The other two behind him wore white masks and gloves, preventing people from seeing any part of their bodies. "CREED" Derik called out calmly as they reached the foot of the stairs but he wasn''t on guard like Lucien, he looked rather calm. "I know the Emperor of Fotia... He killed my brother... But you I do not know" The man in the golden robeughed lightly as he spoke making Lucien frown but Derik showed no emotions. He just nced around and yawned before walking past them. Ignoring their questions Derik walked past them and towards the massive door at the other end of the room. He touched the door calmly and patiently gazed at the pictures on the door. Meanwhile, Lucien stood with the azure blue dragon spear in his hands and with a tightened grip his leaned forward as if he was about to pounce on the enemy. "You killed my brother... I am curious to know how he lost within his anomaly to a warrior realm child?" The creed pir said with a kind smile on his face, making Lucien hiss at the enemy. Hearing this Lucien frowned! The fact that this Creed pir didn''t know how his brother died meant that the Creed leader is not open about everything. If this person knew the Creed leader is the one responsible for his brother''s death, would he still fight for the Creed? "Don''t be stupid... What makes you think a warrior realm child can defeat a champion realm master in his anomaly?" Lucien said and the man in golden robes stopped smiling. His face twisted a bit in unnatural ways as he considered what Lucien said and found it reasonable. A champion realm master is not someone that can be killed by a kid, especially one at the warrior realm. "Tell me what happened" The man was no longer smiling and he asked coldly. Meanwhile, Derik was paying attention to the massive wall and he couldn''t help but frown. He ignored Lucien who narrated the story of how he was defeated by the champion realm master and how he managed to survive due to the Creed leader''s intervention. He told the creed pir about the offer made to him by the leader of the creed organization and what happened when he escaped the illusion and how he finished off the enemy in a bid to escape the crumbling anomaly. Chapter 219: Saved again Chapter 219: Saved again While Lucien exined everything that happened the creed pir listened attentively. Surprisingly, the Creed pir was in no hurry, neither did he interrupt Lucien or show any sign of aggressiveness, he just listened attentively while Derik studied the paintings on the massive Crystal door. "That''s all that happened... If you have someone to me, it''s your leader, not me... I even find it dumb that you suspected a warrior realm kid could beat a champion realm master in his anomaly! I know I have pulled off some crazy stunts over the years but this is far beyond my capability! Even if I were to fight you in your anomaly right now, my chances of losing are pretty high" Lucien said thoughtfully. He didn''t hide his weaknesses and was honest about his strength. Unknown to him, the Creed pir appreciated this and had a better impression of Lucien. "I feel dumb for even considering the possibility... Back then you were an unknown... Taking on Spirit realm masters with a warrior realm cultivation level! How could I not consider the possibility?" The creed pir said with a serious look on his face. Hearing this Lucien found it extremely reasonable. Only he knew the extent Rakuzen''s assistance could get him, so it was normal for no one to know his limits at that time. His strength and abilities have always been shrouded in mystery and that''s why everyone believed he was able to defeat the Creed pir from the spirit beast pathway. No one even questioned him or chose to investigate the matter even further and he guessed the Creed leader did not expose the part he yed in the defeat of the creed pir just to maintain his godly and caring image in the eyes of his followers. "What do you n to do now?" Lucien asked while shooting the two hooded figures standing behind the man in silence and frowned. They were like statues and if one lost sight of them for a moment their presence can be easily forgotten! "I will definitely have a chat with the lord... But then I still have to kill you... You still struck the killing blow... Your story only made me forgive my foolish brother for dying at the hands of a weakling... If the lord didn''t interfere, you won''t be standing right now... As his sworn brother I will finish what he started!" The creed pir said. Whoosh! Lucien was about to reply but then he noticed something was wrong! Looking to the side he realized a pool of blood at both sides and then two lizard-like demonic creatures dragged off the ground by bone spikes that erupted from below. When did they attack? When did they move? How did I not notice them? Seeing this a cold sweat ran down Lucien''s forehead as he noticed the white robes and masks were lying on the floor now! Those who wore it had attacked him the moment he took his eyes off of them and focused on the creed pir for a split second! If Derik didn''t interfere, he would have been dead already! "Demon Kin pathway... Kamira demon beasts are known for hiding their presence and slipping through a person''s range of perception and into his blind spot... You should be careful Lucien, lots of things can kill you in his world" Derik said dryly while he kept studying paintings on the crystal door. "Ooh? Another strong one appears in the mortal realm? If I may ask... Who are you?" The creed pir finally recognized Derik''s presence and turned around to gaze at him. The youth gazing at the paintings may look a bit mature but he could tell this kid was no more than fourteen years! Only if someone gets fooled by the calm and matured air around him will they think he is older. "Me? I am the one who killed the Phoenix emperor and crippled your gods... It''s a pity you look death in the face and fail to recognize him" Derik yawned while he continued studying the paintings, not even bothering to shoot the man a nce. Hearing his response, the man retreated in shock, and for the first time, his calm demeanor vanished and was filled with fear! "DERIK ANGUS!" He cried out before covering his mouth in fear as if he had made a big mistake. He could remember the Creed leader warning them of the god of destruction and death about to attack their and wreak havoc! The pirs were specifically warned not to call his name for any reason and yet just did it. Hearing his name, Derik finally stopped what he was doing and turned to face the Creed pir. His eyes released a green sh of light and his smile revealed his fangs! Seeing Derik gaze at him, the man was terrified and he even believed Derik was purposefully suppressing his aura to look weak, with the mortal realm as his cultivation base. He finally realized who two people were able to break through their stronghold and break through their defenses in a short time, before barging into this ce. "You have some matters so I will let this slide, just this once! But keep it in mind... No one calls my name in vain" Derik said calmly with a wild grin. "You are supposed to be dead... Your powers were suppressed! I personally watched your body burn to ashes!" The creed pir said but Derik only chuckled. "Have you ever heard of death, dying? Doesn''t that sound stupid? I simply took a new body... Do not fear my powers are still suppressed by this body and the world... For what it''s worth, I am not as strong as I was when I fought the Phoenix emperor" Derik said with a cruel smile. Only after hearing this did the creed leader calm down and look at Derik again. Since Derik imed he is not as strong as he was when he faced the Phoenix Emperor, doesn''t that mean he has a chance? "Also, you have to die... This is a ce of inheritance... It''s not for side characters like you" Derik said as his death aura exploded violently! Chapter 220: Creed Leader returns Chapter 220: Creed Leader returns Side character? Inheritance? Hearing those words from Derik, both Lucien and the Creed pir were stunned and confused. They knew Derik wasn''t bluffing when he spoke about the inheritance, meaning he already deciphered the secrets of this room. They all felt tensed as they gazed at Derik in silence, hoping he would exin more about his understanding of the paintings. "In my world, there is what we call the core of the god vein There the world''s inheritance is hidden From there the real power of the new gods is acquired and the absolute beings are created This is that door! And from everything I know, I can tell that you shouldn''t be here" Derik said with a bright smile as he pointed at the creed pir. "What do you mean? If there are inheritances for new gods, then the inheritance belonging to the demon kin should be there as well!" The creed pir said and Derik nodded in agreement, leaving him even more dumbfounded. "The creed pirs are the product of a sealed artifact and not cultivation! Your power was granted to you You did not cultivate to reach this level This gate does not recognize you as a cultivator and that''s why it remains shut tight Since there is no other way out The only way is forward and that means you have to die" Derik said coldly as his aura slowly gathered around him as he grew ws, fangs, and fur. Hearing this everyone was stunned, including Lucien who didn''t even consider this. Judging based on the stunning expression the Creed pirs face, it was clear that Derik wasn''t lying and had somehow discerned the true source of their power! But how could he tell within his first contact with the creed? Is it an educated guess or just him rambling about the crazy theories in his head? Crack! Crack! Crack! Bone-breaking sounds could be heard as Derik could be seen struggling and gritting his teeth in pain! He staggered as his clothes tore and his hands and legs twisted in ways it shouldn''t! Unlike his former world, he never had to go through this much pain just for a single transformation! Bang! Derik dropped to the ground on all fours after transforming into a massive darkish green-furred magic beast with bright green eyes. It was over eight feet tall with arge build and a ferocious aura that could make even the bravest men feel unsure of themselves! Seeing Derik in his Lycan form, even Lucien was slightly terrified and he instinctively took a step back. It was like a massive wolf staring down on an average-sized human! "Forgive me but I have no hard feelings I just don''t wish to waste more time before consuming my second inheritance and bing a peak existence!"Derik half growled when he spoke, making the enemy tremble! The creed pir took some steps back and suddenly stopped. His eyes turned pure white and countless mana circuits appeared all over his body, making Derik frown and Lucien retreat to Derik''s side. Right now they secretly prayed this is not what they were thinking and they hoped they won''t be dragged into another intense battle again! Wam! Derik had no intentions of letting the creed leaderpletely take over the body of the enemy before striking so he charged forward. With his massive wsced with death aura, Derik struck at the enemy with pure killing intentions but his attack was met with a bright silver barrier and even though the enemy was sent flying, he was not damaged by Derik''s death aura! Bang! The Creed pir crashed into the crystal stairs but did not utter a sound of pain or fear. he remained down for a second or two before rising to his feet like a puppet pulled up with strings. "To think one of my puppets would actively resist my God''s descent, you must have told him, I am the reason his brother died? That is the only reason I can think of" The Creed leader said with a calm voice that irritated Derik and made him growl, yet the man maintained the amused look on his face. "I hate your voice" Derik remained calm as he slowly approached the man who chuckled in response. "You knew about this ce and never nned on letting him gain the inheritance Using the god''s descent you can attain your seeker inheritance without your bodying here" Lucien said as he notice the massive door opening and Derik frowned. He finally understood why the creed put in so much manpower to protect this operation! If this man can attain his inheritance, not only will his injuries be cured but he will transcend into the god realm! There is no way, Derik is letting him pass. "For the sake of the creed! Everything I do is for the sake of the creed and this continent why do you all fail to understand this?" The creed leader asked but Deri ignored it and summoned a massive bone gate the block the open entrance into the god vein core! Seeing this the Creedmander frowned. It was obvious Derik and Lucien were not listening and judging from their aura, the creed leader knew he was just about a few seconds from getting attacked by these two[ "You sincerely pick a violent option over a peaceful one?" The man asked Lucien who snorted in response. "This is the only option" Lucien said as the azure dragon spear in his hands vanished and was reced by powerful bolts of ck lightning surging dangerously. "Do you really think you have a chance against me?!!" The creed leader growled as he kept his eyes on the two figures circling him. "If even if for a single moment you assumed we were going all out on you back there, then you are the fool here" Derik growled lightly as he circled the enemy. "None of that matters! You barely defeated me when I had a statue body but now I have the body of a human with the champion realm cultivation, you will know soon! Chapter 221: Inferior Chapter 221: Inferior "None of that matters! You barely defeated me when I had a statue body but now I have the body of a human with the champion realm cultivation, you will know soon!" The creed leader growled as his silver eyes shed brightly but Derik and Lucien didn''t shiver or show any sign of fear. They slowly circled the enemy waiting for the right time to strike. Without being told, these two already knew the consequences of their actions and what to expect when fighting powerful demon kin with the ability of a seer surging through his veins. They even believed that the creed leader couldn''t use any reasonable ability thest time they fought simply because the statute restricted its strength in so many ways. Right now they were ready to meet an enemy with even more abilities and incredible power! "You sincerely underestimate how much we held back while saving our energy for this fight!" Derik growled before charging forward. His massive figure stomped the ground once and then vanished! Bang! Bang! Loud footsteps could be heard on the wall and then the ceiling before him appeared, shooting down on the enemy ferociously! "Slow!!" The creedmander growled as he jumped out of the way but then his eyes trembled a massive figure appeared behind him and pped its massive ws at him! At this moment, Derik was sure he wouldnd a strike but then he felt a disturbance that he couldn''t exin. It was an unexinable feeling causing him to halt his attack but he also noticed that the Creed leader had stopped moving as well. Even if he continued his attacks, he wouldn''t have hit this man since he abruptly stopped out of nowhere. Derik frowned as he felt a strange power surging around him, it waszily struggling with his huge body but then gave up and vanished. "How is it not working on you?" The creed leader said with a frown but Derik was even more enraged. He had suspected this kind of thing may be possible but he had always hoped that this world would not give away something so crazy. "You piece of shit... You seriously tried that shit on me?" Derik said with a raised eyebrow and a powerful murderous intention surging forth! The feeling was like his body was going to make a movement that he normally wouldn''t have made. It was like recing his original thought with another thought that shouldn''t even be there! As a man with a powerful god soul, Derik quickly detected the changes and halted his actions. "The seer pathway cannot only see the future but it can also shape the future... Unfortunately, the power is not useful when going against enemies at the same level or greater... Your strength only looks godly in the eyes of enemies weaker than you" Derik sneered as he began approaching once again with his fangs revealed. [You have my protection... you don''t need to hesitate... I have dealt with it before, I will do it again!] Rakuzen''s voice echoed in Lucien''s mind, prompting him to move forward as well. Originally Lucien was a bit reluctant to move forward after Derik revealed the power of manipting one''s future! But then he considered some options and tried to find out why this man didn''t use it on him when he tried to get him to join the Creed? The only answer he could think of was, the creed leader used it on him! He may have used it but it didn''t work! Why didn''t it work? Rakuzen was the only answer he could think of! Even then he was still reluctant until Rakzuen finally spoke up and he got enough confidence to approach the enemy! While they slowly approached the enemy, Lucien couldn''t help but steal nces at Derik. Not only was this man incredibly strong but his perception and wisdom in battle are unraveled! He was able to guess the method through which the creed pirs get their powers just on the first meeting! He predicted a lot that happened in the previous battles and put up countermeasures and even now hepletelyprehended the enemy''s abilities just after feeling it for the first time! [His battle intuition is perfect! That is why he was able to dominate his world! If there is someone you should ever try to be like, it should be him and not me] Rakzuen admitted and Lucien nodded in agreement! Seeing his trump card didn''t work, the creed leader could only rely on his foresight and the strength of a champion realm demon kin cultivator! "You two really underestimate the power of a demon kin" the creed leader growled as his aura turned red and exploded consuming him entirely! When the red aura cleared, a massive 8 feet figure with gray hair, a red ooni mask, and a pair of red horns with one slightly bigger than the other. Its body wasrge and robust, its skin color was gray and it had a ck iron mace, drenched in blood. This demon kin was as big as Derik''s demon werewolf, so when both figures stood tall gazing at each other with cold and murderous eyes, Lucien felt intimidated! This is clearly not a fight he has the right to get involved in such a battle. Gazing at the two juggernauts, Lucien knew he would barely stand a chance against them with his current strength and when an anomaly is activated, Lucien would be left helpless again! "This is yourst chance... Let me get the seeker inheritance and everyone leaves this ce in one piece" The creed leader said with a stern and threatening tone but even then the massive werewolf did not show any sign of fear. He gazed at his enemy as if he just saw an idiot. "You fail to understand the predicament you are in... You are in no position to make demands" Derik said calmly as he took another bold step forward and the enemy frowned. The way Derik spoke showed he had absolute confidence in his strength here and even without Lucien he will win the fight! This made the creed leader uncertain and terrified! Chapter 222: Understanding Chapter 222: Understanding The massive Ooni demon gazed at the werewolf with uncertainty in its glowing red eyes. The absolute confidence oozing out of Derik is something he is used to having while others remain restless but right now he was the one experiencing it and he didn''t find it pleasant! He felt like Derik was toying with his mind by not even attacking and even though his grip on the bloodied mace was hard, he still couldn''t find the strength to lift his weapon against Derik! Something was telling him that if he attacked now, he will lose! What was even more shocking was that his senses were screaming out in fear! Every part of this body was terrified of Derik and reluctant to make a move, leading him to believe that Derik was using somewhat of mind torture technique to subdue him but in reality, Derik wasn''t doing anything. "Get inside there, kid... Consume your inheritance... Make it yours and you will be sent out... For now, I will deal with this little problem alone" The massive green wolf said with an indifferent look on its face. "This..." Hearing this Lucien was stunned by Derik''s gesture of kindness and didn''t know how to react immediately. He gazed at the massive werewolf, loss of words, and didn''t know what to say. [Getting involved in this level of fight will only make you a hindrance... He is also doing himself a favor... By the way, you have already seen the paintings and what Derik hopes to fight against... He chose the path of protecting the realm from the celestial beings that believe we are their ythings... I once tried to fight them alone and lost... But with both of you, there is a chance of victory! A chance of suppressing all the supreme forces that think they can just y with our lives and get away with it! Don''t waste this opportunity!] Rakuzen said and Lucien finally understood why Derik didn''t kill him back then. Derik hade to this world to consume the soul of a celestial being, Rakuzen, use that power to push himself into breaking through into the celestial realm. As the peak existence of his world, he knew about the existence of the celestial beings and no matter how it looked, Derik found it infuriating. Aftering in contact with him and Rakuzen, the old god had a change of heart and decided to let them live. It wouldn''t hurt to have a capable ally by his side in this lonely journey! "Go on kid... This will be over before you know it" Derik said again but this time he didn''t bother looking at Lucien. He kept walking towards the huge demon kin. "Get in a good punch for me!" Lucien said after a few moments of silence and charged towards the open gate of the core! Upon arrival, the bone wall blocking the path split open and Lucien dashed in! "AND WHO SAID YOU CAN LEAVE?!!" The Creed leader growled as his massive body vanished crossing the gap between them and the gate in a single breath! It raised its iron ck mace and it quickly it up with red mes as he struck down at Lucien!. ROAR!!! Following the loud cry, a massive figure appeared beside the ooni demon and struck it from the side, sending it crashing into the crystal wall by the side. " I don''t remember saying you can leave either" Derik said calmly as he gazed at the fallen demon kin with a hint of disgust in his eyes. Seeing this Lucien was reassured and ran into the portal while wondering how Derik was able to bypass this beast''s ability to see the future. "You...." The creed leader muttered as he struggled to get on his feet. He gazed at Derik as if he was some sort of monster and his fearful emotions acted as a source of energy, strengthening the death god even more. "How is it possible? How can I not see your future?" The creed leader cried out in fear and Derik revealed a wide grin in response. "All this while you have been fighting me with the suppression of the god vein ced on this body... But in here, there is no suppression... You want to see the future of a true god? Laughable fool... You are nothing!" Derik said as he dashed towards the enemy once again! Whoosh! "Die!" The Creed leader growled at the top of his lungs as he struck forward with the ck iron mace engulfed in red me but Derik was gone. Bang! The massive green wolf could be seen standing on the ceiling above the creed leader before propelling himself down while engulfing his body in darkish green mes! "DIE!" The creed leader growled like a wounded beast as he engulfed his body with bright red mes and struck upward! BOOM!!! Following a powerful shockwave, red and green aura flew around carelessly! The seemingly unbreakable crystal walls and the ground suddenly began to crack as the massive ooni demon felt its leg bones shiver and crack under the pressure! Whoosh! Boom! At thest moment, it jumped out of the way with much effort, allowing Derik to crush its metal mace with ease and create a one-meter-deep crater below, causing it to frown! It can''t control its future! It can''t see its future! It can''t beat it in free and fairbat! At this moment it realized the difference between it and Derik was 1ike heaven and earth! The skill level and talent were just too far apart! Not to talk about magic! "I REFUSE TO BELIEVE I AM INFERIOR!!!" The creed leader growled as it sped its hands together and when he slowly released it a massive ring slowly formed, taking the shape of a demonic gate. While the gate was getting summoned, Derik returned to his human form bug he was much older than he looked before. He had returned to his original form when he fought the Phoenix emperor. He looked much older, like a man in his early twenties! He was back to his peak condition in this world! No different from a peak gold realm master in his old world! Chapter 223: Three inheritances! Chapter 223: Three inheritances! Huff! Derik breathed out heavily as he steadied himself and let the power circte through his evolved body. He had nned to remain younger and didn''t expect changing to his Lycan form will trigger the unexpected growth. Right now he could feel his strength was back to his peak and just like before when he invaded this realm, he was at the spirit realm now. He broke through without knowing! If others should hear about this, they will most likely die of envy! "This will be troublesome when I get back" Derik considered his life back at the Libet empire and considered how the royal family will react, talking less of the noble families. "It doesn''t even matter... They have already seen me in my partial werewolf transformation so there should be a lot of doubt already... Right now I can onlye clean and if they reject me... I will just kill the emperor and take his ce... " Derik said dully while pushing his hair back. His eyes revealed bright green light as he saw the gate created by the creed leader gettingrger, making him chuckle! ''This dude is really going all out... Does he think he has a chance against me within his domain?'' Derik thought and couldn''t help butugh. He thought about beating this man in his anomaly but he soon decided to forgo the n. Regaining his full power and bing the realm protector again in a person''s anomaly should be a secret he should keep until he meets the real body of this demigod. Only when he can meet the main body of this man is he allowed to go all out! "I will kill you and take what''s mine!" The creed leader growled as he pushed forward and the spinning wheel-shaped passageway shot towards Derik like a projectile. In this situation, everyone would expect Derik to dodge or get sucked in but the unexpected happened. "YOU AINT SHIT!" Derik growled as he punched forward and his darkish green aura surged forward overwhelming the age! Before the gate could even reach Derik it exploded, leaving nothing behind! How? He destroyed the gate leading to the anomaly with one attack! Is that even possible? He wanted to speak but he realized Derik was gone! Turning around he felt Derik ce his index finger on his forehead gently! "You...," The creed leader muttered as he slowly began to rot. He had lost the strength in his body. He watched Derik''s indifferent look while his body slowly rotted and he couldn''t help but frown. The look on Derik''s face showed he just killed any other average opponent! Even if Derik won, who gave him the right to look down on him like that? "Don''t get cocky! When next we meet, it will be my main body! Then we will settle the score!" The Creed leader growled as he slowly vanished. "Kill me? Next time we meet? It is a thousand years too early for you to challenge me, kid!" Derik hissed before turning around and walking towards the massive gate. The bone wall in his path crumbled as he approached with a wild look on his face! Now that he has been reborn and is about to consume the second inheritance, why won''t he be excited? "Finally, I have taken a step forward towards bing the absolute being of this world!" Derik said with a bright smile on his face as he stepped into the darkness beyond the door and vanished! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Within the darkness, Lucien felt like he was put in a semi-sleep state! While he could not open his eyes or move, he could feel and sense his surrounding! With him at the center, three beings could be seen circling him! One represented a dragon, the second represented the Phoenix and the third represented the Rakuzen god beast. Rakuzen, the Phoenix god beast, and Raizen god beast had reached god-level without finding the inheritance of the god vein and even though they reached their full potential as gods, they did not have the blessing of the God''s vein that would have made them stronger! Since Lucien possessed the power of all three, their inheritance was drawn to him the moment he entered the ce. In this dark room he called out for Rakuzen but he could not feel Rakuzen in his head anymore. The core of the god vein had severed the link between Lucien and Rakuzen temporarily while he absorbed the inheritance. Wam! Like a sledgehammer, mming into the tummy, Lucien felt a strong pain as the three inheritances surged into his body viciously! He struggled greatly as he could feel the power of the three overwhelming him and directly altering his body structure! "Aaaarrrrrggggh!" Lucien cried out as the process got more painful when the three inheritances slowly fused with his soul. His body shivered as he felt his soul slowly evolve into something greater while his power and cultivation level increased at a terrifying pace! Meanwhile... Derik entered the darkness and felt the cold air of death creeping over him. He could feel the inheritance of death looming over him but he couldn''t help but frown because this was not what he expected! In his original world, the death aura focused on destruction and death and that was how he got his title, god of death and destruction. But here things were different as he felt a none aggressive form of death inheritance! It was none aggressive but Derik got goosebumps just by staying close to it and for the first time in a long while he felt terrified. This power they speak of reminded him of the only person that had made him a bit fearful in battle! His sworn little brother ke! Yanking his eyes open, Derik saw the massive ghastly darkness with blood-red eyes gazing at him. It kept gazing at Derik as if it was not sure if he is not supposed to be here! Seeing it only one name kept ringing in Derik''s head so hard that he had no choice but to say it out! "Devour!" Chapter 224: Spirit realm lords Chapter 224: Spirit realm lords Upon saying the word ''Devour'' the massive cluster of darkness with blood-red eyes shot towards Derik with its razor-sharp teeth wide open! It had deemed that Derik was some sort of anomaly and was desperate to remove him! "It actually noticed? This world is not too shabby after all!" Derik grinned as he stretched his hands forward and a powerful wave of darkish green aura surged forward and smashed into the inheritance. He was stunned by the fact that the death inheritance of this world was able to tell that his god soul was a foreign soul even though it hadpletely fused with the body. If it were any other person, they would have been consumed and killed by the inheritance but Derik was definitely an exception. With a wide grin on his face and a look that spelled doom for his enemies, Derik watched his darkish green aura battle with the inheritance! The inheritance slowly attempted to devour it but each time it ate Derik''s death aura, it felt weaker and Deirk soon gained the upper hand! Destruction has always been the ultimate goal of his death magic but thanks to this world he had a new outlook towards the Death magic! He viewed things in a way no one ever expected before and he was willing to make this power his! As his death aura struggled with the Inheritance, Derik focused on forming his martial technique. In the spirit realm, a person can form their martial technique and for a long while now, Derik has only searched for every martial technique rted to evil magic but none impressed him until he saw this inheritance. "Death is not all about destruction... it''s not all about chaos! Death consumes life to birth life... We consume the dead to create the living! Death is not one side of a coin like I used to think, Death is the entire coin!" Derik growled thest part and his eyes yanked open, revealing a blood-red color! "Devour!!" Derik growled as he withdrew his aura and released it once again. Unlike before his aura was no longer darkish green butpletely ck! He watched as his aura grew in size, surpassing the inheritance and ultimately consuming it! In the darkness, Derik felt the inheritance surge into his body and soul and he felt his soul evolving once again! Even after reaching the realm protector level, his soul remained at the god level but right now, Derik could feel it getting stronger and expanding. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Derikughed like a mad man as his soul perfectly merged with his body and for the first time in a long time Derik actually felt like this is his real body! He no longer felt the restrictions of the world but his power level remained the same. Derik felt like he may have gained the right to be called a member of this world but he sacrificed his original god-level cultivation for this inheritance. "This is unexpected but it doesn''t mean much... As long as I can cultivate, I can definitely return to the god realm in no time... My advantage against people in their anomaly is gone but I gained something even greater... Devour" Derik said as he felt his body getting ejected from the darkness by an invisible force! BOOM! Following the powerful explosion, a massive gate appeared in the destroyed creed stronghold and two figures appeared. The first was a man with long ck ghastly hair with blood-red eyes and razor-sharp ck teeth. He wore a ck sleeveless mage robe giving him a chilling aura that would make any person fearful. Seeing Derik now, no one could recognize Dean anymore since he haspletely changed. Meanwhile, the second person Lucien who had bolts of lightning circling his body violently. He seemed to have aged more and his body build was no inferior to that of Derik. His body was blessed with bright blue dragon scales which and his eyes were like that of a reptile! Although the physical change was not as much as Derik he carried this wild feeling that made people wonder if fighting him was any different from fighting Derik. Now that both of them had collected their inheritance, they were both at the spirit realm and both of them looked extremely fierce. With the creed forces defeated, Lucien actually felt he had a chance against Derik now. He gazed at Derik with a clenched fist wondering whether to kill him or not. Derik noticed his gaze and slowly turned to face him with an uninterested look on his face. Those watching through. The crystal transmitters held their breath! No one knew what will happen if both sides shed but they were excited and waiting to see it happen. "You may be at the same level now... But my power is quite different... If you fight me here... You will die" Derik said casually and to everyone''s surprise Lucien nodded in agreement. Although he felt his current power level is on the same level as Derik he could tell that he could not bepared to Derik. If he had an army, yes he could attempt to overwhelm Derik with numbers but if he tried to fight Derik in a one versus one battle, he felt like his inheritance was not necessarily good against Derik''s. "What now?" Lucien asked as his body rxed and he looked less aggressive. "We both know about the invasion about to happen... We know what is about toe... And we know that we are the best shots at saving this continent... We go back to our respective empires and get them to join hands in uniting this empire... Only together do we stand a chance against the enemy " Derik said calmly with little or no emotions. "Do you really think the Human Emperor will agree to work with the Beast Emperor of the Fotia Empire?" Lucien asked with a raised eyebrow and Derik frowned. "If he doesn''t wish to listen and cooperate, I will have to take his ce and do it for him... The survival of the continentes first... Nothing else matters!" Derik said firmly Chapter 225: A bold claim Chapter 225: A bold im Returning to the empire Lucien was received by many and at that moment he realized how many female fans he had and at this point, he realized he was still single and until he actually has someone these people won''t stop throwing themselves at him. The entire empire has watched his fight and his performance against the creed, making the entire empire admire him. Even the noble n heads and the only champion realm master in the empire gazed at the new Lucien in a new light. After absorbing the inheritance, Lucien''s body was forcefully aged as his realm increased. At this time he looked like a man in his early twenties and gave out a wild but restrained aura. The new Lucien made the entire empire feel more secure and right now people strongly believed he has surpassed the old emperor. Whoosh! Returning to the royal pce, Lucien smiled. Seeing all the nobles standing and waiting for him with smiles on their faces. Behind the nobles were instructor Han, Alice of the lightborn n, and others who helped him get here. This made Lucien frown! Since he became emperor he couldn''t remember when he had a reasonable conversation with these people! He felt like he has been pushing them aside and had almost forgotten something important. "Family" Lucien muttered as he gazed at his open palms and remembered his time with the emperor. The emperor valued rtionships overpower and that was probably why he died but he lived a happy life. "Fucking old man... I keep learning from you even after you die... If you were alive I would have learned so much more" Lucien muttered with a light smile on his face. He wished he could do more for the old man before he died but it has already passed and there is nothing he can do about it now. "Let''s go in... All of you!" Lucien said and shot a wink at Alice and Instructor Han. The duo was stunned since they didn''t expect this. Since Lucien became the emperor he barely looked at them and even though they were saddened by this, they understood that he has been busy. Right now they were not too sure if Lucien wanted to see them and they waited for their rtionship to fade with time. Lucien didn''t say more as he lead everyone into the pce. Soon they reached the courtroom and Lucien walked up to his throne and sat down. "Alice... Hane stand by my side" Lucien said the moment he noticed them standing at one corner of the room. As an emperor, the spirit breast n was no longer under his territory and was assimted as a n of its own. As the leader of the newly formed n, Aponi, the chieftain of the n had a seat with the other noble n heads. "Tell me what was in the dungeon" us of the Lightborn n said with a smile on his face. Seeing Lucien calling up his daughter to stand by his side was a good deed in his notebook. It meant Lucien actually valued her and he felt all they needed is a little push for them to start dating. "There was no sealed artifact... In fact, it was something greater than I expected... It was an inheritance!" Lucian said leaving everyone confused. He went further to exin what inheritance is and how it works. He exined why an inheritance is sorted by many and he exined everything that happened in there. What stunned these people was not his achievements but that of Derik. These people soon realized how amazing the Death god they summoned for help and how beneficial it would be if they keep him on their side. When Lucien told them about the paintings, the other continents, and the invasion n of the other gods they were horrified and many trembled. Many wanted to panic but seeing how Lucien spoke about it indifferently they gradually calmed down and gazed at him with full attention. "So, the godsck the inheritance of the world and that''s why they could notpare to Derik when he invaded this world?" d asked and Lucien nodded in agreement. "Right now, Derik has an inheritance from his old world and that of this world... Making him a terrifying figure... I can see why you didn''t dare battle him back then" The Lucardo family head said with a sharp smile on his face and Lucien nodded as well. "NONSENSE! I am sure the emperor just let him go... Lucien had acquired the inheritance of three different god beasts, do you think two inheritance canpare to that? He was obviously merciful on the old death god!" us said with a frown, refusing to believe Derik was actually that strong. Seeing many nod their head in agreement, us even felt more assured in his theory. He refused to believe that Lucien who is the shield of the empire is inferior to someone. "You are wrong!" Lucien said as he leaned on his fist with his chin and carried an expressionless face. "In all aspects, I am inferior to Derik Angus... I would have avenged thete emperor right there if I could but when I was about to make a move, I saw something..." Lucien said. "What is that?" Many asked making Lucien chuckle lightly. "Death" Lucien said, sending chills down the spine of everyone that heard him. Hearing this, these people were sure that Lucien was inferior to Derik and they wondered what would happen if Derik ever considered destroying this empire for the Libet empire. Will they be able to resist his advances? "Don''t be stupid... I didn''t say I''m weaker than him... I simply said I am sure I will die if I fight him... But that doesn''t change the fact that I feel invincible right now... If I were to go against him, I wouldn''t lose... We might as well end up killing each other" Lucien said making many tremble with excitement. They couldn''t help but feel happy, knowing fully well that Lucien was capable of dealing with an ancient being like Derik Chapter 226: Shocking news! Chapter 226: Shocking news! The effect of Lucien''s word was still booming at the time and many of the nobles discussed amongst themselves in hushed tones while Lucien stared at them in silence. He smiled and nodded his head before he stood up and moved behind his throne where Alice and Instructor Han stood. Surprised to see Lucien walk towards them, they wondered if something happened but Lucien just gave Instructor Han a fist bump before kissing Alice on the forehead. Thest act got the attention of everyone in the room, making Alice flush red and took an attempt to take a step back but Lucien gently grabbed her shoulders in a delicate manner, breaking what was left of her mental fortitude. Seeing what was happening us smiled sheepishly as he shot Alice a wink and threw a thumbs up at Instructor Han who threw a thumbs-up back at him. "I left both of you for a while now I was too focused on the problems ahead that I didn''t make time for any of you and ended up shifting both of you to the sidelines I apologize for that" Lucien muttered those words for just the two of them to hear, leaving them surprised. Who would think that an emperor would apologize to people as little and weak as them? "I have three major announcements to make before this meeting is brought to an end!" Lucien turned and spoke to everyone in the room while holding but Instructor Han and Alice, pulling them to the front of the throne! "The first is the clear the air on my Status." Lucien said thest part with some difficulty making the noblesugh. "I am dating Alice Lightborn Granddaughter of the hot-headed us Lightborn" Lucien said us almost choked on his saliva but Lucien paid no attention to him and continued. "The second announcement is for everyone who is yet to understand my rtionship with Han. Hecked thest name because he was from no noble family and even though he had a strong rtionship with the previous emperor, he was not given a name From this day onwards, he will bear thest name Rakuzen and stand as my brother!" Lucien said with a serious look on his face. When instructor Han heard this he was astonished and even his silver eyes shook slightly as he felt emotions swelling up in him. He wanted to speak but he didn''t know what to say and how to say it. He felt it would be wrong if he didn''t say anything but all that could escape his mouth was "Thank you." Hearing this Lucien smiled. He remembered how easily Instructor Han was targeted when the coup was yet to begin during the time of Emperor Fei. Han was the first target they could think of since he didn''t have any backing and was no different from a simple man that struggled his way to the top! Without any solid background his achievements mean nothing and that''s the gap Lucien intended to fill. "Finally, In the next few months, I will focus on my personal life and cultivation I may have acquired three inheritances but it doesn''t mean much if I cannot understand thews behind them and improve my cultivation The creed leader is a demigod just a few steps away from the god realm and something tells me that the next time he appears, he will being in full strength I trust Derik Angus is making preparations so I have to do the same Until I am ready to take charge of everything again, Instructor Han will serve in my ce He will be the one tomunicate with me and ry my words Do not forget, I trust his judgment so any decision made by him will be no different from mine" Lucien said with a serious look on his face. After that, the meeting ended and everyone left the pce. The news of Lucien dating Alice soon spread far and wide, making a lot of his female fans disappointed but there was nothing they could do about it. At least he is able to walk on the streets without girls clustering around him. At first, they felt wronged but after checking the history between the two they couldn''t help but admit that both of them have been through enough together for Lucien to pick her. There were still women from the beast-men race who felt offended by the fact that Lucien picked a human girl over them but with their n heads in support of Lucien''s decision, no one dared speak against him. Meanwhile that night, Lucien had dinner with Instructor Han, Alice, and Aponi. They ate and chatted about their life now and their ns for the future. During that time, Lucien told them more about his ns with Derik and the truth about the celestial beings which he hid from the council. He told them of his ns to join hands with Derik to reach the celestial realm and finally protect this realm together with him from the celestial beings! Saying this, Alice was a bit saddened by the fact that Lucien aimed to leave this world for a higher purpose and then what will happen to her. She wanted to voice her concern but then she realized something. The world around her will keep changing and if she is unable to keep up with the change she will be forgotten! If she wants to remain with Lucien, she has to cultivate more and try to reach the god realm. That way they can both leave the realm of mortals together. -------------------------------------------------------- Dinner was over and after a long session of intimacy with Alice, Lucien sat up on his bed and put his pants on before gazing at one of the dark corners in the room. "Why are you here?" Lucien asked. "You could tell I was here? You are more capable than I think I thought you would have slept off since all signs show something wild went on in here" Derik responded with slight chuckles, pissing Lucien off. Even before bing emperor, he hated it when people invaded his privacy without knocking on the door first! Maybe they considered this cool but he found it annoying! "If you do not have a legit reason to be here, chances are we may end up having our deathmatch right here and now!" Lucien said in a cold voice but the red eyes within the darkness showed no emotions, neither did he show any sign of remorse! "And you think you can win against me?" Derik asked. "I know I won''t lose" Lucien responded as he got on his feet and bright blue dragon scales appeared all around his body. On his back were two pairs of wings, one made of lightning and the other made of bright blue phoenix mes. "Cute" Derik said calmly as he walked out of the shadow, revealing a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth and darkness pouring out of all the holes on his body! His eyes released a red intimidating sh and even Lucien couldn''t help but frown. They both moved their gaze to the worn-out Alice who was sleeping and Derik revealed a sinister smile, making Lucien frown even more! "You wouldn''t!" Lucien said. "I would do whatever it takes to win!" Derik said in a threatening tone. "Shameless!" Lucien almost growled but barely controlled his temper but even then Derik wasn''t moved. "Many has called me that and never have I denied it! Your move!" Derik said as ws appeared on his hands and his ck aura began spreading towards the unsuspecting sleeping Alice! Seeing this, Lucien released a defeated sigh and released his power, returning to his human form. He didn''t think an ancient being like Derik would be shameless enough to use a hostage in a battle! But what Derik said is true, it is not the method that matters but the result! By the way, history is written by the victors and not the defeated! "About the Libet empire Do you think they will cooperate?" Lucien asked. Seeing that Lucien had calmed down, Derik withdrew his aura and focused on the conversation. "I have given them a second chance Should they fail to meet my expectations, they will die!" Derik said calmly, leaving Lucien stunned! Second chance? Did he threaten an empire? "What do you mean by a second chance? "They noticed I am not fully human and tried to take my life After a short battle, I spared their lives and filled them in on what is going on before leaving for this ce I intend to make a trip to the Drakon empire and when it is all over, I will return to the Libet empire in hopes of getting their answer If it''s not what I want, I will be forced to kill them all and take over the empire!" Derik said calmly once again but Lucien shivered! Not only did he n to kill the leading figures in the Libet empire, but he was also nning to force the Drakon empire into an alliance as well! Chapter 227: A crazy plan Chapter 227: A crazy n "Don''t tell me you n on taking on the entire Drakon empire Alone?" Lucien couldn''t help but wonder if Derik is just too cocky or just in stupid. Attacking a stronghold is one thing, attacking an army alone is still within the eptable range but attacking an empire alone isplete madness! No matter how powerful one is, even a demigod will find it hard to destroy an empire with all its defenses and formations! Apart from that, the dragon bloodline is considered to be one of the most powerful bloodlines avable to beast-men! Amongst the three great emperors, they are considered to be the strongest. He has never shown himself since his empire was formed and over the centuries this man has focused on just cultivation. The empire politics has never been his concern and there are spections that he might just be a breath away from entering the demigod realm! Going against such a beast alone with an entire empire is no different from suicide! "I may be strong but I''m not stupid!" Derik rebuked him immediately with a frown. "If I wished to go there alone, would there be any reason for me toe here?" Derik said indifferently as his eyes let out a red sh. Hearing this, Lucien felt like battling Derik to the death! Even if both of them join hands, they will most likely be killed in such an operation! No matter how Derik put it, he couldn''t see theming out on top in this matter! "The Creed has lost two pirs thanks to you and me, leaving them with only two... They have also lost a considerable amount of force so I don''t see them making any major move in the future! This is the time for us to make our move! I do not wish to move to the Drakon empire first... We will have to reach the Champion realm before we can even dream of doing that... So for now, all we can do is explore the world and search for ways of improving our strength!" Derik said and Lucien frowned. What Derik said made a lot of sense but it is still wed partially! This is the best time to train and improve themselves but at what cost? With his beast assimtion, he can gain the powers of beasts he kills while using their life force to strengthen his realm while Derik relies on consuming the soul of the dead to strengthen himself. Since both of them do not make use of the conventional means of cultivation it can be said this trip will benefit them but the main issue is this. Cultivation level alone is not the only means of gaining strength! A lot has happened and the only thing they arecking right now is powerful artifacts! As long as they can get their hands on powerful sealed artifacts, they can quickly close the gap in strength. "What do you have in mind" Lucien did not outrightly reject the n, making Derik smile. He loved people with an open mind. "We start hunting emperor beasts... While you assimte their abilities, I use my death magic to revive them and add them to my undead army... With their soul power, we should be able to cultivate twice as fast if we kill the magic beast in massive numbers... We also get to grow our personal armies using this method" Derik said but Lucien shook his head in disagreement. "I will lose my sanity if I assimte too many beast properties" Lucien rejected the n but Derik''s body shot forward like a spear, reaching him in almost an instant! Derik was too stunned to react immediately as Derik grabbed him by the neck and pulled him off the ground! The illusionary blue dragon scales quickly appeared all over his body as his eyes red up with blue mana. Bam! pping Derik''s ears with both hands, Lucien created a mild shockwave loud enough to wake Alice but even then Derik didn''t flinch, he acted as if he didn''t get hit and quickly tossed Lucien towards a wall! Bang! Lucien smashed into the wall but before he could even react, Derik followed up with the attack by crashing into him, and using him to smash a hole through the wall! Whoosh! With much effort, Lucien was able to stop his body from flying back and regainposure. Derik looker like a ghastly figure who cannot even match anyone in strength but his hits carry a lot of weight but the most shocking part of the entire issue is that Lucien didn''t feel a thing. His new body provided him with so much defense even Derik''s attack didn''t hurt him. "Who are you?!" Alice screamed as she covered her naked body with the sheets while gazing at the ghastly red-eyed man. "Don''t worry too much... I am not going to kill your little boyfriend... I just want him to understand something important" Derik said calmly as he walked towards the destroyed part of the wall. "You will lose!" Alice said with so much confidence, even Derik was momentarily stunned. This reminded him of his past life when everyone had absolute faith in his abilities! No matter what was happening or who they are up against, whenever he bothered to show up, everyone simply concluded he will emerge victoriously. To think someone like Lucien would have such powerful believers present! "If more people think of him this was, it is only a matter of time before he bes a demigod!" Derik said calmly before leaving the room, leaving Alice shocked and confused. Since she didn''t know anything about the power of faith, she didn''t understand what was going on. Whoosh! Two figures could be seen standing in mid-air, next to the royal pce, and for some reason, that empire defenses did not attack him, neither did the magic torrents shoot at him. While Lucien found it hard to understand, Derik was not surprised. His body has reached a state of perfection and in this form, he has nothing to lose since he doesn''t bleed, hecks organs and his heart doesn''t beat. To be able to achieve such a state a person needs to be dead. Yes, Derik''s body is no different from an immortal corpse and torrents cannot target a corpse unless done manually. Gazing at Derik, Lucien felt a lot of pressure but when he saw the determination in Alice''s eyes he couldn''t help but smile. "I sincerely underestimate my abilities!" Lucienined as the azure blue dragon spear appeared in his hands and he struck forward creating a massive whirlpool of blue mes. "I guess we are getting serious!" Derikughed as he threw his hands forward and his ck aura shot forward! It spread wide like a barrier and consumed everything that came in contact with it! "The hell?" Lucien muttered as he saw his blue mes get sucked in by the ck aura! "I once fought a kid who had tho ability! He was the only one who came really close to killing me... He gave me a lot of headaches and when I finally defeated him, I realized the charm of ability like this... This god vein must have noticed our battle and created devour for me... Right now, there is no man I cannot defeat!" Derik said calmly as he watched devour consume all of the enemy mes. "Who was the child and how did you win?" Lucien asked with keen interest. "ke... He was my sworn little brother who turned his back on him... How did I win? I just did... The absolute needs no tactics... Just overwhelming power" Derik responded. "You are right... Just like you did to your sworn brother! I will do that same to you!" Lucien growled as he shot towards Derik with the azure dragon spear in his hands! "Cocky brat!" Derikughed as his eyes released a fiery blue aura as he punched at Lucien, releasing bright blue dragon mes! Seeing it Lucien almost choked on his saliva but he managed to remainposed and summon his four wings! Left! With the four wings pping Lucien evaded the attacks and quickly closed the distance between him and Derik in a matter of seconds! If the devour ability allowed Derik to consume all abilities he had no other choice but to force him to face him in meleebat! In this type of fighting, Lucien was more than confident in his abilities! "I ept!" Derik grew ck ws and fangs as heughed forward like a demonic beast without fear! Seeing this, the snake tattoo on Lucien''s right arm glowed brightly as his body coiled like that of a serpent! Evading Derik''s lunge while striking at him from behind almost at the same time! Zzzzzzzzzzzzz..... Suddenly Derik''s body was engulfed in a green aura and he vanished! Where? Behind! Lucien''s eyes revealed murderous lights as he twisted his flexible body once again and attacked the green blur behind him with his fiery blue spear. Boom! Both sides were blown away, forcing them to retreat over fifty meters away from each other! Chapter 228: Overwhelming power Chapter 228: Overwhelming power With both sides blown away, many people were stunned since the loud noise had attracted quite a lot of attention. People watched from afar as they noticed the figure facing off against their emperor! It was Derik Angus! The man who joined hands with Lucien to destroy the Creed stronghold! Many considered the possibility of the Libet empire sending him to kill Lucien but they didn''t expect it to happen too soon! "No one has to worry! This will end really soon" Derik said coldly as he tightened the grip on his dragon blue spear as his fire and dragon wings pped gently but created strong wind currents around Lucien. Hearing his words, those below cheered for their room emperor making Derikugh lightly. These fools do not know how deep the ocean is! That''s why they dare to have blind faith in a kid. "What do you aim to achieve by fighting me?" Lucien asked but Derik just yawned at the question as his muscles began bulging and his body slowly expanded. His ck ghastly ws doubled in size while the darkness lingering around his body slowly took the shape of a werewolf. "YOU WILL UNDERSTAND SOON ENOUGH!" Derik''s voice was extremely deep once again as his body let out a green light before he charged forward at an incredible speed! "This again?" Lucien said with a frown on his face. He had already noticed the true nature of Derik''s devour ability. It allows him to consume an ability and use it for himself! A truly terrifying ability! For someone who has a human friend who uses the time magic, Lucien quickly noticed the time aura Derik has been using to fast-forward his time, making him move faster. He must have gained this from fighting the Libet Human emperor! "Don''t get too cocky!" Lucien growled as he struck towards the iing green blur but he struck nothing! His eyes flickered as he stopped his attack midway and inhumanly twisted his snake-like body as he struck the green blur behind him in less than a second after he withdrew his first attack! "ANOTHER FAKE?" Lucien gasped in shock as he saw the blur above but at the same time, he felt a ck w strike him from below, dragging along his body all the way to his face before Derik retreated. Gazing at his ws, Derik frowned as he realized there was no blood on his ws. His attack was not aimed at killing Lucien but he should have given him a scar but then all Derik couldn''t even prate his skin. He soon realized how hard Lucien''s dragon scales are. "Sure enough the dragon god beast inheritance is really something" Derik said with a frown but Lucien was also shocked. He just got the inheritance and he has never gotten the chance to understand how it works so he couldn''t tell the limits. He was really stunned by the fact that the attack was blocked by his dragon scales! "Okay? This is quite assuring!" Lucien growled as he charged forward with his azure blue dragon spear. As long as the dragon scales could handle his defense he had no other choice but to focus on the attack! Surging blue mes spread across the battlefield blocking Derik''s view of Lucien and just when he activated the Devour ability a powerful blue bolt of lightning shot past the mes, appearing behind Derik with both hands surging with Phoenix mes and Raizen blue lightning! His body leaned forward as he released both elements at once,pletely consuming Derik! Or so he thought! Whoosh! Derik''s figure shot out of the encirclement and from above he activated the devour ability, trying to consume all three different energies! Seeing this Lucien smiled! With this he could tell Derik could only focus his devour ability in one direction, leaving the other sides open and that''s why he hastily tried to escape. "I can overwhelm him!" Derik screamed as he charged forward with his neck expanding like that of a serpent! AZURE DRAGON ROAR!!!! Letting out a loud cry, Lucien released a strong beam of blue mes, while Derik was still absorbing the previous attacks! "Cocky brat!" Derik hissed as he threw his hand forward and a ck cloud appeared! From it thebined lightning and blue mes surged out, colliding with the azure dragon roar! Seeing this Lucien frowned! He didn''t expect Derik would be able to do something like this but none of that mattered much as he began charging forward! "Roar!" Lucien screamed as his body turned into a blue beam and he charged forward at an incredible speed. Reappearing behind Derik who was still busy fending off his previous attacks, Lucien revealed two spears in his hands. One belonged to the azure blue dragon while the other took the shape of a lightning bolt from Raizen! "FALL!!!" Lucien growled as he struck at Derik''s back with both spears, releasing lightning and blue mes all at once! Whoosh! Derik took his hands off the ck devour clouds consuming everything and turned to meet the attack head-on! His eyes let out terrifying lights as his ws lit up with death aura and he faced off against the two spears with his ws! Boom! The entire space around them trembled violently as both sides battled for supremacy but in the end, Derik was overwhelmed and sent crashing into the ground below. "INVINCIBLE!!!" All those watching the battle at the top of their lungs, making the air vibrate but Lucien was too stunned to focus on their words. He was stunned by how much he could do when he wasn''t thinking too much about how to defeat Derik and just fought. He remembered Derik attacked him when he talked about the limitations of his beast assimtion! He realized Derik was giving him hints on how not to lose control when he absorbs beyond his body limit and his consciousness is threatened. "This kid is a problem" Derik who was lying in a deep crater said with a frown on his face as he kept looking at Lucien''s figure above. Chapter 229: Death drop Chapter 229: Death drop Derik couldn''t help but frown while gazing at Lucien. His instincts told him to kill this kid kept getting stronger the more he realized how much of a threat Lucien is to him. The reason why it took him so long when using the devour to consume the Phoenix mes is that the Phoenix mes had a life of their own and it could resist hid devour ability to a certain level. It was this same Phoenix mes that prevented him from healing when he fought Emperor Fei and reduced his so-called immortal body to ashes! Gaining this ability, Lucien has be more of a threat than ever. While Derik possessed absolute, mysterious powers, Lucien possessed the most firepower amongst them. Making it possible for him to overwhelm Derik. "I didn''t live for a thousand years to be defeated by a child" Derik yawned and said with a frown. As long as he is concerned, killing Lucien will be a little troublesome at best but that''s all for now. What Derik was worried about is the future! By the way, he only has two inheritances while this kid has three. "Things will get more interesting from here on" Derik muttered as his body turned into a powerful ball of darkness charging towards Lucien. If he just epts defeat like that, people will get the wrong idea! As the god of death, fear is necessary for him to operate so he wouldn''t let these people chant crap without paying the price! Bang! The big ck ball smashed into the distracted emperor, dragging him towards the skies! Within the ck ball of smoke, Lucien could see Derik''s blood-red eyes and for the first time since they started fighting, he could feel Derik''s killing intentions directed towards him! "Shit! Did I piss him off or something?!" Lucien muttered as he struggled but he could not break free from Derik''s grasp! "Don''t me me for this!" Lucien growled as one eye turned blue while the other turned white! Aaaaarrrrrgggh! Bang! Following the loud scream a massive explosion urred, consisting of both mes and lightning but even then Derik didn''t go! With the devour absorbing the power directed towards him, Derik kept dragging Lucien upward! It seemed as if he nned to suffocate him in space! "This!" Lucien gritted his teeth as he found it hard to breathe, especially since they have gone so far. "Let''s see how strong that shell of yours is" Derik finally spoke giving him the chills. Wam! Suddenly they stopped ascending and began free-falling at a stunning speed! "YOU ARE CRAZY!" Lucien scream at the top of his voice as he attempted to use his wings but using his devour powers, Derik slowly consumed the lightning wings making Lucien unable to fly! The people saw the ck ball shooting down at an astonishing speed, making them turn pale in fear! Everyone quickly ran as far as they could as the duo crashed into the ground, creating a massive explosion that created a five-meter deep crater! Slowly those who ran approached the pit created by the fall and to their greatest surprise Lucien was on the ground, and even though he wasn''t bleeding due to his dragon scales, he felt like his head had been hit by a truck. Meanwhile, Derik stood with his head split open by the impact but his wound was healing at an astonishing rate, making people shiver! "EMPEROR!!" By this time us and other noble n heads had arrived at the scene but what happened next shocked everyone around. "You seriously survived that? You are more capable than I thought!" Derik said truthfully as he extended his hand. Grabbing his aching head with one hand, Lucien epted Derik''s help with the other hand, pulling himself off the ground with his support. "Crazy bastard!" Lucien cursed and Derik chuckled. Seeing the way both of them talked, it was clear these two were not fighting to kill each other but it was more like a friendly spar. Either way, after seeing Derik''s suicide tactics, people were more afraid of Derik, and this pleased Derik. The night was dedicated to fixing the damages done to the castle and the next morning, the noble n heads gathered once again. Seeing Lucien on the throne with his hand ced on his head they couldn''t help but wonder how much pain the emperor is in right now. Behind him were instructor Han and Alice. Bang! The two doors swung open and the man shrouded in ck gas appeared with an indifferent look on his face. His eyes showed no emotion but its blood-red color made many people fearful. He didn''t seem to be walking, it felt more like he was levitating as no footstep could be heard. Gazing at this man, many people recognized him as the being they sort help for when they wished to carry out a coup! How long has that been? Time passes quickly. "Since then I have been forced to jump from one battle to another... I guess the emperor was bearing all the burden and now he is gone, I have no choice but to deal with these problems myself" Lucien muttered with a depressing look on his face. Snap! With a snap, a massive bone throne rose from the ground, and Derik slowly at on with his legs crossed. He ced one hand on the armrest and rested his jaw on his fist. Seeing him sit this way at the center of the room, many people wanted to curse him but no one dared to do so. They were scared he would beat the shit out of the Emperor before beating the shit about them as well. "Idiots" Derik said calmly as he gazed at Alice standing behind Lucien. "We have the creed to deal with... We have the invaders to deal with and all you guys have done is sit and wait for good fortune?" Derik said calmly and everyone remained silent. In the court of nobles, no one dared talk back at him since they knew he was right. What they were all waiting for now is to know his n Chapter 230: Rakzuen! Chapter 230: Rakzuen! "What do you suggest we do?" Lucien said with a cold look on his face as he leaned forward. As emperor, he couldn''t let Derik talk down on his people and all those around him. He hated the fact that Derik didn''t give him face and cursed his council without restraint. "You don''t even know the true nature of all three inheritances you gathered... You are just relying on its power boost to fight me... You must be tired of living!" Derik sneered and Lucien turned pale. He knew what Derik was saying was true. He is just depending on the sheer power he has and has failed to understand the true nature of those three inheritances. "And I guess you won''t teach me since it means I will surpass you" Lucien said coldly as he leaned back on his throne and his eyes showed disinterest. In his opinion, if Derik can barely win against him right now, if he can master his abilities, Derik definitely won''t be able to push him around and that''s why he strongly felt Derik won''t teach him how to use these abilities. "Once again, you are dumb..." Derik said with an indifferent look on his face making people frown. "How many inheritances did you see me use in our battle?" Derik asked with a raised eyebrow, making Lucien frown. "One... Just devour" Lucien answered "How many inheritances do you think I have?" Derik asked while leaning forward this time. Hearing it, Lucien''s eyes widened in shock and his body shuddered! Only then did Derik nod in agreement and stand up. "Since I came to this world I have been holding back... There is a reason why I was called the god of death and destruction and that has to do with my original inheritance!" Derik stomped his feet on the ground and everything began rotting! The rotting process was so fast and astonishing, even Lucien got off his throne and retreated. Seeing this ability he realized why Derik always ims to be the absolute! While he can sustain himself from ranged attacks with devour when meeting a foe in closebat he can always use the death inheritance to instantly kill an enemy. He and Derik made a lot of physical contact in theirst fight so it meant that Derik had all the chances of killing him but he didn''t. "Even if I train you and show you how to use the inheritance, you will still lose against me" Derik said as he withdrew his rotting power, and only then did people calm down. He quickly turned around and slowly walked out of the doors of the massive hall. "Prepare yourself tonight... It will not be easy!" Derik said before walking out of the grand hall. The meeting ended soon after with Lucien revealing their ns of building their forces with high-level magic beasts and acquiring sealed artifacts before moving over to the Drakon empire to force them into an alliance. At first many were against the n of Lucien traveling alone with someone like Derik but after they realized Lucien would not be persuaded, they could only sigh and assure him of the safety of the empire while he is away. He also requested they make sure his departure remains a secret since he didn''t want to attract the wrong attention. Since it was only a few months, they didn''t see this as a difficult task! That night Lucien sat in a cross-legged position and meditated. After speaking with Derik earlier today, Lucien realized he could no longer hear from Rakzuen or see notifications from his system ever since he acquired this power. He realized that he was so distracted that he failed to notice Rakuzen''s fading presence. When meditating, Lucien found himself once again in the darkness of his mind but the blue azure dragon was gone. No, it wasn''t gone, it was just too far away for him to notice! Whoosh! With a single step forward, Lucien crossed thousands of miles appearing in front of the azure blue Chinese serpent dragon, struggling while getting bound by three chains from three different power sources! "LUCIEN!" Rakzuen quickly noticed Lucien''s presence and called out to him! At this point, Lucien realized something he failed to pay attention to. When he entered the doors of the inheritance, his bond with Rakuzen vanished at that time and he could no longer feel it. He only spoke to it as soon as he left the god vein''s core but soon after Rakuzen''s presence was gone. It turned out that the Inheritance and god vein was trying to protect Lucien from the external being living within him! This was its attempt of preventing Rakuzen from taking over his mind and iming the power for himself! Faced with this, Lucien realized this god vein had a countermeasure for almost everything and that''s why Derik lost to them when he initially invaded this world. "Stop!" Lucien cried out but the dragon and two birds ignored him and focused on restraining the bright blue dragon. ------------------------------------------------ Alice watched Lucien meditate and seeing sweat trickle down his forehead she immediately knew he was engaged in some sort of inner battle. She wished she could help but with her cultivation level she couldn''t match up to him, making her feel even more depressed. "You are a fool..." Derek''s voice echoed from one of the darkest corners of the room and his figure slowly emerged from the shadow. His eyes carried that of disgust when he gazed at Alice and till today she didn''t know why Derik hated her so much. "If I saw you when I came for Emperor Fei''s head, I would have taken your life and done thisd a favor... You only sit there making wishes, hoping and wanting this but never works for them... You wish to help him in battle but you are cking off on your cultivation... You wanna help him in every way possible but you do not make attempts... How do you n to help him when you show no signs of improving yourself? Maybe I should kill you now and give him the chance to find a morepetentdy" Derik said as his eyes revealed a bright red sh. Seeing this Alice retreated and Derik sighed. If he killed the woman right now, Lucien will most likely fight him with his all and end up dying by his hands allowing him to absorb his power and the three inheritances! This may be convenient but it''s not what he wants. This time, he wants a partner who will walk the entire journey with him and that''s why he is too reluctant to kill off Lucien, no matter how dumb the kid proves to be. "You don''t even have control over your own power? Pitiful" Derik ignored Alice and ced his hand on Lucien''s head. He slowly shut his eyes tight and when he opened it, he saw Lucien struggling to break Rakzuen free from the binding ability of the three inheritances. When Derik appeared two beings stood behind him. One was the devour in its ghastly form with blood-red eyes and the second was the leech emperor. It was a massive skeleton in a green majestic robe, green crown, and five green rings in its hands. It wielded a death scythe in one hand and a zing green skull in the other. Derik''s appearance drew the attention of everyone in the dark world and for the first time in his life, Lucien was happy to see Derik. "Getting consumed by your power... You are really hopeless!" Derik said as he stretched his hands forward and a powerful suction wind emerged from devour, fiercely pulling the chains binding Rakuzen towards it! Caww! Seeing their binding technique was about to break due to the interference of this intruder the two birds cried out viciously and charged towards Derik and his inheritances. "You dare charge at me? You must be tired of living!" Derik''s voice deepened as he grew in size and strength, slowly taking his Lycan form before charging forward with the Leech emperor beside him! Whoosh! Derik chose to deal with the Phoenix inheritance since it had a high chance of destroying his leech inheritance if care is not taken. Charging towards it, it released numerous smaller bird-shaped attacks, charging at Derik but even then it couldn''t reach him! With the werewolf side active, Derik''s movement was so nimble, he was able to evade the ming Bird''s but they kept chasing after him without giving him a chance to retaliate! "Focus on subduing these beasts while we keep them distracted! Remember! They are your power! You own them!" Derik said calmly as he darted around but the ming birds kept chasing after him! In this situation, one hit meant death and since this was his consciousness in here, he may not be able to survive this time. Meanwhile, the Dragon inheritance focused all it''s strength in reinforcing the chains, while devour kept trying to consume it. That way everyone was pinned down except for Lucien! Chapter 231: Good friends,? Chapter 231: Good friends,? Listening to Derik''s instructions, Lucien didn''t hesitate any more and quickly shut his eyes. He could feel, Rakuzen''s presence weakening and it was only a matter of time before he vanishes entirely so Lucien chose to focus on the dragon inheritance. With his eyes shut tight, he visualized a space where he and only the dragon inheritance could stay and he analyzed it, trying to understand the true nature of its power. His body shivered as his mind connected with that of the dragon, allowing him to feel the unrestrained rage surging through the being. He felt the rage spreading deep within him and threatening to consume him but Lucien was no child who would need assistance to deal with things like this. His eyes tightened as he focused on controlling the rage and not taming it! He realized the true nature of this dragon being was wrath! A god of destruction! Its rage strengthened its power, allowing him to consume everything that dared to stand in its path. His body shivered as he realized how wrong his concept of the dragon inheritance is. He simply thought it came with overwhelming offensive and defensive abilities but he failed to take it into ount that this power required the user to focus on his anger and forget every other thing around him. Charge forward no matter the forces ahead! Now he realized why god vein failed to grant Rakuzen the inheritance. While Rakuzen could be considered the greatest dragon pathway master, he could also be considered a failure in this pathway. He focused on creation which contradicted the true purpose of the dragon and for that reason, the God vein did not see him as a potential candidate to gain the inheritance. With great ragees courage! Courage begets strength! Lucien yanked his eyes open and realized Rakuzen had broken free and the dragon inheritance was levitating behind him. He wanted to say something to Rakuzen but no wasn''t the time! With the dragon inheritance on his side, it reduced the burden on Derik but that didn''t mean he was out of danger! The next being he focused on was the Phoenix. After seeing the emperor fight with this power, he slightly had a strong understanding of what this beast is all about! Life! Creation! And Rebirth! Those are the three majorws that guide this magnificent beast and Lucien has always ignored these things from the beginning! The life and creation aspect of this beast allows him to give life to his magic and give it a will as well. With this inheritance alone his mastery over the creation pathway was on par with the greatest creation magic cultivators in the god vein and this gave him a strong feeling of godly strength! He controlled the power of destruction and creation in one body and the rebirth path of the Phoenix assured his immortality just like it did for Emperor Fei. Even in death, he will be reborn unless he goes against a beast like Derik he wouldn''t have to ever fear death! Yanking his eyes open, Lucien saw that the Phoenix god beast had stopped its easily on Derik and returned to his side, and finally, there was the Raizen god beast inheritance. The feeling about it was familiar. It reminded him of when he was younger, he prioritized speed over strength. He was considered the fastest of his generation and even those who realms ahead of him could barely keep up with him. The Raizen spirit represented absolute speed, coupled with a single strike! It was a perfect inheritance that boosts one''s speed and lethality! Allowing him to one-shot unsuspecting foes! The wind aspect of his power was not made to increase his speed but deter the movement of others! In this aspect, Lucien was aplete beast. Watching the three inheritance, slowly fuse with his soul and body, surging in drastically Derik frowned. He watched as Lucien''s soul upgraded, reaching the level of a god soul but Lucien''s cultivation realm was too weak to allow him to notice this. "I guess my work here is done" Derik said dryly as he withdrew his inheritances and vanished from Lucien''s mind. As much as he felt confident in his strength, he dared not fight Lucien in his mind. He felt too vulnerable there so he didn''t wish to stay any longer than needed. "How, did it go?" Alice muttered in fear and Derik shot her a nce before retreating to a sofa not far from the bed and sitting down. Even though his body showed no signs of fatigue, Alice could tell Derik was not as vibrant as before. Helping Lucien must have been really tasking, making her wonder why a person who originally came to this world to kill Lucien will suddenly have a change of heart and choose to help him. "He will be fine... He should be waking up anytime soon" Derik shot her an indifferent nce for a while before answering. "Why are you helping him? Didn''t you want to kill him before?" Alice swallowed a ball of saliva and asked making Derik frown. How bold did thisdy get just after he was away for a few minutes? He returned his cold gaze on her and what he was was determination in her sky blue eyes. He was stunned since he didn''t expect her to change after their little talk back then. He was shocked and sincerely impressed by this and he soon realized the reason she asked all these questions was that she wanted to be a part of Lucien''s life. He couldn''t help but remember Elsa, his elf crush back in his original world. He could tell Elsa loved him but she didn''t love him enough to chase after him. She just watched him grow until he was out of her reach and she didn''t make any effort to reach out to him even then. For someone who finds the concept of love strange, Derik was moved! His impression of Alice changed entirely and leaned towards her and answered. "This world is bigger and more dangerous than you think... Even a god is nothing in this world... I need the strength to protect those I love from the beings that dictate the future of the realm... For that reason, I must get stronger... I was going to kill Lucien and take his power but then I realized I have been walking forward all alone... It has been difficult... What if I had someone to apany me on this crazy journey? And here we are" Derik said calmly. The hate in his eyes was gone and his expression was rather calm and soft. Hearing this, Alice was stunned. To think that someone as scary and viinous as Derik would speak about protecting loved ones. She couldn''t help but feel astonished. "To gain the strength needed to protect those I love, I became this" Derik said as he could understand what was going through Alice''s mind, so he decided to clear her doubt. "It must have been hard on you..." Alice said, making Derik''s body hidden within the darkness shiver. All this while he has met so many people who are awed by his strength or just terrified of him. Never for once has anyone considered the pain he had to go through to reach here or the pain he harbors deep inside that keeps him going. Hearing those words from Alice, Derik was touched. If his body was the same as that of a human he would have shed a tear there and then. "Very..." That was all Derik could say as he shifted his gaze to Lucien whose eyes were still shut tight and he couldn''t help but frown. "Thisd is pretty lucky to have someone like you" Derik said and Alice blushed and hid her face. Derik chuckled and contemted on something before sighing. He had absorbed ke after their final battle before heading to this world. With that, he had all the inheritance of all the gods in his world stored within his body. He could give away the life inheritance to Alice but he wasn''t sure what kind of effect it would have on her! Would her body reject the inheritance or would the inheritance reject her? All these possibilities would lead to her death and that''s not what Derik wanted. He could only leave her to cultivate on her own and hope she reaches the Demigod realm at least. Only then can he help her. "Stop flirting with my woman" Lucien''s voice echoed as he gaze at Derik with an annoyed look but Derik shot him a vicious grin! "I don''t see your name on her" Derik replied calmly but Lucien almost exploded in rage but hearing Aliceugh, Derik and Lucien couldn''t help but gaze at her. They were about to rip each other''s faces apart, so why is sheughing? "You guys will really make good friends" Alice said leaving Derik and Lucien stunned. "This girl" Derik pped his face andughed alongside her while Lucien soon joined in. Chapter 232: Making a new friend? Chapter 232: Making a new friend? Derik waited for Lucien to gather everything they needed before sneaking out of the empire. The news of their departure was meant to be kept secret and not known by everyone, so only the council and a select few knew. As much as they are skeptical about Derik''s trustworthiness, they understood this was not a time to ascertain if a person is trustworthy! They need to move fast and for faster progress, Derik is their only choice. "That beast, hidden under your empires will soon break into the emperor''s tier... It''s nice to know you will have more capable allies to aid you" Derik said casually after they got past the gate and wandered far south. Hearing this Lucien was confused as well but soon his confusion vanished and he was more stunned than ever! He had forgotten about Rupture and didn''t even expect Derik to notice its existence. He was sure almost everyone has forgotten about the magic beast Rupture who ie hidden underground while focusing on his cultivation to reach the empire tier. "How did you know?" Lucien couldn''t help but ask but Derik didn''t show any sign of pride or annoyance. He just maintained the indifferent look as he responded. "I can feel it... I can feel a lot of things... I can see a lot of things... It''s hard to exin but I guess this is the reward for bing the realm protector" Derik said casually, making Lucien frown. He suspected that this is how Derik noticed the power source in this God vein and was able to locate him, beforeing for him and killing off emperor Fei. "What else can you do as the realm protector?" Lucien asked and Derik shot him a suspicious look. Why was this kid so interested in having a good conversation with him? Did Alice tell him something before they left or is he just trying to build a good rtionship? ''You have to do better than that if you want to get me to like you, little ass bastard'' Derik cursed in his mind before replying. "As the realm protector, I can detect the formation or creation of a new God vein... I can locate a god vein... I have authority over cosmic beings like the stars, moon, and sun... I asionally see major events about to take ce in each god vein and that''s how I got to know about the invasion" Derik answered truthfully as they traveled. He didn''t hide any information since he didn''t consider Lucien a threat. Even with the power of his three tamed inheritances, Derik wasn''t bothered. In a real fight, he will always emerge the victor! This wasn''t to say he undermined Lucien''s abilities but the thing was that Derik strongly believed no one can win against him in a one-on-one deathmatch. "You can control the stars, moon, and sun?" Lucien gazed at Derik skeptically. He has never seen Derik use such abilities no matter how tough the fight is so he found it unbelievable. "Not just the sun, moon, and stars... Cosmic beings include gravity and space too" Derik shrugged indifferently while he spoke. Hearing this Lucien was stunned and gazed at Derik meaningfully. He knew Derik had no reason to lie to him so there is no reason for him to doubt him either. If this is the case, why didn''t he use these abilities when they needed them? "I harbor the power of millions of powerful warriors and mages in my soul... There was a time when I focused too much on the powers of outsiders but now things are different... I don''t want to get lost, so I rarely use it unless absolutely necessary" Derik could understand why Lucien was confused so he decided to exin without giving him the chance to ask a question. Hearing this, Lucien could understand it. Picking an ability to use from one of his assimted beasts requires a lot of focus. Nowparing it to Derik who has millions of souls hidden inside him, this can be considered hellish. He couldn''t understand how Derik can remain sane! "You are crazy!" Lucien screamed as he followed Derik from behind. Anyone who saw them from afar would think there are two siblings with Lucien as the younger one, yelling at Derik the older brother. "Quiet" Derik said indifferently and Lucien ignored his words and kept ranting. At first, Derik felt annoyed but then gazing at Lucien again, he remembered something. It was himself at a younger age, focused to bear the burden of the death magic and the faith of the entire god vein. He didn''t get to live and enjoy the things of life just like his mates. What he found annoying was that he ended up losing a lot because of this. No family No love No friends. Nothing... Since he entered this world and killed Emperor Fei, this kid was made emperor and given a huge responsibility. He has been jumping from battle to battle risking his life and this is all his fault. "But it is necessary" Derik muttered as he felt guilty for putting Lucien through this. As much as he wanted to just send Lucien home and do all of this alone, Derik couldn''t deny the fact that he needs this kid. Amongst everyone he hase across in his world, Lucien is the only open-minded, talented, and hardworking person worthy of wielding Rakuzen''s power. If he could take this burden away from Lucien he definitely won''t hesitate to do that. "I am sorry" Derik said in a more brotherly tone, stunning Lucien. "For what?" Lucien asked, confused. "For putting so much burden on you... I''m literarily stealing your youthful days from you, just like I ended up losing mine as well." Derik seemed rather sad when he spoke and for the first time, Lucien saw Derik showing emotions outside anger. "It is necessary for the people we love... Someone has to make the sacrifice" Lucien responded in a low tone as if he was unsure and is trying to convince himself. Derik only nodded in response and they kept flying in silence for a while. "Do you think we can win? Do you really think we can protect everyone from the celestial beings?" Lucien asked. Hearing their Derik was stunned by the question and soon a confident smile bloomed on his face. "We are the most capable people in this realm... We are the absolute... Of course, we can!" Derik urged and Lucien smiled in response. "Did you have friends? In your world..." Lucien asked with a raised eyebrow. "Not really... While many were scared of me and tried everything they could to stop me, the others saw me as a god and not a person... They prayed to be and worshiped me... There was only one bastard in that world who I can call my friend!" Derik said. "Who is that?" Lucien was interested in hearing the tale of the crazy dude who dared to befriend death! "His name is Cyrus... While I inherited the death magic, he got ten life magic... I suffered my first defeat at his hands and for a while, we sincerely looked for opportunities to rip each other''s throat... With time we got to realize that life and death are just different sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other... We went against the world together and we be best friends... We reached the true god realm together... We fought for that work together, I will never forget him" Derik said with a sigh. Hearing this, Lucien was stunned. He never expected a day wille when two people using light and darkness would form such a strong bond together. Remembering Derik''s words about not forgetting him, Lucien assumed Cyrus was dead and couldn''t help but ask. " How did he die?" "Die?" Derik shot Lucien a nk look and blinked in a cute manner. For a second there, the terrifying god of death was no different from a normal confused man. "He didn''t die?" Lucien asked and Derik scoffed. "No one could kill us... We killed our fellow gods from our god vein and went ahead to kill all the old gods from another god vein that dared to invade... We were invincible in that world! How can he die? I am not even sure I can kill him if I tried" Derik said thoughtfully, stunning Lucien. If Derik could reach this level with the death element, how strong is this Cyrus with the life element? What kind of abilities did he possess? "Where is he? why didn''t he invade this world with you?" Lucien couldn''t help but shudder at the thought. Imagine Derik and this Cyrus invaded their god vein... They would swagger across the entire continent and no one would be able to challenge them. Maybe if Cyrus was here they may not even need the help of the other emperors to stop the invasion. Why didn''t this persone along? "He stayed back to protect our world... Someone had to do it" Derik said with a sad smile on his face. Chapter 233: Ant men Chapter 233: Ant men "So where are we going? We have been traveling for over three days now?" Lucienined which made Derik chuckle slightly. Since the journey started, their rtionship had only gotten better and right now they could be considered good friends. Derik got to know Lucien''s story and he also shared his story with Lucien. Both of them soon realized they were simr in so many ways and since then, their killing intentions directed towards each other have vanished and are reced with some sort of brotherly love. "To think you actually decided to follow me, purely based on trust! Without knowing where we are heading to? You are either too confident in your abilities or just in cocky" Derik chuckled and Lucien made a confused face. "What''s the worst you can do?" Lucien asked. He strongly believed that with his Raizen god spirit inheritance, he can escape Derik if he wanted. "I can see you are cocky and confident in your abilities," Derik said with a rare smile. "More like I am confident in my ability to flee battles" Lucien patted his chest with pride as he said those words. Hearing this, Derik just chuckled in response as they were almost at the edge of the cliff. He didn''t want to get into an argument with Lucien, at least not now. Just like Lucien, Derik believed in his abilities too and was pretty sure Lucien cannot escape from him. But this is the problem with two powerful people. None doubt their skills so it''s hard to tell who will win in a battle unless they actually fight. "We are here" Derik finally said as they reached the edge of the cliff and looked down, only for Lucien to shiver in disgust and fear. Down there were countless numbers of human-shaped ant men, clustered together in what seemed like a bottomless pit. Seeing this, Lucien was stunned since he could feel the presence of an emperor-level magic beast down there which is most likely the Queen, and then countless energy signatures at various levels. "What do you think?" Derik asked with a grin on his cruel face. "Well, all I can say is this... This may be a paradise for us but it''s also hell for anyone... How am I supposed to deal with so many enemies at once?" Lucien asked. "Hehehehehe! Your lessons start now... We don''t think about the hows, we just do it" Derik said as he walked off the cliff edge and fell in! Kwak! The ant-men noticed the existence of someoneing into their hive and they all looked up before dashing upwards as if Derik was their meal! "These little guys can''t even distinguish between the strong and the weak! I guess I should punish them for that!" Derik said with a wide grin on his face as a skull symbol appeared on his forehead! "RISE!!!!" Derik''s temperament suddenly turned fierce as his aura exploded violently, turning green as it released a fierce light! His shadow expanded rapidly as his undead army poured out and jumped into the ditch fearlessly! "My turn!" Derik growled as the death scythe appeared in his hands as he descended to the lower levels of what seemed like a bottomless pit Just like that a war had begun and even though his undead army was outnumbered, they could not be killed so it was only a matter of time before the enemy tires out and they gain the advantage. "This dude is really hardcore!" Lucien said with a bright smile. When spending time with Derik, he always got this invincible vibe! It was like no matter what, they cannot lose. At this point, he realized what Emperor Fei felt. "I guess it takes another powerful man to kill a powerhouse like emperor Fei!" Lucien said as his shadow spread out and from it, a thousand demonic beasts surged out and jumped into the pit. [Beast Emperor Mode activated] With his notification, Lucien grew slightly taller as his body was covered with blue illusionary scales and three pairs of wings appeared on his back. These wings were made of blue fire, wind, and lightning. His eyes turned crystal blue and his voice depend while his hair turned blue as well! "It''s nice hearing the notifications again... I felt like a part of me was taken away" Lucien said with a bright smile. [Says the kid who didn''t notice I was missing for so long] Rakuzen snorted. "I already apologized man! I was upied, I couldn''t notice!" Lucien said to Rakzuen but there was no response. [...] Seeing Rakuzen had no intentions of speaking to him further, Lucien jumped into the hole with a bright smile on his face. His body kept falling as he wrapped his hands around his chest and wore an indifferent look on his face. As he fell, all ant men that dared leap towards him were sted away by the bolts of lightning surging around him before they could even get close. He noticed the ants around here were around the soldier level and only a few were at the General level. [The deeper you go, you will meet the stronger ones down there] Rakzuen said. Till now Lucien is yet to see Derik, making him wonder how deep Derik had gone and what kind of foes he would be forced to battle right now! Meanwhile... sh! Derik cleaved through all those who dare stand in his way with zero to no effort! He kept meeting general-level ant men but even them could not stop his advance! His body surged with a dark aura as he shed horizontally, splitting over five ant men in two, all at once! "RISE!" Once again Derik''s eyes revealed a terrifying light as his aura spread out and engulfed the bodies of all the dead ant men, adding them to his undead army! He could feel a powerful aura chasing after him from above and he instantly knew Lucien wasing but that wasn''t what he was bothered with. His target right now is the queen! Every other being standing in his way can just die for all he cares! Chapter 234: Fearless or just dumb Chapter 234: Fearless or just dumb "DEATH MAGIC: HELL FLAME!" Derik growled as he threw his open palm forward and pure ck mes surged out violently! Consulting everything in its path! His eyes revealed a hint of surprise as he noticed some ant-men leaning on the walls of therge pit waiting for him to go below them before charging at him from above! As long as they have the higher ground, they will have the advantage, right? Right? Whoosh! The ant men charged forward, swarming towards Derik from all directions but even then Derik couldn''t help but chuckle. "They are definitely getting smarter" Derikmented as three pairs of ck angelic wings sprouted on his back and with a single p, it created a powerful shockwave that sent the ants flying back while Derik flew higher! Bzzzzzzz! Suddenly a blue streak of lightning shot past Derik, heading towards the ants! Like an explosion, Lucien''s lightning aura exploded violently, spreading across the entire area all at once and reducing the enemy forces surrounding them. "Took you long enough to get here" Derik said as he shot Lucien. "You shouldn''t dive in alone like that, you will get yourself killed" Lucien chuckled. Above them were Derik and Lucien''s demonic army gaining ground. With Derik''s original forces which are over ten thousand plus the ant army joining their ranks, they bulldozed through the enemy forces and chased after their master. Having such an army behind him, Derik wasn''t flustered and gave Lucien a slight nod. "Now?" Lucien was dazed. Apart from Derik''s unusual request, Lucien was shocked he could pick out so much information from just a nod! What is he bing? "We have an army that will deal with the beasts above... We can only go below and deal with the queen... Once that is over, it will be easier to kill the rest" Derik said but Lucien frowned. Diving in headfirst meant a lot and it will be considered stupid if a person dives in first before knowing what he or she is up against. As motivated as he was to go against Derik''s n he couldn''t help but feel thrilled. This excitement was something he could not exin. He had this feeling that no matter what is down there he will not be killed. [This is what it means to be strong] Rakuzen''s head echoed in his head making him smile. "You know... I am beginning to like you more and more as the day goes by" Lucien said and Derik grinned in response. "This is what makes this kind of life exciting!" Derik said as he ced his hands across his chest in an X shape and his six wings wrapped around him before he began free falling! Seeing him dive deeper towards the terrain of the queen the ants were rmed and many of them charged towards Derik but before they could reach him, three raging suns, twice the size of a full-grown man appeared around him, spinning viciously. Everyone that darede in contact with it was reduced to ashes and crushed in a matter of minutes. "Amazing!" Lucien muttered upon seeing the miniature suns spinning around Derik. He remembered when they spoke about the abilities of a realm protector and back then he found it hard to believe that someone can control the power of the sun, moon, and stars but seeing it now hepletely believed Derik! Whoosh! Letting his wings wrap around him, Lucien began are free-falling as well. As long as he followed the same scorching path left behind by Derik, there is no way he would be harmed. Even then some daring ants still jumped forward, trying to reach him but every one of them was blown away by strong bolts of lightning surging around Lucien. After free-falling for what seemed like twenty seconds, the duo struck the ground but the ants above were still chasing! Fighting them and an emperor tier ant queen will definitely be troublesome! "Derik!" Lucien screamed. " I know!" Derik growled as the sun symbol on his forehead lit up brightly. "BRILLIANT SUN!" Derik growled as the three suns mmed together, forming onerger sun! Creating therger sun, Derik threw it above their head, allowing it to fly upward, destroying all ant beasts that dared to chase after them! Doing this he was expecting some sort of praise from Lucien but he heard nothing. Gazing at Lucien he realized that the kid was frozen stiff by shock and when he looked forward he realized the room had over thirty more ant men but this time these ones were at the King tier, all of them surrounding the massive ant queen. This force is enough to raid an empire and leave it damaged! Thankfully, ant magic beasts were more docile and only attacked those who dared to step foot into their domain. "Wow!" Derik muttered. Even someone like him felt threatened in such a situation, leaving him temporarily speechless. "This won''t be easy" Lucien said with a frown. "If it was easy, It won''t be fun" Derik said with a light smile before moving forward by a few steps. A force like this is capable of threatening him, so it was natural he felt more eager to eliminate it. "Why have youe?" The Ant queen gazed at the duo and even though their cultivation base may becking, she felt more threatened than when facing off against another emperor tier magic beast. Hearing it speak so calmly, Lucien felt chills running down his spine. Even with the inheritance, this emperor tier beast, which is equivalent to demigods was calmly speaking to them. It meant that even though it felt threatened, the problem wasn''t enough to make it anxious. "To kill you... What other reasons are we meant to have?" Derik responded with a confused look on his face. It felt as if he just heard the dumbest question ever in a long while. Hearing his response, Lucien felt like burying himself alive. Was this man just fearless orpletely dense and oblivious to the danger surrounding them? An emperor tier magic beast and about thirty king tier magic beasts! Even an emperor will die quickly under this condition! Chapter 235: Dragon inheritance Chapter 235: Dragon inheritance Hearing Derik''s words the King-tier soldier ants seemed to understand Derik''s words as they made some strange sound while aggressively gazing at the invaders. If it were in the past world, Derik would have made the first move and wiped out all thirty of these beasts at once but in this world, he was not feeling as invincible as usual. He could feel the cold gaze of the enemy pinned on him and for some reason he felt like using his death aura won''t work here. "This will definitely not end well" Derik muttered but he did not retreat. He kept taking bold steps forward, making Lucien wonder if he was high on wine or something. Screech! One of the soldier ants could no longer take this insult and screamed loud before charging forward at Derik! It could be considered extremely fast but Derik dodged it properly! His body spun uncontrobly until he stepped on the wall of the cave but by that time, three figures around him. "INSECTS!" Derik growled as the death scythe in his hand lit up and his body spun quickly, creating a perfect arc as he shed all three enemies at once. Peng! His attack only shoved them back, leaving no crack on the ck shell armor of the ant men! Kwaaaah! The three ant soldiers let out a roar as they all struck forward at once, aiming for Derik''s skull! "COCKY!!" Derik growled as the there enemies were engulfed with a green aura and for a moment, the three ants paused! "TIME MAGIC!" Lucien eximed in shock but what was even more shocking was the bright orange aura, ovepping his green aura! "BRILLIANT SUN!" Derik growled as three massive suns appeared in front of the three ant men and struck them hard! Everyone watched as the there ant soldiers struggled against the miniature suns until they were smashed into the wall behind the queen who remained calm. Boom! Derik dropped to the ground with a frown. He didn''t seem exhausted but even more annoyed than ever. "These bastards will be hard to deal with" Derik said with a frown on his face as he watched the there ant soldiers emerge again but this time their armor had cracks on them. To think all that for just this level of damage... What will happen when all thirty of them attacks at once? "This will be tricky" Lucien nodded in agreement to Derik''s words. "Just as I suspected... You two possess power surpassing that of a spirit realm master... You may be powerful but it is obvious you cannot win here" the ant queen said and Derik chuckled in response. He only said it would be difficult and never imed it would be impossible. He didn''t know why this ant queen was eager to get rid of them peacefully but he wasn''t buying it! Now they are here, only one side can leave this ce alive! Swoosh! Lucien waved his hands slowly and in a circr motion, forming what looked like a massive ck fog of corrosive death aura. The fog kept expanding and rising and to his greatest surprise, the ant queen and the soldier ants did nothing to stop him. They just gazed at him as if he was some sort of idiot. "Don''t me me for being ruthless then!" Derik growled as he threw his hands forward, sending the entire corrosive fog forward. He and Lucien watched attentively and slowly the fog cleared and apart from the three soldier ants whose armor had been damaged no other person was killed. Ding! Ding! Ding! [King tier ant-man Killed] [Beast assimtion sessful] ... Seeing the notifications Lucien wasn''t impressed. In the past, he would be ecstatic about having gained the power of a new king tier magic beast but that''s just a thing of the past right now. Right now, only an emperor tier beast assimtion could catch his attention. "I guess this will end badly if we don''t take them seriously" Derik concluded with a frown. He didn''t know how possible it is but their armor is capable of resisting his corrosive death aura. He performed thest move to confirm after he realized his death scythe couldn''t cut through them or even leave a mark. "Luckily I have over a million abilities to choose from" Derik said coldly and Lucien nodded. They have already wasted too much time and honestly, he saw no reason to hesitate anymore. So what if they have thirty king-tier beasts on their side, so what? In this case, they are the predators and not the prey! He really has to stop spacing out and act like one! "Dragons wrath" Derik muttered as he took bold steps forward, with each step sinking deep into the ground. Thud! Thud! Each step he took made the ground tremble and shatter under his weight. His aura became fierce and the air around him turned wild in an instant. His blue dragon scales lit up brightly and for some reason, he felt an unexinable rage surging within him! ROAR! Letting out an incredible roar, Lucien charged forward! As he moved his body was shrouded in blue Dragon mes, increasing in size as he moved! Soon he looked like a massive blue ball of mes surging forward but even then ant magic beasts showed no sign of fear! Two ant men took bold steps forward to intercept the attack. Boom! The earth trembled badly on both sides and surprisingly, the fireball stopped the moment it hit the two ant men! "They stopped him?" Derik said in shock while gazing at Lucien! He didn''t expect to see something like this? Badum! Badum! Badum! Heavy heartbeats kept echoing loudly in the underground cave making the ce tremble slightly. The source of the heavy heartbeats was Lucien as he struggled with the two ant men in a test of strength. Originally he was getting pushed back but suddenly he stopped moving and finally he began taking steps forward! The heartbeats got harder and beat faster! The faster it got the stronger Lucien became! "Could this be the strength of an inheritance leading to the destructive authority?" Derik was stunned as he watched instead of fighting. With the little he has seen, he quickly understood the true nature of the dragon''s inheritance. It is purely fueled by rage and the longer a person fought the more powerful they be. Slowly they are consumed by the rage forcing them to be even more reckless and daring but in exchange, they get stronger. They may be no limit to how angry they can get but one thing is certain. If the user is unable to channel that rage properly or falls too deep into the feeling, they will ultimately end up losing themselves and go on a killing spree, bing the embodiment of destruction itself. "Powerful but not reliable... I guess I should join in and prevent him from falling too deep into the anger" Derik yawned and stretched first before making eye contact with the ant queen. "Your soul will be mine!" Derik sneered before lunging forward. He shot into the air and for a moment he seemed to be running on the air. Gazing closely, one noticed the red liquid slowly appearing around him, surging uncontrobly, and soon what seemed like small balls of liquid soon became a small river of blood surging around him! Like a fierce beast, Derik charge into the army of King tier magic beasts and no matter how much they tried, they could never break through his blood sea to reach him! Images of Kira, the blood mage in his old world appeared on his mind constantly as he kept using the power, disturbing him greatly! Controlling one''s emotions as a necromancer is very important but when he is forced to relive his moments with a person when using his ability, Derik found it extremely tasking just to keep his cool. His eyes reflected the blood sea surging around him and when the images got too intense, Derik threw his hand forward and the blood sea surged around him, pouring forward instantly flooding the pit! It''s forcefully pulled the king-tier ants off their feet and dragged them restlessly around the room! "WE END IT TOGETHER!" Derik growled as his eyes let out a golden sh and Cyrus'' image appeared behind him. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he raised his hands above his head and a massive great golden broadsword appeared above them twice the size of the massive ant queen! It could barely fit into the pit and its existence already made the entire pit cave in from the sides! "Even now, I still need you buddy" Derik said with a sad smile. Gazing at the massive golden de radiating intense life aura, even Lucien was shocked. Who would have thought someone using death magic can steal and use the power of life? "Together then!" Lucien growled with zing blue eyes as the faint image of a massive blue dragon appeared behind him and his neck expanded! Chapter 236: Strength of a demigod magic beast! Chapter 236: Strength of a demigod magic beast! Huff! Lucien took a deep breath as his stomach expanded revealing blinding blue light, before. Moving all the way to his expanded neck. AZURE BLUE DRAGON ROAR! Lucien cried as he spat out a powerful beam of bright blue mes, surging forward dangerously! "KILL! DIVINE RETRIBUTION!" Derik would not let such an opportunity slide and he proceeded tounch his attack. Shhrrrrrrrrr! The massive divine broadsword let out a loud cry before descending on the ant queen like the divine judgment of the gods! Combined with the powerful blue beam of me released by Lucien, the explosion was massive, spreading so fast that Lucien couldn''t react against it. He just watched the bright light spreading fast, almost reaching him but then he felt an arm reach for his shoulder. XIU! The next instant, Lucien found himself standing just below the clouds, gazing at thend surrounding the ant pit cave in. At first, he was stunned by the level of destruction they caused byunching attacks together but now wasn''t the time to focus on minor thoughts like that. "You know spatial magic?" Lucien couldn''t help but ask Derik who was standing airborne beside him. "I have killed millions... Amongst many I havee against, there is my sessor Blink... He was the most talented spatial mage to ever grace that world... I possess his power" Derik said indifferently with arge frown on his face. "Mhmm!" Lucien nodded to show he understood the situation and didn''t talk anymore. He could see there was no notification, showing they have killed the ant queen so he guessed it was still down there. Judging based on the frown on Derik''s face it was obvious, Derik knew this as well. All that still wasn''t enough to kill this emperor tier magic beast. If the king tier magic beast rupture, reaches this level will it be this strong? How powerful will it''s be by that time? Bang! Lucien''s body shuddered as a powerful shockwave erupted from the pit and a golden figure shut it! Its body size was the same as that of a human adult, over six feet tall, with a curvy golden body, two arms, and three pairs of golden insect wings. The queen shot out of the hole and gazed at the two with her fierce murderous eyes. Her antennas shivered and moved as she realized Derik''s eyes were letting out a bright golden light! Whoosh! The massive golden divine sword shot out of the ground, hacking at her recklessly from below! "Your methods are ineffective!" the ant queen said as she didn''t attempt to dodge, instead she stretched her hand forward and cut the massive golden broadsword! "You think too highly of yourself!" Derik''s eyes let out a fierce golden glow. "Fill the skies, shatter the heavens!" Derek growled as he grabbed the void and pulled Boom! The massive great broadsword suddenly doubled in size and power making the ant Queen frown! She seemed to be caught off guard by the sudden change in strength and the next moment she was blown away violently but Derik''s attack! "Still didn''t go through?" Derik frowned when he noticed she was pushed back but not hurt. He was about to make a move but then a blue blur shot past him, smashing into the golden ant queen! "DIE!" Lucien growled as heunched flurries of punches and the enemy reacted by throwing her hands forward in retaliation! Bang! Bang! Bang! The two figures levitated in the air striking each other so rapidly that their hands could not be seen but even the none of them sustained any damage! "Sure enough the toughness of their armors is incredible... I may not even be able topare to them!" Derik said with a bitter smile. The ant queen refused to retreat and kept engaging Lucien in a fistfight! In a second both sides had already exchanged over a hundred blows but none retreated. As they fought the ant queen realized how dangerous Lucien''s dragon inheritance is. As they kept fighting she could feel his aura rising constantly and his punches getting heavier. His breathing got heavier and if looked at closely, his dragon scales thickened and got even stronger! In a prolonged battle like this, no matter how long she can hold out, she will be defeated in the end. To counter such a tricky ability one has to retreat and break the enemies attacking intervals. That way his power growth will be shaky and eventually crumble! WHOOSH! With a single step back, she quickly distanced herself from Lucien but this was not what she expected! Not only did Lucien fail to pursue her, but Derik was also already behind waiting! His eyes revealed a crystal clear light and his aura was calm and stable! "Moon magic: three moon sealing formation!" Derik growled while sping his hands together! Whoosh! The cloud parted as three gray moons appeared from the sky, surrounding the ant queen immediately! As she was surrounded she tried to move but found it quite difficult but even then she did not panic! She watched as the three moons gathered from the sides, trying to crush her at the center and for the first time the indifference in her face vanished and a cruel smile appeared. "You humans think you can win with petty tricks? I didn''t get this far just to be defeated by two spirit realm kids!" The ant queen was finally angry and she quickly pulled back her hands, head, and legs into what seemed like a golden shell at the center! Whoosh! The shell began spinning rapidly, creating a powerful tornado in a single breath, disrupting the formation of the three moons! Seeing they were about to be dragged in by this power, Derik and Lucien reinforced themselves with their aura, preventing them from getting pulled easily. Their eyes revealed killing lights as they both made their lives at the same time! " Devour!" Derik growled as a ck whirlpool suddenly opened within the massive tornado sucking it in greedily! His actions created a hole in the tornado, giving Lucien the opening he needed! "PHOENIX FLAMES: INCINERATE!" Lucien growled as he released a Phoenix-shaped me, charging towards the golden shell within the storm. Thanks to the hole created by Derik, he got a perfect strike, and with the powerful suction force of the devour, even the ant queen was reluctant to make a foolish move! BURN AWAY! Derik and Lucien screamed as the Phoenix me mmed into the golden shell and it caught fire. Knowing the true power of the Phoenix me, Derik and Lucien knew the battle has been won since this emperor tier beast will just keep burning until it is reduced to dust, all they need to do now is focus on the defense! Or so they thought! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Pearls ofughter filled the air as the golden shell fell off, revealing the original ck armor of the ant queen! "For a moment there you had me worried over nothing... I once fought a beast-man who had this ability... He fought well but was ultimately overwhelmed by my power... He could only flee... We the magic ant race are not easily dealt with!" The ant queen said, making Derik and Lucien frown. "Things are only this difficult because we can''t afford to damage her soul... You are the reason this bug dares to stand here and talk to us in this manner" Lucienined, leaving the ant queen confused. In just a moment, the tense atmosphere of the battle was gone. How can these people be so carefree when going against a powerhouse like her? Did they know she is only a step away from bing one of the divine God beasts that rule this world now? If she achieves this, she can create a whole new race of human and antbinations just like the magic beasts did w7th the humans! She will be a pioneer like them! "That''s not true... Well, it is but notpletely true..." Derik said while shamefully avoiding eye contact with the annoyed Lucien. Lucien''s martial techniques allow him to attack the soul directly and that has been his trump card all this while but if he should damage the soul of this emperor tier beast, he may gain the powers through his beast assimtion but Derik won''t be able to consume the soul since it''s destroyed. He was trying to make it a win-win situation for both of them and that has only brought insults and disrespect from the other side! "Don''t forget it is a demigod and its soul is at that level too... Even I will have some problems when trying to consume and subdue such soul if I had the soul of a mortal... I doubt your soul attacks will have that much effect on it anyway" Derik tried to defend himself making Lucien frown even more but leaving the ant Queen rmed! Did they just say soul attacks? They can do that? Her shell may be hard but her soul iscking that defense! She may have a demigod soul which can withstand a lot but constant damage will not only affect her negatively but may also cripple her cultivation! These two are more dangerous than she thought! Chapter 237: Damaging the ant queen Chapter 237: Damaging the ant queen With the new revtion, the ant queen was quite scared and cautious of the two. If both of them came only one after the other she wouldn''t have a reason to fear but with their strengthsbined and their impressive teamwork, it will definitely take hits. Taking hits from them meant sustaining soul damages. "I refuse" Lucien said adamantly. "If you feel that way then let me use my martial technique on it, lets see how many blows it can take from me!" Lucien said boldly but Derik frowned. His theory only applies to humans or beings who are aware of methods of utilizing their souls in battle. As an emperor tier beast, this ant queen may only have a powerful soul and know nothing about manipting it! Letting her battle Lucien will most likely end in her soul getting utterly destroyed, especially since he can endure her attacks while delivering intense soul devastating blows. "No... We are not taking chances!" Derik refused to take that chance. Having this emperor tier beast in his team will boost his power. "Then what do you suggest?" Lucien said with knitted eyebrows. Sigh! "Fine! I will stop holding back and focus on destroying her armor... If we join hands it shouldn''t be much of a problem" Derik said with a sigh, making the antdy frown. Was this human trying to say they have been holding back all this while? Mere spirit realm masters dare hold back against her? A being about to reach the pinnacle of all existence? "You do not know how vast the world is... The God realm is only the beginning" Derik said the moment he saw her facial expressions and guessed why she was acting this way. ENOUGH!!! The ant queen had heard enough! She considered these two threats and that''s why she tried as much as possible to send them away peacefully when they attacked even though they has killed so many of her subordinates. She wanted to live in seclusion and focus on her cultivation since her goal has always been to reach the God realm. Not only did these two kill all her subordinates but they also attempted to take her life and now they even dare look down on her and speak to her as if shecks the vast knowledge of the world! "ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!" She growled as her ck armor was once again covered in a thickyer of golden armor! Her pitch-ck eyes shook slightly as her wings sprouted once again! Whoosh! Lucien was left speechless as the figure shook and vanished in an instant! Her speed far surpassed his expectation! Bam! Before he could react he heard a loud explosion by his side, only to see the ant Queens leg flying towards his skull but Derik appeared and blocked it with a kick of his own; Puff! His left leg was blown away making the ant queen smile at the foolish human attempt to block her attack but the smile soon froze as she noticed something wrong! Derik wasn''t bleeding! Derik wasn''t showing signs of pain either! "Ha!" Derik growled, ignoring torn-off limb and struck forward! His fist was engulfed in ck death aura, taking the form of a w as he assumed his Lycan form, striking at the ant queen! Peng! As expected his w attack did not even leave a mark on her body, going as far as to bounce off! ''Sure enough, my God beasts creature ispletely inferior in this world... In my old world, it granted me enough advantages to challenge stronger foes but here, it is almost useless'' Derikmented in his heart as he watched the ant queen grab the hand he used to attack! Skrrr! A tearing sound mixed with bone-breaking sounds could be heard as Derik''s hand was torn off brutally! "DIE!" The ant queen growled as she struck at Derik''s chest, leaving a massive gaping hole where his heart should be! Bang! Derik''s body was sent crashing down, while she turned her attention to the blue blur behind her! "Don''t you dare forget about me!" Lucien growled but this time there was no dragon scale, instead, his entire body was shrouded in lightly and he had two silver daggers in his hand! Swish! Lucien struck forward, quickly as the lightning daggers struck the ant queen''s golden shell, leaving both Lucien and the ant queen shocked! ''It prated!'' They both screamed in their hearts while disying shocked expressions on their faces. Lucien has always thought the lighting element was famous for its speed but he failed to remember that the lightning element was also known for its lethality and incredible piercing ability! Bang! Releasing its aura as a means of throwing Lucien back the ant queen struck at Lucien fiercely. Pa! Controlling the wind around him to bnce himself, Lucien stomped the air and shot back, going out of the ant Queens reach. His eyes let out a bright blue light as his body turned into a bolt of lightning and vanished! Swoosh! Seeing the blue blur behind her, the ant Queen didn''t hesitate to strike in that direction but what she met was nothing! Squish! Lucien struck again but this time he aimed for its slender waist, striking it so hard, visible cracks could be seen on her golden armor but the daggers were not long enough to prate deep enough! "DIE HUMAN!" The ant queen reacted quickly as she sent a kick towards Lucien''s skull without hesitation! Amongst the two, Lucien is the one with the highest possibility of harming her! As long as she kills him, she shouldn''t have much problem with the almost dead Derik! "DON''T MOVE!" A voice echoed like a divine decree and surprisingly she couldn''t move! She could see golden divine letters hovering around her, making her shiver in fear! It can''t be! I left him in a miserable state, how can he still be alive? Lucien could be seen rising above with his hands ced behind him and a golden halo around his head. His eyescked any form of emotion and two scrolls could be seen levitating by his side. He was making use of Cyrus'' famous ''The word pathway!'' Chapter 238: The ant colony Chapter 238: The ant colony Derik felt a crushing feeling around his throat which would make any normal person restrain from using the word pathway on a stronger being but he wasn''t worried about any damages that may ur to his body. As long as he didn''t make use of more powerful words that may harm his soul, it should be okay! "Hold it! Nice and easy!" Lucien said as his eyes released extremely terrifying light while his body drifter backward! The clouds gathered and ck lighting surged around him at a terrifying pace. Blood could be seen rolling down his ears but he wore a massive grin on him as he saw the ant Queen struggle but she couldn''t break free from Derik''s divine words! "QUICK!" Derik growled as he felt like his throat was about to get ripped off. With his weaker cultivation base, he can only suppress this ant queen for so long. "Damn it! Okay!" Lucien growled as he threw the massive ball of lightning in his hands at the enemy! HELL ZONE GRENADE!!! BOOM! The ant queen could only watch as she was violently struck by the massive ball of lightning and pushed to the ground by the explosion! Meanwhile, Derik was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath. He finally realized why Cyrus doesn''t even attempt using the word pathway on stronger foes. It was no different from torture, even someone like him could barely withstand it. "What the hell is with that dumb name" Derik finally spoke up. His gaze was the one of someone wondering whether he should smack the hell out of the dumb kid or not. Why the hell would someone want to name a technique and call it a hell zone grenade? "Isn''t it cool?" Lucien asked with a proud smile, making Derik wonder if this kid is really clueless. Can''t he see that no one here is happy? "Dude, that name is shit! We don''t do that here... It doesn''t even match the technique! How the fuck does lightning be a grenade?" Derik said with a raised eyebrow. The only thing stopping him from giving this kid a serious ass whopping was the ant queen. They weren''t fools. They could tell this ant queen can''t be defeated easily. It will take way more than this! Bang! Shooting out of the debris was the ant queen appeared with numerous cracks on her ck ant armor and green blood sipping out of those wounds. All Derik needed to do now is find a way to get his corrosive death aura into those cracked and that will be the end of this demigod level magic beast. Of course, the ant queen wouldn''t give them such a chance! "All of you... You all must die! Here and now!" She growled as she sped her hands together and the air around the entire area froze! Derik and Lucien saw something like a ck stic ball expanding but none of them ran. They could tell this was the enemy''s domain and the only way to finish her off was within this world. If they ran, she can just hide inside the anomaly until her wounds recover and they will be forced to start all over again. "I guess someone has to die here" Derik chuckled as he was slowly pulled into the ck liquid alongside Lucien. "Hehehe! The one''s to die definitely won''t be us!" Lucien said with a cocky smile on his face. Wam! Derik and Lucien soon found themselves in an endless sanding world with no clouds, no sun, no moon but surprisingly it wasn''t dark. They could see just fine and the presence of the ant queen could be sensed everywhere! Sigh! Lucien let out a sigh of relief, catching Derik''s attention. "What''s up?" Derik asked while shooting him a nce. "Nothing much... I just feel like this fight has gone on long enough and this is our best chance to put an end to it... It''s almost over..." Lucien said with a light smile, causing Derik to chuckle. Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! The ground shook violently as they watched massive ants surge out from all sides and soon they were surrounded by an endless army of ants, charging towards them from all directions. "To think her anomaly is an actual ant colony... She wears down her enemies with her infinite army" Derik said with a slight look of shock and surprise on his face. He has seen so many types of anomalies and domains all through his lifetime. The mostmon domains and anomalies are the ones that focus on strengthening the user to a ridiculous level, and that''s what his past domain did. The second was the type that created an unfavorable condition for the enemy, giving the user an environmental advantage, just like the Lightning emperor tier magic beast he killed not too long ago. Finally, there is thest which focuses on numbers overpower! It allows the user to summon an infinite number of armies to overwhelm the enemy and wear him out. This kind of anomaly is rare and that''s why he was shocked. "It''s nice... Unfortunately, this power will be mine soon" Lucien said coldly as he sped his hands together and his shadow expanded rapidly, allowing his demonic army and beast assimtions to surge out. "You don''t use your beast assimtions much now... Even your spirit beast has been dormant for a while now" Derik said while shooting him a nce. "It''s not as easy as you think... These abilities arecking... Using the strength of the inheritance brings out the best in me" Lucien said and Derik sighed He stomped the ground and his shadow spread out as well, allowing the undead army to surge out with his own emperor tier lightning magic beast. Lucien jumped on the head of the faceless who took the form of the Rakuzen blue serpent dragon while Derik jumper don the head of his lightning beast. They both gazed at the sky above and wondered how to pull out the owner of this anomaly! "Blowing this anomaly up from within will be extremely difficult but it shouldn''t be impossible" Derik said with a frown. Chapter 239: Victory? Chapter 239: Victory? "We can''t destroy an entire anomaly with some sort of hidden strength or something... Right now all we can do is damage the anomaly or find her" Lucien said with a frown. He could understand why Derik would think this way since he is used to destroying everything in his path without fail, so destroying another person''s anomaly was the first thing that came to mind. "I hate you" Derik said casually before charging forward on the lightning bird. For the first time since this battle began, he blocked out all other thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Unlike before, he is fighting within the domain of the enemy. His soul haspletely fused with this body, binding his cultivation level as well so he didn''t have the advantage he had in the past. When he destroyed his domain, just to harm the gods of this world and put them out for long, Derik ended up destroying his original undead army which resides in that world, so he didn''t have any godly figure amongst his undead army that can help him overpower this enemy. "I guess I will have to call on everyone''s help for this" Derik felt thrilled by the fact that he was making a powerful opponent like the ant queen go all out! In this situation, he wasn''tpletely helpless but his situation wasn''t that bright either. The victor of this battle is yet to be decided and anyone can im victory in this battle if one is careless! These are the things that excite Derik in a fight! This is what a real battle looks like! sping his hands together, Derik''s eyes sank in as he jumped off the back of the lightning bird and into the air. His aura surged dangerously but this time it wasn''t death aura but something more dangerous. It was an aura that carried a strong presence that will make anyone frightful. ck markings appeared all over his body as a tiny ck sphere appeared in his hand. "I wasn''t joking when I spoke about destroying the anomaly... Keep the army at bay and let me do my job!" Derik shot Lucien a nce and smiled. "GRAVITY MAGIC: BLACK HOLE!" Derik growled as the small ck orb hesitated off his hand and into the air! Suddenly a powerful suction force erupted, pulling everything within it. The ground shattered and the air seemed as if it would crumble as the suction force got stronger! Amongst the ant army are powerful once capable of temporarily resisting the suction force and those are the people Derik was worried about. The thing about the ck hole spell was that it got stronger with time and right now his main goal is to stop anyone from destroying it! Soon it will get strong enough to make the anomaly crumble from the inside! "You are not ready for what is toe!" Derik said as he gazed at the skies waiting for the ant queen to make an appearance. Images of the original owner of the ability, Kuen flooded his mind. Back in their world, he had a history with this person and they made a considerable amount of memories together. From bitter enemies, they became allies and fought alongside each other for a while. Kuen served him well until hisst day! "This feeling is a bit overwhelming" Lucien muttered as he focused on the figure approaching at an incredible speed. He no longer bothered himself with the battle happening below, he could only trust Lucien on that. "COME AT ME BOY!" Derik growled revealing his fangs as he lunged at the figure shooting towards the ck hole. While approaching his facial expression darkened as he saw the ant queen was hidden in something like a silver armor! Right now her aura was more intimidating than when she wore a golden armor! "She was holding back on us?" Derik gasped in shock but it was toote to retreat! Secret technique: Werewolves Roar! Derik''s eyes revealed killing lights as he was shrouded in the dark aura that took the shape of a powerful werewolf! He struck forward violently but the silver figure just shot through him like a beam, leaving a huge hold both on the werewolf''s chest and on his upper body was severed from his lower body! "Damn you!" Derik''s visage turned cold as his severed upper half sprouted ck angelic wings, allowing him to turn in mid-air and shoot towards the silver figures! There is no way he was going to let her reach the developing ck hole! Blink! Derik''s eyes revealed a terrifying silver light as he vanished and reappeared in front of the ck hole with his hands sped together! His eyes were blood red and a sea of blood surged around him dangerously, increasing in size by the minute! Bang! Smashing into the sea of blood the ant queen suddenly felt a strong sense of danger! Not only was her movementpletely slowed but she could feel the blood surging into her body from the small openings everywhere! Slowly moving became even more tasking as she noticed red markings appearing all over her body! BLOOD CONTROL! Derik yelled with terrifying blood-red eyes as he sped his hands together and the blood dispersed, leaving the ant queen stationary and unable to move! "I win... Checkmate!" Derik said as the body vanished reappearing in front of the ant queen. His eyes were filled with so much darkness surging in it it felt like two ck whirlpools surging violently! DEVOUR! His lips locked with that of the ant queen and the darkness around him spread forth, consuming both of them! At this point, the anomaly began trembling and Lucien who was busy fending off against countless ants was stunned! "He won already?" He muttered in shock as he gazed up only to see two figures with their lips locked in! "The fuck?" Lucien screamed in shock, almost throwing up at the spot. With the power of the ant Queen getting drained, there was little that could hold the realm any more, making it easier for the ck hole to swallow it up! Chapter 240: Did you have to kiss it? Chapter 240: Did you have to kiss it? Bang! Bang! Bang! Following the countless explosions, the ck sphere in the air shattered and three figures appeared. One was Lucien who looked disgusted while the other was Derik who carried the extremely drained ant queen in his hand. She was so emaciated it looked like there was nothing left in her body! "Damn you, man... That wasn''t necessary" Lucien said as he threw a stone at Derik. Derik used the shriveled body of the ant queen as a shield as he descended slowly. His eyes showcased power surging through him and right now he was in the middle of a breakthrough! If he can seed this time, he should be able to reach the peak of the spirit realm, just a step away from bing a champion realm expert! Meanwhile, Lucien was soon assaulted by countless notifications from his system that took his eyes off Derik. Ding! Ding! Ding! [Emperor level Ant queen killed] [Beast assimtionplete] [Ant Queen] [God Beast Unknown] [New abilities unlocked] [Ant armor: Creates a ck fitted armor around the user. This armor does not only improve one''s defensive abilities, but it also improves strength and speed! Granting the user enhanced reflexes] "Golden wheel armor:...] [Silver god armor:...] .... Lucien didn''t have enough time to read through the messages as he felt a cool energy surge into his body. His eyes turned white as he tried to guide the energy through his body to trigger a breakthrough. For over an hour plus, the two sat there in silence as they focused on breaking into the new tier of their realm. "I failed" Derik said dryly as he stood up with a disappointed look on his face. The energy he gathered was just slightly insufficient for him to trigger the breakthrough and since he attempted anyway he just wasted all that energy. He could feel Lucien has broken into the second level of the spirit realm, just two levels behind him now. His eyes had no emotions as he snapped his fingers and his shadow expanded, allowing him to summon his newest collection to his undead army. "Rise" Derik said coldly as the ant queen appeared in front of him and knelt. He nodded his head in approval and finally took a step back. At this point, his eyes revealed a terrifying light as his body tilted forward and his body was quickly encased in bright silver ant Armor! Whoosh! The ant queen also dawned on the armor as both of them exploded at each other releasing flurries of punches! Powerful shockwaves pulled Lucien out of his meditative state, seeing Derik encased in white ant armor while battling the ant queen, the youth couldn''t help but feel terrified. He may have gained the beast assimtion of the ant queen and can summoner her just like Derik''s undead magic, the thought of Derik, gaining the ability to do this too, even though he didn''t have the beast assimtion ability of the Rakuzen is terrifying. It meant that Derik could do what he is capable of doing but unlike him, Derik is not limited to beasts only! He is actually a superior version of the Rakuzen inheritance! "Not bad!" Derik said as hended on the ground heavily. Even though they went all out against each other he could barely feel the pain. Unless Lucien has a way of stacking beast assimtion abilities together, their defense should be just about the same! "Did you really have to kiss it?" Lucien couldn''t help but ask making Derik frown. "If I had done it any other way I would have failed and she would have been on guard against it... I had to leave her strained by letting her use her domain while fighting at the same time... This allowed the blood control work, allowing me to send the devour aura into her, mixed with my death aura to mess her up from the inside... It was all a gamble and I won... That''s all that matters" Derik said. Hearing this, Lucien nodded and wore an attentive expression on his face but after everything, he couldn''t help but ask. "But did you have to kiss her? Or you just wanted to?" ------------------ In a dark room, a heavily damaged figure could be seen sealed in some sort of transparent crystal. He could not move his body, he could not move his eyes but countless people were worshipping him like a god. "You are yet to hear anything from them?" A voice began emanating from the Crystal as two men dressed in golden robes appeared. "It seems like they both vanished... Even till now, we haven''t heard any news about the two... We suspect they are in secluded cultivation waiting for the invasion to start! We need to make a move" One of the men in golden robes said dryly. "What if they appear? We can''t afford to lose more men! We the four pirs of the creed has been reduced to only two pirs and that was before they acquired the inheritance... Do you think we stand a chance against them now?" The other argued with a serious tone. SILENCE! An enraged voice echoed across the massive hall and the two fell on their knees with their heads bowed. There was silence for a while and they assumed the creed leader was contemting on what to do. Sing his body was sealed here, he body which waspletely severed, limb to limb was slowly attaching to each other again. He has been using the power of faith to recover as fast as he can but he needs more than what he is getting already! "While Derik is just too strong, Lucien has a very powerful being residing within him, I can''t tell what they are thinking! I cannot see their future!" The creed leader said coldly, making the creed pirs frown. "Then what shall we do?" They asked while they remained on their knees. "This battle is not for us only... When the invasion starts, the first line of defense will be those two... when they fall, the continent will turn to me!" The cold voice said calmly! Chapter 241: Black Myth Chapter 241: ck Myth Derik and Lucien kept heading south after their battle with the ant colony. Thanks to their immense power and the nature of their abilities, they didn''t incur much damage or losses. They walked at a fast pace and for some reason, none dared to take to the skies for this journey. Lucien didn''t know why Derik advised against it but since he trusts Derik it didn''t bother him at all. Even on foot, the duo was extremely fast, covering arge distance just in one day. That night, they set up camp in an open field with a campfire ced at the center of the two tents. ying with the fire, Derik asionally threw his hand in and let it burn him till his skin is filled with blisters before pulling it out and watching his injuries heal. "Do you really feel no pain?" Lucien asked as he gazed at Derik with aplicated look on his face. Seeing this Derik frowned and he tried to guess why Lucien would suddenly ask that kind of question. After staying silent for a few moments he couldn''te up with any reason and chose to answer. "It''s not that I don''t feel pain... Well, casual things like getting stabbed or so don''t phase me... More intense things like getting my legs ripped out and all that are quite different... I feel that but I just have a high pain tolerance... In my old world, even before gaining the immortal body, I was famous for using suicidal tactics to take down many powerful foes" Derik exined as watched his injuries heal. "Wow... You must have been a badass from the start" Lucien said and Derik chuckled in response. "I was a no name with no magic and slightly above average archery skills... I got lucky when I was bitten by a werewolf alpha... And from there, things just got better... So you can say I got lucky when I acquired this death magic, the rest of the way was hard work" Derik said calmly, stunning Lucien. "Wow... Why didn''t you let us fly though? We could have covered more ground" Lucien said, trying to keep the conversation going. "Powerful wind beasts were residing above the clouds with their aura concealed, that is why you didn''t notice. They were scared of us and chose not to fight but if we went up there, I doubt we would be able to win" Derik said thoughtfully, making Lucien frown. What exactly can make a beast like Derik cautious? Well since he focused on the numbers, Lucien could understand what Derik was saying. Just like their fight with the ant queen, he had released all his beast assimtions with Derik''s undead army, yet he was put in a disadvantageous position, not because of the strength of the enemy, but the numbers! "So what now?" Lucien asked and Derik chuckled, sitting up. "It is surprising you have been following me all this while and this is the first time you are asking me about my ns? If I nned to set you up, you would have been dead already" Derik said with a sinister smile. "I wasn''t bothered because you don''t seem to be their scheming type" Lucien said while shrugging his shoulders indifferently. Seeing this Derik frowned. It''s either this kid is aplete idiot or just another fool confident in his abilities! "Trust is not something youmand... You earn it... You have gained my trust and respect... So I don''t mind if you carry me to the ends of the world or the underworld... As long as you are willing to go, I will follow" Lucien said, making the stone-hearted Derik smile. "Stupid kid" He mumbled as he leaned back and took a deep breath. Gazing at the stairs, Derik remained silent for a long while before finally speaking. "Have you heard of the ck myth?" Derik asked with a raised eyebrow. Hearing it, Lucien''s face froze. This was a scary story all beast-man hear from their parents when they are little. It is said that the ck myth is responsible for the death of close to a quarter of the beast-man poption! He rode a ck shadow dragon and dawned an armor of darkness. Each time he struck no one could stop him! Rumor has it that he only vanished when he was confronted by the dragon emperor when he dared to attack the Drakon Empire. The battle was said to be intense and bone-chilling but in the end, the ck myth was defeated and he barely escaped with his life. Since then he has never made an appearance again. "Yes... I have... Everyone has... Why do you ask?" Lucien replied with signs of difort in his voice. He obviously didn''t fancy getting forced to remember such a thing. "I know the ck myth in person... He is from the Libet empire. A man on par with the human emperor de... Leader of the Sin n! Which is only slightly weaker than that royal family in terms of influence but not strength... From what I got to know, he got his shadow dragon by stealing a dragon egg... What if I told you I know where the dragon nest is?" Derik said with a satisfied look on his face. Hearing these words, Lucien''s jaws fell to the ground in shock. He didn''t know why he was stunned! Whether it was because of the fact that Derik knew such a legend or he knew where the dragon nest is located. "Damn it, man! I have lived in this world longer than you, how do you know was more than me?" Lucienined and Derik justughed in response. He leaned back and shut his eyes while trying to control his emotions and sort things out properly. The appearance of a dragon nest means two things. Not only are they going against a real dragon but a nest filled with them. A dragon alone has the strongest bloodline amongst magic beasts, making many people unwilling to fight them. Fighting arge number of them is no different from courting death! Suicide! "I know this n is crazy but why am I feeling excited here... Hehehehehe! You are really a bad influence!" Lucien said with his eyes shut and Derik smiled. "That''s the spirit!" He said with a wild grin! Chapter 242: True nature of Derik Angus Chapter 242: True nature of Derik Angus The next morning, Derik and Lucien set out early. They only camped because no matter strong Lucien may seem, he was still mortal and needed to eat and sleep, unlike Derik whose body is dead. He is no different from a walking corpse. The powering wind beasts Derik sensed were gone so they flew this time around covering even more ground than usual. This time where they are heading was farther than Lucien had expected! They were heading towards the edge of the continent, and that journey alone took about a month even with their terrifying mobility. During that month, they fought no battles and just moved in the day while camping at night. During this time Derik and Lucien shared stories of their past with each other and slowly grew more fond of the other. Both of them had experienced a lot in the past and maybe this was what attracted them to each other. While Derik started from a poor background, Lucien had a rich background but both of them had something inmon. They were both betrayed by the people they called family and ended up forming strong bonds with friends who proved to be more loyal than their parents and siblings. Derik exined how he forgave his family but could never bring himself to spend time with them after the event. Apparently, even though he forgave them, he still never bring himself to stay in the same home with them. Lucien understood Derik since his parents were still alive and he even got to know that he has a little brother now, but even then he has never had the guts to meet them again. "You have a little brother? Dummy! He doesn''t have anything to do with this!" Derik rebuked. "Do you ever regret not spending more time with them?" Lucien asked Derik, leaving him momentarily stunned by the question. "Yes... I wish I could take it all back but, now is not the time for that!" Derik said with a gloomy look on his face. Days passed and weeks ran by and they spoke more frequently and after a month they finally reached the edge of the continent. It was like a massive cliff with an endless sea just ahead of it. Gazing at it, Derik and Lucien couldn''t help but remember the looming danger traversing the endless sea just to get to them. "I guess that''s what we are looking for" Lucien said as he saw an ancient stone gate with strange ruins visible on it. "This should lead us to the ce" Derik walked, inspecting the old gate. His eyes seemed calm but his body was a bit shaky due to excitement. "This is not a nest!" Lucien said with an annoyed look on his face but Derik ignored him and continued inspecting the ancient gate for a while. "I guess this is it... I need your blood" Derik said after a while causing Lucien to frown. That was a strange and abrupt request. "The dragons were sealed in here by someone powerful and that''s why we don''t see them flying around this world anymore. Many of you actually thought they were sleeping but the truth remains that they were sealed away... How the old man was able to acquire a shadow dragon egg and still return to this world is something even I don''t know of... To unseal it the blood of a dragon is needed... Meaning those dragons would never leave but none of these people expected that there will be people rted to the dragon race in the future... You have the dragon blood and the inheritance... You should be able to open it" Derik said calmly. Listening to him, the look on Lucien''s face grew grave and more twisted until Derik couldn''t help but shoot him a questioning nce. "If all the dragons were sealed don''t you think it''s for a reason? We don''t know how many dragons are in there? What types of dragons... Since they have been in there for long, I am sure their number is not little... Even if we open the gate, how do we n to leave?" Lucien threw out so many questions since he strongly believed that Derik''s ns were wrong on so many levels. "Once the gate is open we destroy it and leave it open forever... The numbers don''t matter... At most, we will get to face a few emperor tier dragons... We can definitely win!" Derik said casually like their victory is assured. Hearing this Lucien frowned and wanted to rebuke him but then some thoughts crossed his mind and he looked at Derik with confused eyes. "I have the dragon blood and inheritance... With Rakuzen''s help, we can try tomunicate... Get them on our side" Lucien said but Derik just shook his head in rejection. His eyes carried no emotion as he gazed at Lucien and said those words. "I would rather have them in my undead army as undying beings, using their souls to boost my cultivation level to the champion realm and gain their hundred percent allegiance in death than have them alive with a chance of them revolting against me... Call that evil, I call that efficiency" Derik said with a nk face, making Lucien shudder. It was obvious that someone capable of remaining calm while saying such words miss have done something that crazy before. Looking at Derik''s past, Lucien couldn''t help but wonder how he got millions of people in his undead army! He has been so naive to think Derik was apassionate and good person. The fact remains that Derik''s emotions are limited to only a select few people, the rest are more like extras to him. Disposable! "I didn''t stand at the top of my world by bing sentimental and all that... Bad people live longer than you think! You are looking at one of them! I simply did what was necessary! What''s needed to be done! That''s all there is to it!" Derik said coldly and Lucien shuddered. Chapter 243: Negotiating Chapter 243: Negotiating "I refuse!" Lucien said with furrowed eyebrows. No matter what Derik said, he waspletely against wiping out an entire race of dragons without trying to talk it out in the first ce. "This is not how we do things!" Lucien added and Derik onlyughed lightly. He took a step forward and tapped Lucien''s forehead with his index finger, making a series of images surge in! Lucien saw Derik and a golden-haired youth dressed in a golden sleeveless mage robe, rise to the air and battle more mages like them! The fight was short and Derik quickly gained an advantage over them, killing them all. He didn''t stop there! Lucien watched as Derik made strange movements, pulling out the souls of every living thing alive on that, using it to fuel his power and that of the golden-haired youth. A Series of images of Derik mercilessly wiping out extremelyrge numbers of people shed through his eyes in just a second. "Shit!" Lucien screamed while jumping back. His face was covered in sweat and his body trembled. Seeing everything Derik had done sent cold chills down his spine, making him wonder if he was actually with the right person here. Was Derik the good guy in his world or the bad guy? Lucien couldn''t help but ask that question since, in all the visions he saw, every enemy that dared to face Derik was trembling in fear! "Many call it evil! Many call it different names... All I see is a necessary sacrifice! I do what is necessary to achieve victory! No sentiments, no hate or love attached to it and that''s why I grew faster and farther than everyone!" Derik said coldly while moving in circles around Lucien. He didn''t me the kid for his reaction, since he was still too young to engage in things like this. Unlike him, Lucien didn''t grow alone. He still hard a few people that loved him dearly. Like the Phoenix emperor, Instructor Han, Alice, and a few others but during his own time, he was forced to fight against the forces of his kingdom and the people he called friend. Gravely injured in the battle, Derik had no other choice but to flee and hide for over a decade before returning! A decade of hiding from the people he swore to love and protect! How could Lucien understand his pain? "I hate the thought of this" Lucienined but Derik only chuckled at this. "But you had no issues wiping out the ant colony?" Derik asked with a raised eyebrow, making Lucien freeze. He leaned forward and tapped Lucien''s shoulder slightly with a sinister smile on his face. "That''s different! They are insects!" Lucien said making Derikugh. "What''s the difference?" Derik chuckled. "Dragons are higher life forms! They areparable to humans if not smarter!" Lucien argued and Derik''s eyes turned cold. "You do not bother when you step on ants just because the difference between you and it is too vast... You don''t bother when animals are ughtered just for you to feed but a human dies and you all cry! Fucking hypocrites! They are all the same... We die today it tomorrow, it is no more important than the ant the died a day ago! All that matters is what we achieve and we can''t achieve much without doing what''s necessary" Derik''s grip on Lucien''s shoulder tightened but Lucien''s body was strong enough for him to ignore the grip. He soon left Lucien and walked towards the stone gate with zing ck eyes. "I was going to have you open it, let me in and I will wipe them out... Or I can destroy this gate and remove the seal... Let them out and see what happens next... Dragons are beings of pure destruction! You are a fool to think that keeping such beasts alive will do humanity any good" Derik said as he ced his hand on one edge of the stone gate and let his death aura surge violently. Peng! Derik''s arm was blown back by a bright blue barrier but that didn''t stop him from trying again! His death aura spread extremely wide, trying to consume the gate from all sides, all at once! Seeing this, Lucien was lost! He didn''t know how to react to tho. He didn''t feel this way when fighting against the troublesome ants but now he was biased because he felt dragons are much smarter! [True dragons bring about only chaos and destruction... That''s why they were sealed away in the first ce... If the person who sealed them away had the power to kill them all, he would have done it in the first ce] Rakuzen finally spoke. [I didn''t inherit the inheritance of the dragon god beast simply because I refused to live like them... An inheritance that grants you power through rage... Imagine if I were like that from the start when you acquired the system... Do you think you would have been able to progress this far?] Rakuzen added and Lucien shook his head. He understood the point Rakuzen was trying to make. He had only progressed this far because Rakuzen was not a real dragon. He was a human spirit beast cultivator who fused with his dragon spirit beast to be this. If Lucien was dealing with a real dragon from the start, he probably would have been dead by now or he probably would have lost control over his body to it. "I will open the gate only on one condition!" Lucien yelled and only then do Derik stop trying to destroy the gate. "What?" Derik answered in a slightly annoyed tone as he stopped trying to consume the entire stone gate with his death aura. "The eggs will be allowed to live! The baby dragons will not be murdered... Also, we will give you the chance to talk first! If they do not listen to reason... I will help you kill them all" Lucien said and Derik frowned "Do you think I do not have the strength to wipe out a bunch of dragons? I have my methods!" Derik said calmly, instantly refusing her request! Chapter 244: Destroying the gate Chapter 244: Destroying the gate Seeing Derik reject his offer, tantly, Lucien frowned. Trying to save a race can be considered really difficult. He couldn''t help but wonder why Derik had so much confidence he would win this fight against the dragons, especially since he knows nothing about what is at the other side of that door! What if they open it and are greater by four emperor tier dragons? How will it work out? Can they go against four emperor tier dragons? "You need my help! What if you encounter numerous emperor tier dragons when you go in there, do you think you can win?" Lucien said proudly but seeing the vicious smile on Derik''s face he couldn''t help but frown. He hated the fact that he can never read the meaning of Derik''s facial expressions! He could never tell what is going through Derik''s mind! "Dumb kid... Dragons are ferocious not only to humans but themselves... Having more than one emperor tier dragon means a person''s position is getting challenged! The dragons I know and remember will not ept that! There will only be one at the top oppressing the rest!" Derik said in an amused tone, stunning Lucien. [He is definitely not lying there... There is a higher chance for the moon to collide with the sun. Then a dragon, allowing another dragon to rise to his level and possibly surpass it] Rakuzen backed up Derik''s im, making Lucien feel more worried now. He had no leverage to bargain with Derik and whether he helped Derik open the gate or not, these dragons will still die by his hands. All that''s left now is one thing! Stop Derik from opening the gate in the first ce. To do that he must be strong enough to defeat Derik in battle and drag him out of here. That is also another thing he is sure he cannot do! "This is a request! My first request to you! Let''s see what these dragons are like in the first ce before murdering all of them!" Lucien bowed slightly as he said those words making Derik frown. He hated the fact that the kid put his emotions aside and did the right thing. He needed a reason to wipe these dragons out and be done with it but since Lucien took this approach he couldn''t only agree but give the kid a chance. "Fine" Derik said reluctantly as he stepped away from the stone gate and waved his hand towards it, indicating that it should be opened! His eyescked any form of emotion and Lucien could tell Derik wasn''t happy doing this but could only do it since he asked. This reaffirmed his understanding of Derik''s true nature. His affection and care are limited to just a handful of people! Everyone else outside that group is no more than an extra to him. He walked towards the stone tform and sank his fangs into his index finger, making it bleed. This was the first time he is seeing his blood after gaining the inheritance. His blood was still red but each drop had this unique crystal shape and clearness. He couldn''t feel incredible power stored within each drop of blood and as the blood left his body, he too felt weaker. [The blood of a true dragon god like you is not as simple as it seems... The power you possess far surpasses your imagination!] Rakuzen said stunning Lucien. Even Derik was stunned since he was not expecting to see such unique blood. With the death element, when he reached a certain level in his past world, his blood turned ck and it also had the corrosive properties of his aura. It was unique but not as unique as this! "Wow..." Derik muttered as he entertained the thought of using Lucien''s blood as a form of power source to boost the destructive capabilities of his spells. Thinking about it deeply, Lucien knew this is possible. What he couldn''t exin is the possibility of him being able to utilize the blood properly. Only the owner knows how it works. Bang! Derik''s ck hair fluttered as the runes on the stone gate lit up, surging towards the center of the gate and slowly taking the form of a spiral-shaped portal! Bang! Before Lucien could make a move, a powerful rolling sword appeared, knocking half of the gate structure away! "What the hell man?" Lucien cried out because he wasn''t expecting the attack! The spiral portal lost its form and shape! It became shaky and unstable, at that moment Derik shot past Lucien and ced his pushed his right hand into the portal! His eyes remained cold as he went through the entire process with a nk expression on his face. What was left of the structure trembled violently and Derik ignored the danger and focused. His eyes turned silver and his body was zing with spatial magic! All he needed was to feel the other realm where these beasts are sealed away in to find their location! Boom! The formation finally exploded, sending him flying meters back! The right half of his body was totally destroyed but Derik didn''t seem to matter as his body began reforming again. Lucien watched in horror as he wondered how someone would get so used to pain that they can get half of their body blown out and he still won''t react! The portal closed and the structure crumbled but Derik wore a bright grin on his face. All he needed was a coordinate to the location and by pushing his hand into the portal Lucien left one of his undead minions there as a beacon. "The portal is destroyed, how do we go over to the other side now? You said it will be wide open when you destroy it!" Lucien faked his annoyance but was secretly relieved that it ended this way. Derik wouldn''t have to wipe them out again. "Are you dumb? What kind of array keeps functioning, after getting destroyed? You should have known I was lying... But that doesn''t mean we can''t go there... I found it... Everything is in my head right now" Derik said calmly while gazing at Lucien coldly Chapter 245: Hidden truth? Chapter 245: Hidden truth? "What? Why are you staring at me that way?" Lucien asked with a confused look on his face when he noticed Derik''s cold gaze. "Can you call out Rakuzen... I wish to speak to him!" Derik demanded in a cold tone. [Gaze of an emperor activated!] Before Lucien could talk he heard the notifications sound and was stunned that the system activated a skill on its own. Remembering the nature of the skill, he was stunned and terrified! ''None may look in the eye of god!'' Those were the words running through his mind. He could remember the Libet empire spirit realm master whom he used this on! The man was dragged into the dark world in his head where Rakuzen resides! After seeing Rakuzen the man''s eyes exploded, leaving him blind! Rakuzen must have been enraged by the way Derik called him out and that''s why he reacted this way. Since Derik had an undying body, he would regrow a lost eye right? Wam! Derik found himself in a dark room with a massive pair of blue eyes gazing at him fiercely! "You dare call me out in such a manner kid? How cocky are you!" Rakuzen roared as the darkness faded, revealing his full dragon serpent form! He had expected Derik to scream in pain or try to avoid eye contact but instead, Derik kept gazing at him even after the darkness faded, with a smug on his face. "You are nothing but a dog... You failed in your lives go and think you can walk around, subduing weaklings with childish moves like this? Lower Your Head When You Speak To Me!" Derik growled as ck chains shot off his body and promptly bound Rakuzen even before he could react! "I said down dog!" Derik growled as he held the chain and pulled it down! Rakuzen who was at least ten to twenty times the size of this human was stunned when his head was smashed into the ground and it was forced to stay in that lowered position! How could a former celestial being like it get bullied by one enemy! Moving its hands and legs was almost impossible so it gathered its energy for one crucial attack. The room''s temperature rose exponentially as its neck expanded. AZURE DRAGON: ROAR!!! Rakuzen cried out as it took a mouthful of air and in response, he released a massive beam of pure blue mes! "You are no different from all the beast I killed during my time, just slightly stronger!" Derik said coldly as he pushed his hand forward nonchntly and waited! DEVOUR!!! Before the beam reached his hand, a ck spiral-shaped portal appeared, pulling in the blue mes with great suction force. Rakuzen watched in horror. "Azure dragon roar right? A cute name" Derik said coldly as he created another spiral ck sphere and the blue mes surged out of it! Rakuzen watched in horror as his mes were sent back at him and the moment the attack hit the entire world crumbled and Derik returned to the real world. "What the hell happened?" Lucien gripped his head in pain! He could feel Rakuzen''s pain but everything happened so quickly he didn''t get the chance to interfere. "Your little pet got wild so I put him in his ce" Derik said Hmph? "None may look god in the face? I am god!" Derik said indifferently as he turned his back on Lucien and his eyes turned silver. He let a silver light as he spread his hands forward creating a spatial gate! The formation of the spatial gate was rather slow, making Lucien worry. He has seen spatial magic in action and he knew it was a lot faster than this! The fact it was taking this long was not because Derik was weak, rather it should be because Derik was trying to open a portal to a location too far from here! Very far! "The so-called dragonyer is more like a civilization... I think I have found out why they are invading!" Derik said coldly before jumping into the spatial gate without wasting time. Hearing it, Lucien was stunned but he didn''t ask any question and just jumped into the spatial gate as well. After seeing how much effort Derik put into opening the gate, he was afraid it would close and leave him behind. Whoosh! After what seems like an eternity but also a second, Derik and Lucien arrived at the other end of the spatial gate. What they saw came as a surprise! It was an endless desert with some ancient structures in a weird fashion there were about six massive structures and each consumed enough space to build two massive castles! These structures were like countless buildings stacked on top of each other. At the top of each structure was a massive egg-like structure and from those structures, an intense amount of aura was surging out! "Will be troublesome" Lucien said with a shocked expression on his face "You think?" Derik responded with a raised eyebrow. Whoosh! Blue energy surged out of Lucien and took the shape of the blue-haired man in bright blue kimono with the dragon design on it. He looked rather tired and the glow around him was not as bright as it use to be.it was obvious Rakzuen was yet to fully recover from the beating he sustained from Derik. "This is impossible!" Rakuzen said with a frown and Derik chuckled. "You know, I was wondering why my world had elves, orcs, dwarfs, and other races but this improved world had only two in a continent that massive... Now I know why!" Derik said coldly! It wasn''t that other races didn''t exist. It was more like they were chased away by the two dormant races in the continent. The humans and beast-men must have produced more gods and with the aid of those gods, they banished the other races. Their strength was almost equal so they couldn''t eradicate each other without suffering serious casualties, that''s why they have managed to co-exist even though their rtionship is bad! That''s why these races are trying to return to the continent to take back what''s theirs and have revenge on the people that chased them away! Chapter 246: Shadow dragon Clan Chapter 246: Shadow dragon n Derik exined his theory to Rakuzen and Lucien and both were stunned. Once again, they couldn''t understand how Derik cane up with so much information with just a little knowledge. He had almost nothing to start with but he had already deduced what happened and probably why it happened. He is a true genius! "This exins a lot! While I was a true God, the dragon race and other races still existed... The elves dwarves and all that... The moment I became a celestial being, I left this realm to battle the other celestial beings and when I was defeated and sent down, this world hadpletely changed... This exins a lot!" Rakuzen said with a frown on his face. Those invading their continent are original inhabitors of the continent, who wish to get revenge and take back theirnd! "If what you said I true, then we have no choice but to wipe them out!" Rakuzen said coldly and Derik nodded in agreement. They need to make sure the enemy does not have a ce to return to after their defeat or at least, after their defeat, when they return they will be forced to build their civilization from scratch! Giving the humans and beast-men enough time to surpass them, that way they will never be a threat again. "You have only lived for a few centuries... I have been alive for thousands of years... I have seen enough crazy throughout my lifespan and right now, nothing surprises me anymore. Humans are always the ones responsible for their misfortune... Left alone, I wouldn''t interfere but there are the younger ones who have nothing to do with this... Who has no hand in this issue... I can''t watch them get ughtered. No matter what form I take, I will always be human deep down, that is why protecting them will always be my number one priority... I will do whatever it takes" Derik said coldly while gazing at Lucien. Lucien finally understood why Derik is so willing to wipe out an entire race just to keep the humans alive! He came to this world to aid the humans of the Fotia empire to break free from the rule of the beast-men and that''s why he killed emperor Fei! As dedicated as he is to the human race, it is safe to say he is open-minded. Lucien could tell the way he views the beast-man race has changed and he could also tell, Derik regrets killing Emperor Fei. "So what now?" Lucien asked and Derik let out a weak smile. The number of people here may be many but Derik could tell that a normal civilization should have far more than this. The major fighting force of the dragon race has already set out and even then they do not stand a chance, going in alone. Derik never expected these dragons to be so organized that they could grow their n this much. The blow of getting chased away must have been a heavy blow for them and that''s why they couldn''t help but organize themselves up to this level! "We will go to the dragon castle, farthest from the others! We will need to gather allies if we want to win" Derik said decisively, stunning Lucien. Did Derik just admit he needed help? The powering from the massive eggs atop the structures kept giving off an intense aura that made Lucien shudder even though he had the dragon inheritance. Whatever is within those eggs may be below the god realm but it has this ancient aura around it that makes them believe it may be as old as a monster like Rakuzen. Concealing their aura, Derik and Lucien stealthily approached thest magic castle, located slightly far away from the rest. Lucien didn''t know the reason for this but since Derik asked them toe with him, he could only obey and follow. "So why did you pick this castle?" Lucien caught up to Derik and asked in a very low tone. "I have three reasons... The first is that this tower has the weakest aura so our chances of victory here are close to a hundred percent... Killing them and adding their strength to my power will give us enough army to resist the other towers... Second! It is located farther from the other towers so it''s either they are more like outcasts amongst dragons or just lone wolves... Either way, the distance will allow us to do as we please before the others interfere... That is if they choose to interfere... And finally, I can sense strong evil magic there! They possess dark powers! They definitely have my attention!" Derik said decisively as he finally reached the castle and decided to take the front door. "What are you doing?" Lucien was stunned by Derik''s decision to go through the front door when they can easily through other means! "My pride as the strongest death god will not let me hide when facing someone with dark magic! They should be more terrified of me!" Derik said coldly while walking down the sandy slope, leading to the walls of this castle. At the front were two dragons, each three times tier size with zing purple eyes and lingering darkness around them. Seeing two humans approach they were stunned but didn''t alert anyone immediately. This is because they couldn''t sense Derik as a living being, he had the stench of death all over him, meanwhile, Lucien had this royal aura amongst dragons. Like beasts, they instantly assumed Lucien was some sort of ruler amongst them and they were too fearful to look him in the eye. Lucien was stunned but Derik instantly understood why. The shadow dragons here are considered outcasts and he was able to confirm this just by the level of guards, guarding the entrance of their castle. A normal person may be fooled by the size of these two shadow dragons but Derik wasn''t. He could tell they were teenagers amongst dragons and any spirit realm master can easily contend with both of them and win. The second reason for this conclusion was that Dragons are not the type to submit, even to royalty! Unless the gap in strength is too much, even then these prideful beings will challenge them. Yet Lucien had only a cultivation base of the spirit realm, extremely low and they quickly submitted? No! They didn''t submit out of choice, it is more like they have been bullied into submission! "Where in the world is dark magic reduced to this worthless level!" Derik growled! He waspletely infuriated! Bam! His body turned into a ck fog and surged forward! Not daring to be left behind, Lucien transformed into a gray fog and chased after him! They both charged into the castle and under Derik''s guidance, they climbed to higher floors with no one to stop them! Whoosh! The duo kept rising until they reached a gigantic massive hall with powerful ck gates! Aaaaaaaahhhhh! Derik roared as he smashed through it, throwing the doors open as he entered and regained his original form! While climbing the floors of this massive structure, Derik realized something. The first was that this castle wasrge enough to fit thousands of fully grown dragons and the second was that once a dragon reaches a certain level of strength, it canpress its power and take human form, just like the ones in this room! Whoosh! Derik and Lucien''s entrance startled all five people in the room and all of them looked aged and haggard but their strength was almost at the emperor tier! "How dare you barge into the sacred hall of the shadow dragons! We may be weak now but you all are taking this too far! What n do you belong to!" An aged man said. His body was emaciated, with visible scale-shaped skin. He had a pair of weak purple eyes and with a nce, Derik could tell these people were nearing the end of their life span. Hearing his words, reassured Derik of his theory! The shadow dragons are a declining dragon n, bullied into submission by the other dragon ns. "You all are pathetic... To think people who bear my dark magic will be reduced to such a sorry state... Disappointing!" Derik said in a cold tone as he approached these people. They could feel the purity in Derek''s death aura, stunning them but what was more stunning is the royalty amongst dragons standing behind him! In their opinion, no dragon can have such a majestic aura which Lucien had right now! "We are not from any n!" Lucien ran forward and stopped Derik while he spoke. He simply didn''t want this meeting to turn into a bloodbath because Derik lost his temper. Since this n has been weakened it meant that they can be negotiated with. If they can get the shadow dragons to aid them, they can wipe out the other races and leave this ce with an army of dragons! Chapter 247: Shadow Dragon lord! Chapter 247: Shadow Dragon lord! Hearing Lucien''s words the aged dragons seemed to be in shock at first but they soon calmed down and analyzed the situation. If these two are not from any n, neither did theye to antagonize them, who are they? By this time, Derik had calmed down but that didn''t mean he didn''t feel a bit annoyed each time heid his eyes on these people. His opinion may be bias but Derik always felt that where ever he went the dark arts should be at the top, or at least not oppressed to this level. He hated the fact that the dragons wielding the powers of the dark side had been oppressed to this level and swore deep down to make sure that the other dragon ns pay for their mistake! "Tell me the situation here" Derik said calmly as he waved his hand and two bone thrones emerged from the ground beneath them and they sat down. Seeing the two invaders sitfortably, ignoring the fact that they are in the enemy territory, these shadow dragons couldn''t help but feel annoyed! They were getting looked down on by mere invaders but of course, they also took it into consideration that these two exuded an incredible amount of confidence, so they definitely wouldn''t be easy to deal with. It meant they were really strong but then they only have the cultivation base of a spirit realm master. Where was all the confidenceing from? It is through they both possess incredibly unique and terrifying aura but can that stranger power they have bridged the gap in the cultivation realm? "If you are feeling very confident, you might as well give it a try... But I must war you, if you canst three moves against me, I will personally let you have my head!" Derik said coldly while restraining his aura. Hearing this Lucien didn''t know whether to cry orugh. Derik''s challenge was quite cunning since nothing is really on the line for him! Even if they chop his head off, he would still regrow another one, so whether he failed to defeat them in three moves or he seeds, he will still leave the enemy surprised and impressed by his ability. Meanwhile, the faces of the elders darkened. Behind therge ck doors were different shadow dragons of various sizes watching as their authority is getting challenged but the problem was that the person challenging their authority carried an aura that made them feel like submitting to him. As far as they are concerned, the two are royalty in their eyes but the question is, from where and why are they here? "Identify yourselves!" The oldest elder said in a vicious tone in hopes of making Derik and Lucien fearful but even then Derik had no intentions of talking he simply chuckled and muttered "Quiet..." His words were simple but they carried a lot of weight. For some reason, these people remained silent unable to speak. It wasn''t because of the word pathway but because they felt like they were talking to a superior being! ENOUGH! The oldest elder roared as his body exploded into a massive purple smoke and a massive dragon purple dragon appeared. Compared to this dragon, Derik and Lucien were like dwarfs looking up to a 7ft tall man! SHADOW DRAGON ROAR!!! It took in a deep breath and breathed out zing purple mes! The purple mes filled the hall, surging towards Derik and Lucien but even then, none of them moved! Many assumed they were took shocked by fear to move but the elders saw something different in their eyes! Something even the n heads of the other dragon ns won''t show! Indifference! These people were treating the attack like air as if it is not something worth mentioning! This attitude is something only people with overwhelming power would have! DEVOUR! Just when the purple mes were a few meters away Derik pointed a finger forward and a powerful suction force could he felt! The entire purple mes surged into his finger, vanishing in an instant! What! What the hell is this? What kind of power is that? Who are they? Countless questions were thrown around but that didn''t phase Derik and Lucien. "You can have your fire back" Derik said as his eyes revealed bright purple light and the purple mes poured out from that finger again, surging forward! Seeing it the elders were too stunned and they quickly transformed into their true dragon forms! BOOM! The explosion rocked the castle and when the dust cleared the elders were in their dragon form gazing at Derik and Lucien fiercely! That attack was aimed at testing Derik and Lucien so it wasn''t a full-powered attack, so they walked away with just bruises and minor blisters! Gazing at Derik now they couldn''t understand what type of power Derik used and they weren''t sure what would happen if they tried again! Would he return another attack? DAMN YOU!!! The eldest dragon roared and moved in a sh! Even with its massive body, it crossed a lot of space in a single breath, appearing in front of Derik and swiping down at him viciously! "Futile attempt!" Derik said with knitted eyebrows as a figure shot past him, reaching the dragon in an instant! Bang! People watched the massive dragon flying backward in shock and the person responsible for throwing him was Lucien covered in blue dragon scales and a fierce dragon aura around him! Dragon emperor inheritance! What the hell? Aren''t they just spirit realm masters? How can they be this strong? Many had their doubt''s now and believed that Derik and Lucien were not as simple as they looked! The strength these two just showcased far surpasses what people at their level should have! "WHO DARE ATTACK MY HOME!" Suddenly a voice echoed and the ground trembled violently! All the shadow dragons lowered their heads in fear while Derik and Lucien felt a cold pair of purple eyes gazing at them! It must be the being hiding within the massive egg above the structure! "Shadow Dragon lord, Belize!!'' Many cried out in fear! Chapter 248: Fall of the shadow dragons Chapter 248: Fall of the shadow dragons Derik and Lucien focused their cold gaze on the ceiling above with knitted eyebrows. They hated the fact that whatever is in that massive egg would have the guts to make bold derations! No matter how old the so-called ancient dragon thinks it has lived, Derik is pretty sure he is at least twice the beast''s age. Feeling the pair of purple eyes nted on his back, Derik decided to give this disrespectful ancestor a small1 taste of what he calls respect! Pa! His aura exploded violently 1and took the shape of the massive Skull. He nced at his back, locking eyes with the invisible purple eyes! "You!!!" The loud voice roared and then there was silence! The entire castle stopped trembling and the crushing pressure was gone. Standing alone was Derik who had an indifferent look on his face while Lucien was rather surprised. He didn''t know what Derik did to scare off the eyes but he is loving it! "I am guessing this elder is the true master of the shadow dragon n... Take me to him" Derik said calmly and the other shadow dragons shot each other a nce. This man is actually bold enough to dere he wants to meet the n ancestor! Belize may be weakened but he should be able to obliterate this man instantly so they couldn''t understand where Derik was getting his confidence from! Too cocky! Many felt that way about Derik and they decided to take them to the n ancestor! Fighting him with their current strength will be troublesome and since the n ancestor has noticed them, it is best to let everything y out. The n ancestor will decide their fate! "Don''t you think it is strange these guys are suddenly cooperative and eager to send us to meet their ancestor?" Lucien said as he found their willingness to cooperate too fishy! "I can sense negative emotions... I feed off it and thanks to that I can always tell what''s going on in a person''s mind... They believe the n ancestor will deal with us! I am suspecting this n Ancestor must be at the demi-god level!" Derik said calmly. "Do you think we can win?" Lucien asked. "No!" Derik answered decisively stunning Lucien. They can''t win they why are they even going? "What''s the n?" Lucien asked but Derik only chuckled in response and said no more. They walked up what seemed like endless stairs until they reached the top where the massive egg was located. The stairs lead into the massive hole on the massive egg, allowing Derik and Lucien to walk in. At this point, they realized the shadow dragons were not following them anymore. Seeing them watch from a distance, Lucien felt chills down his spine but that didn''t make him stop. He walked into the eggshell with an indifferent look on his face! Bang! Whoosh! Bang! Inside the eggshell was a massive purple cloud with ck bolts of lightning firing at random. The room was overtaken by darkness and all they could see was a pair of massive purple eyes gazing at them. The eyes seemed intrigued by their existence and indecisive. It looked like it was contemting whether to kill them instantly or not! "You enter my domain and do as you wish! You show no respect for my juniors and even now you dare look me in the eye without fear? What fo you have to say, human?" Belize asked in a calm but terrifying tone. "You are weak? You are trying to recover from your injuries but it''s not happening... Youck enough power of faith to do that... You will die in a few centuries if this problem is not addressed and the shadow dragon n will vanish from the face of this world... Pitiful!" Derik said in a cold voice as he watched the calm reptilian purple eyes show hints of shock and awe. Lucien just stood behind him and watched in silence. He believed that Derik has a n and he has no right to interfere unless this spin out of control. But even if things spin out of control, how does he intend to help? How does he intend to stop it? How does he intend to deal with it? Against a demigod? This being is no weaker than the creed leader and it even has a higher bloodline. Should things go south, they will most likely end up dead! Right now he can only have faith in Derik. "You... What are you? You are not a human! You don''t belong to this world!" Belize asked with a frown as it tried to see through Derik but he couldn''t. "Me? I am the man who made it possible for you all to return to the main continent!" Derik said calmly, leaving behind an extremely shocked, yet doubtful Belize. "You are the death god that invaded this world and defeated the human gods? How is it possible?" Belize asked with a hint of astonishment in its tone. It was no longer as ferocious as before and assumed a respectful tone when speaking to Derik now it knew his identity. "My victory came at a price... This world is suppressing my strength, leaving me in this state... It feels like I am forced to start afresh... " Derik said while gazing at his hands. Belize listened to him in silence and didn''t speak, as if it was trying to ascertain the truth. "I am here to understand why the wielders of the dark arts amongst the dragon race are getting oppressed!" Derik said coldly. His eyes released a bright red sh and his body slowly hesitated off the ground. "We were unfortunate... Before the cold war that had the dragons banished to thisnd, the shadow dragons were the most terrifying amongst dragons... we spearheaded the fight against the humans, and because of that, we suffered the most casualties amongst the dragons, losing all our capable offspring''s... Sent to this world, we have been oppressed by those we fought to protect... Even now their main force journeys to the central continent, no shadow dragon was carried along... We will be left behind in this ce once they take back ournd" Belize said calmly. Chapter 249: Return of Belize Chapter 249: Return of Belize Hearing his words, Derik was stunned. He finally understood why the shadow dragons were reduced to such a pathetic level. Not only were they weakened but the other dragon ns never gave them the chance to recover! They are victims of circumstances and not the weaklings Derik expected them to be. He assumed that the eggs on each of the structures harbored the injured ancestors of each n but this one had the least aura. While the others had enough power of faith to heal their injuries, the shadow dragons werecking in this aspect. It was only a matter of time before they disappear from existence! "Now I understand... Allow me to apologize for overreacting earlier... I just find it irritating when weaker life forms are at the top of the food chain" Derik said calmly. The fierce light in his eyes had died down and his body was no longer surrounded by his death aura. To the dragon ancestor, this can be considered a sign of goodwill. He is lowering his defense to prove he bears no ill intentions, unknown to him that wasn''t what Derik felt. He simply let himself feel free because he saw no reason to keep releasing his aura. He didn''t want to attract too much attention already. "If the other ancestral dragons are as strong as it, then they should already know we are here... Beings at the demigod realm! We can''t evade them so easily, especially since we caused a scene here" Lucien suddenly spoke up and Derik frowned. He had this feeling at the back of his mind but tried to ignore it. He was a bit annoyed that Lucien said It out and Belize even nodded in agreement. They either leave now or fight! "What do you n to do?" Belize asked with a hint of curiosity in his tone. He wanted to know the type of person Derik is and that''s why he only asks questions more and speaks little. "No matter what my allegiance remains with the human race... Your invading force, alongside the other invaders heading to the central continent, will be wiped out by me... The only reason I am yet to make a move against you is my love for those with the dark elements, so this is a one-time offer... Join me and we will wipe out thepetition and I will take you back to the central continent and give you a new home!" Derik said so easily, even Lucien was stunned. Derik''s confidence she speaking, even when others are involved can be considered as one of his most admirable traits. His actions exude unnatural confidence, one built through countless victories. Hearing those words Belize kept gazing at Derik with a cold look in its eyes, it hated that fact it could not see through this persona and this made it even more exciting! It proves that Derik''s power is as boundless as he expected even with the limitations ced by the world. "Do I have a choice?" Belize said in a bitter tone. If it doesn''t join Derik, its n will be wiped out eventually but joining Derik also means losing its freedom. It can only me itself for being unlucky. "Dont get the wrong idea I have no ns of controlling you... I have no ns of making your n indebted to me... Wiping out the forces here is a major win for me. We are simply helping each other out... All I ask is that you control your people when we reach the central continent and refrain from attacking humans or causing chaos... Apart from that, we are on equal terms! I do not believe those with our nature of power should be subdued, it feels strange" Derik said, leaving both Lucien and Belize stunned. They never expected to see this ''righteous'' side of Derik! Who would believe that the monstrous death god has a soft spot like this? If they heard this from anyone''s mouth, they would have beat the person to death for lying! "You have my thanks" Belize said with a lowered head but Derik only nodded in reply and stretched his hand forward! His eyes turned golden and a sacred halo appeared all over him. Stretching his hand forward Derik allowed the life energy surge into Belize''s festering wounds, healing him slowly. While Derik didn''t have the life authority like Cyrus, neither did he have the abundant life force to support this intense operation so he could only substitute with the life force of the dead residing within him! Healing Belize of his injuries cost him his entire undead army, leaving him with only thing strongest ones which he saved for thest. Sacrificing so much life force from the souls of his undead army he ended up recreating healing capabilities almostparable to that of Lucien. Utilizing so much life force in a short amount of time was tiring even for Derik. He staggered back and watched as Belize''s massive body dealt with other minor injuries left. The immense aura around the egg vanished and the shadow dragons waiting outside were stunned. All they could tell was that immense holy aura appeared and suddenly the aura of their ancestor vanished! They wondered if they made a mistake by bringing Derik and Lucien here? Could they have killed the founding ancestor? Many questions surged into their minds and many began to panic while the elders were sweating profusely. Suddenly, a man stepped out of the shell. He wore a purple sleeveless robe with countless draconic ancient letters written on his arms. His eyes were bright purple and his long shoulder-length hair was ck with purple stripes. Behind the man was Lucien and a slightly exhausted Derik, walking slowly behind. Seeing Belize back to his youthful days again, they couldn''t help but wonder what Derik did in there. Even Belize was shocked that not only was he healed but he was made younger. "How did you do it?" Lucien asked and Derik sighed. "I used up the remaining time magic power stored up in my devour to reverse his time and return him to his peak condition! I don''t want the shadow dragon leader dying a century after I healed him and save them... They are more useful with him alive" Derik said calmly Chapter 250: Igneel Chapter 250: Igneel "Combining time magic with your healing spell... The healing spell still draws power from your necromancy magic, subtlybining life and death magic... You are really a genius" Lucien muttered in a light tone but his eyes were filled with admiration when gazing at Derik. Derik noticed this but never bothered to reply. He felt good when Lucien praised him, not because it boosted his ego but because Lucien broke down all the steps he took... Acknowledged his ingenuity before delivering the praise. He wasn''t a blind follower like the others in his past life. This kid praises him only when he does something noteworthy and condemns him when he feels he is going astray! This was not a journey of a fan and a powerful mage, it was more like a journey ofpetitive siblings with different ideas but the same goals. Derik and Lucien followed Belize and the other shadow dragon elders down the stairs and back to the massive hall. When walking in they noticed a man dressed in bright red robes. He was quite young and even then he possessed an outrageous aura,parable to that of a peak spirit realm master. With just a sniff, Derik could smell the raging fire burning inside him but said nothing. The shadow dragon n elders who saw this were enraged! Their grand hall has be a ce where just anyone can walk into. They were afraid of infuriating Belize so they ran forward to confront the man! "How dare you show up without any prior information? Do you think the shadow dragon territory is somewhere someone can just walk into?" The hot-headed elder growled while the rest nodded their heads in approval. They were still dazed by the sudden recovery of their ancestor Belize and since Belize appeared he has not said a word to them, He just walked down the long stairs leading to this hall and they followed quietly from behind. Seeing this many people were unsure if they could depend on Belize so they could only try and resolve the matter themselves. "An old monkey dares speak to Igneel, young prodigy of the fire dragon n! In such a manner? I feel insulted" The youth said with zing red eyes. He came alone not because he was confident that he could beat the shadow dragon elders alone, no! He only came here because his identity amongst the dragon race was not simple and he can be considered a prominent figure in the ruling fire dragon n! With that in mind, he believed that no matter how disrespectful he is these old elders will not dare attack him. Hearing his words, the shadow dragon n elders turned red in fury but they dared not make a rash move. They instinctively shot a nce at Belize who just stood there in silence and watched as if none of this concerns him. Without Belize making a move they too couldn''t make a move! But would they let a youngstere and disrespect the shadow dragon n in front of an ancestor? So shameful! "Fire dragon n? You know when I was younger, maybe a few thousand years ago... I once fought powerful ancient dragons... Amongst all of them, the fire dragon was the weakest" Derik said calmly while taking bold steps forward. Hearing this Igneel frowned and gazed at Derik. At this point, Derik''s aura was suppressed and since he didn''t have the air of a dragon lingering around him, Igneel quickly assumed he is human! "Why do you have a human amongst your ranks?" Igneel ignored Derik and turned his attention to the elders and asked the question. Derik on the other hand didn''t feel annoyed or insulted. He slowly kept approaching the dragon kid while the shadow dragon elders kept quiet. They sincerely had no idea how to address this situation. They felt like their hands are tied since Belize is here and he is yet to make a move! Was he entrusting this situation to the hands of the invaders? "Since none of you have anything to say, I guess it''s alright if I kill the cocky brat!" Igneel said as one of the rings in his hands lit up and from it, a ming spear appeared. Bang! Stomping the ground his bodyunched into the air as he charged at Derik. Whoosh! In a single breathe he was already in front of Derik, stabbing forward viciously. Puff! Everyone, including the elders, was shocked when they saw the ming spear sticking out of Derik''s back! Belize frowned since he and the others expected Derik to block or dodge the attack! They found it shocking that he took a hit! "Chill..." Lucien said indifferently! Seeing the indifferent look on Lucien''s face they finally calmed down and observed. Only then did they realize that Derik wasn''t bleeding, neither was he showing any signs of pain even though he has been stabbed. His eyes were filled with indifference and a hint of disappointment as well. They finally understood why Derik didn''t dodge or block and why Lucien wasn''t bothered! Something like this is not enough to harm this legendary death God! "After all that smart talk, this is the best you can do? Pitiful" Derik said in a slightly annoyed tone before making his move! His fist shot forward like a rocket, so fast that even Igneel could barely react! ''I dont know how you survived a stab to the heart or how you are able to attack so fast but let''s see you break through my dragon scale armor!'' Igneel said in his mind as red dragon scale armor began appearing all over his body! A wide grin appeared on his face, as he was expecting Derik to break his hands on his scale armor but the moment the fist connected, the look on his face changed! "How?" He barely muttered as his body was flung back like a rag by the punch! People watched in shock as the boastful Igneel smashed into the throne ahead, shattering it and rolling in the ground a couple of times before stopping! In just one move he was badly hurt! Chapter 251: One sided beat down Chapter 251: One sided beat down "You are dumb..." Derik yawned as he pulled out the zing spear in his chest and gazed at it for a while. He had the urge to destroy this weapon but then he remembered his future ns of reviving two of his most trusted allies, Kaido the former sun god, and Demos the former death guardian spirit. The spear will make a fine weapon for Kaido so Derik chose to keep it! His shadow expanded and he let the spear fall, watching it sink into his shadow and vanish. Igneel and the rest watched in shock as the hole on his chest began closing at an rming rate! In just mere seconds the wound waspletely healed and spotless, the only problem was the hole on Derik''s mage robe. "You running my robe little boy... How do you n to pay for it?" Derik asked with a slight smile on his face! Hearing this Igneel felt chills run down his spine and he quickly jumped on his feet and took a few steps back. Gazing at the terrified kid, Derik didn''t know what to do now. He wanted to kill this kid but not this way. "What the hell are you?!!" Igneel growled and Derik frowned. Does this little brat dare yell at him? "I already said I have lived for more than a thousand years... So guess" Derik said with a cruel smile. "Humans don''t have such a life span, only dragons do! If you are not human or a dragon, what are you?" Igneel asked. "No, no, no... You have got it all wrong... Humans are born with short life spans but when they get stronger, their life spans increase" Derik exined. "Cut the crap! Even when they get stronger they cannot reach that level or live that long unless they enter the go... No way" Igneel muttered as his body was overwhelmed with shock and his feet trembled! Only humans who have reached the god realm can live this long! How the hell did he end up facing a god? No! But a god should be stronger than this! But a god shouldn''t be able to stand on this ne of existence unless... God''s descent was used on someone! He was going up against a god! Numerous thoughts flooded the youngling''s head and Derik just watched in silence and let the kide up with countless assumptions. He couldn''t help butugh in his heart but then he still wore a cold face on the surface. "Don''t tell me I am going against a god?" Igneel said with a wide smile that made even Derik confused. Is this kid crazy or what? He is forced to face a godly being like him, yet he is not terrified, instead, he is happy. "You are crazy... I like it" Derik said with a slight smile on his face. In his opinion, Igneel would make a perfect host for his friend, Kaido and he would also need to find a perfect host for Demos. If he wants to progress faster, he needs more capable men by his side and not just Lucien. There is a limit to what both of them can do. "I guess I won''t be able to deal with you now" Derik sighed after he realized he can''t afford to kill this kid now. How he was going to convince Belize to give up his body for a new soul was more troublesome to him. Or should he settle down for a weaker shadow dragon? Maybe he is too greedy to try and make Demos enter a demigod body again. He finally considered the fact that Demos knows nothing of this advanced world and it won''t hurt to let him experience the countless cultivation possibilities of this world. "You won''t deal with me now? Then I will send you straight to hell!" Igneel growled as his body waspletely encased in a pir of scorching orange mes. FIRE DRAGON ROAR!!! His body exploded into red smoke and a rtively huge red dragon appeared! Compared to the elders of the shadow dragon n, this dragon was quite smaller to show he was younger but he had already reached this level! "Impressive little runt" Derik said with a smile as he watched the beam of orange mes race towards him. DEVOUR! Yanking his eyes open hard, Derik took a deep breath, creating a powerful suction force! Allowing him to swallow the entire me whole! ROAR! Derik let out an inhumane roar as he spat out mes, taking the young Igneel by surprise! "You!!!" Igneel muttered before he waspletely consumed by the mes! Boom! "It''s not over yet!" Igneel''s excited voice rang across the hall as his massive dragon body covered in wounds charged out of the mes, swiping its ws at Derik. "You are something" Derik said as his eyes let out a bright golden light and a massive golden broadsword appeared in front of Derik, hacking viciously at the red dragon! Peng! Igneel felt his hand go numb the moment he hit the massive golden sword, causing him to retreat! "And who said you can leave?" Derik''s eyes turned pitch-ck once again and countless ck chains erupted from his body, surging towards the red dragon! Igneel tried to escape but its hands were caught first and soon its entire body was caught by the chains, pinning it to the ground and even then its eyes were burning fiercely with fighting spirit! "Magnificent!" Derik couldn''t help butmend the kid! "Right now, I won''t kill you because I have a job for you... This is a warning that the dragons of this world... Tell them Belize, ancestor of the Shadow dragon n has recovered and with the help of two visitors he had dered war against all the dragon ns! Tell them we will be taking back everything that belongs to us! The other dragon ns either surrender or die!... When you are done delivering this message, if you feel like fighting me,e but the next time we fight, you will die" Derik said coldly. Only then did Igneel realize the identity of the young man dressed in a purple robe with various tattoos on his body. Chapter 252: Return of the sun god, Kaido Chapter 252: Return of the sun god, Kaido Belize, ancestor of the shadow dragon had awakened and haspletely recovered? Does the shadow dragon n now have a demigod realm expert backing them? This will be a major blow to the other ns! But how did he get to recover so soon? The power of faith it gathered from its feeble n members should not have been enough to heal its injuries! They were expecting him to die a century or so from now, so how did everything end up this way? It must be him! Igneel couldn''t help but look at Derik coldly. He believed that everything happening right now is because of this god of death residing in the body of a human and helping their enemy. "Who are you?" Igneel asked again but this time he spoke those words slowly and in a cold manner, leaving Derik stunned. Even in this situation where he is surrounded by powerful enemies the dragon kid didn''t tter or lose hope. The worse his situation, the more determined he became! This is a rare quality. Derik wanted to talk but he noticed a transmitter crystal on the forehead of Igneel. This exins why Igneel was asking so many questions! The people are already watching! They have seen everything that happened so Derik had no reason to send Igneel back, he can just kill him directly and revive Kaido! There is no need for him to go through all the stress of letting Igneel go and searching fot him in the future. "I am Derik Angus, the true god of death... I came here all the way from the central continent to make things right... And for all those watching... Your forces will get to the central continent, your gods will descend! They will fight but they will all lose! Every single one of them will lose their lives to me, just like little Igneel over here!" Derik said as he gently tapped the ck chains and they instantly turned darkish green! The chain wrapped around the red dragon loosened up and quickly stabbed into Igneels body, preventing him from fleeing. At this point, the red dragon could no longer speak, talk less of resisting Derik''s power. "I like you Igneel... I like your passion, your drive, your spirit... Unfortunately, we met at the wrong time and the wrong circumstances... If it were any other day I would have loved to have a friend like you" Derik said calmly as he pulled back and the chains shot out of Igneel''s body. It left no injury or wound and when it was pulled out, everyone could see a visible representation of Igneel''s ferocious soul, struggling viciously but it could not escape Derik''s grasp and was quickly dragged into Derik''s body. Seeing this, many people watched in horror as the soulless body of the red dragon fell to the ground like an empty husk just lying there. "Finally, I can bring you back to my side" Derik said those words with a genuine smile on his face, stunning even Lucien. He was curious to know what kind of person would warrant Derik to feel excited. He has heard of Kaido and Demos but all he heard were just mere stories, even he was eager to meet them in person. Everyone watched as Derik ced his hands on the head of the massive dead dragon and shut his eyes tight. A darkish green soul emerged from his body, taking the shape of a youth, dressed inplete knight''s armor, gazing down at Derik with aplicated look on his face. The darkish green aura around his body was dispelled and they all watched as Derik pushed the soul into the dragon body and seal it! After sealing it, Derik didn''t hesitate to ce his hand on the forehead of the dragon, creating some sort of ancient seal. Had drawn the sun at the center of the dragon''s head, Transfering the power of the sun god into the new body, and only he was done did he back away and look at the dragon with a satisfied smile on his face. Grunt! The fire dragon let out an ufortable sound as it slowly opened its eyes. Kaido was yet to adjust to the new body and felt extremely weak. He remained on the ground, lying there and gazing at Derik. "Don''t tell me you brought me back just to kill me again... Because I clearly do not understand why you chose to put me in the body of a beast" Kaido saidzily and Derik chuckled. "It''s not just any beast, it''s a dragon! You should be grateful for this!" Derik said and Kaido yawned. "Back in our days, we killed dragons... They are no different from other beasts... Just stronger and a bit harder to deal with" Kaido said with a bored look on his face. Hearing this man speak this way about dragons they couldn''t help but look at Derik. Dragons are considered the ruling ss amongst beasts and even drunk men wouldn''t dare nder their name but Derik and Kaido spoke about dragons as if they are just stronger versions of lizards. "This god vein is different... Beasts here can cultivate... Even the body you have now has a human form... You can transform when your soul fuses with the body" Derik said calmly while tapping the dragon''s massive nose. "A new god vein? No wonder I felt heavy" Kaido was stunned. Knowing Derik he could swear on his new life that Derik barged into this world and caused a lot of trouble. "Tell me you did not attack this world and beat the crap out of all their gods" Kaido asked with a stern look on his face. "It''s not my fault, they attacked first!" Derik tried to defend himself but Kaido wouldn''t listen. "It is always your fault Derik... No excuses" Kaido said while swiping his w at Derik but Derik jumped away to evade the attack. "You gave me back the sun pathway inheritance... I can always use the fire element this body is born with... Are you sure you wanna part with this power?" Kaido asked with a raised eyebrow. Chapter 253: War preparations Chapter 253: War preparations "It was never my power, to begin with... I always had the intention to bring you back and have you by my side again" Derik said casually with a smile. Only then did Kaido smile and his massive dragon body began shrinking. It kept shrinking until he was just about Derik''s height, only then did the youthful Igneel appear again but this time his hair color had changed from red to orange. Kaido grabbed the red crystal embedded in his forehead and smashed it. He was aware that people were monitoring his actions through that crystal, making him feel ufortable. "I believe this is yours" Derik said as his shadow expanded and the bright red spear shot out and into Kaido''s hands. "I would have preferred a sword but I guess this will have to do for now" Kaido seemed slightly disappointed. "Ungrateful piece of shit!" Derik cursed but then they were interrupted by Belize. Whoosh! The man appeared in between Derik and Kaido with the same indifferent look in his eyes when he gazed at Kaido but when he turned to Derik, his gaze softened. "You just dered war on the other dragon ns... I must say, even though I have recovered, if the injured ancestors of those ns join hands, I will be defeated swiftly... So we are still at a disadvantage here" Belize said respectfully but Derik only chuckled. "In case you haven''t noticed... I just revived the true god of the sun... A cosmic being... I dered the war but I have no confidence of winning?" Derik asked with a raised eyebrow and Belize shook his head and took a step back. He once again gazed at the new being residing in Igneels body and couldn''t help to wonder how strong this cosmic being is. With the sun symbol on his forehead and his eyes as bright as two suns, Kaido had an intimidating aura, which made even Lucien cautious of him. He had seen Derik use the sun magic but even without seeing Kaido use it, he had this feeling that Kaido will be far stronger than Derik in this aspect! "How strong are you?" Lucien couldn''t help but ask. Hearing Lucien''s voice, Kaido instantly knew that under all that power and intense aura, Lucien was still a kid. But for the fact that Derik brought him along, he decided not to question him. "How strong am I? Let''s see... When Derik decided to wipe out all the present gods of our world I was the first he came for... When the battle was over, I left him with severe injuries that needed a long time to heal... Let''s just say he is stronger but the gap is not that much" Kaido said casually but everyone here was stunned. Not by his strength but the story! Derik decided to wipe out all the gods of his world? He decided to take out the main threat first and that was Kaido? These two are insane. "Amongst the cosmic beings I always considered your the strongest and that''s why I came for you first... If I gave you the chance to prepare, killing you would have been a lot more difficult" Derik said while rubbing his forehead. "So what are you?" Kaido asked Lucien that question because he could pick up so many scents from Lucien. It was like numerous magic beasts mixed with one human body, creating what he calls an abomination, an anomaly! It seriously reminded him of ke and if Derik wasn''t here with this kid, his instincts will push him to kill Lucien without a second thought! "For the war... We need to start making preparations... If you need help in any way, do ask now" Belize said calmly and Derik nodded in understanding. He remained silent for a while and finally looked up at Belize''s face and smiled. "There is one more being I must revive... My Guardian and master when I was still a mortal... I need a willing host at Igneel''s level as well" Derik said and Belize remained silent for a while. He pondered for a long time and after a while, he gave Derik a reluctant look and then the elders. They all nodded their head in agreement and only then did Belize speak. "We once had a promising youth like Igneel... We will believe he would bring the shadow n back to glory as he was outstanding for someone his age, even more, outstanding than Igneel since he had no cultivation resources to back him up... The other ns saw this and harmed him using soul attacks... He has been in a state of sleep for a very long time and the remnants of his soul are about to fade... He should be the perfect candidate" Belize said, stunning even Kaido. How bad have things been for these people? Kaido originally wanted to fight for the shadow dragons simply because he was bored and Derik asked but now he had a reason to fight! Scumbags like this should not be allowed to live! Even Lucien was enraged! This was beyond his tolerance limit! How could people be so evil? But Derik showed no emotions. He just gazed at Belize as the man spoke and he frowned. He could tell this man was in pain thanks to his ability to see negative emotions! The negative emotions around Belize were too strong, Derik concluded the dragon was not sad, he was grieving "The dragon was your grandson," Derik said calmly, stunning everyone in the room. How did Derik reach thisplicated answer with so little information? He didn''t mind people''s opinions, all he knew was that something is wrong. He sincerely did not want to use the dragon prodigy but he had to use it. If what Belize said is true, it is toote. The dragon''s soul has been damaged badly, slowly fading away as time passes. It was already toote for him to revive someone in that condition so he had no other choice but to use the body to awaken Demos. "After so long we will be reunited again, master!" Chapter 254: Deriks master Chapter 254: Derik''s master Derik, Kaido, and Lucien followed Belize and the elders to the lower part of the castle. When they were led to the lower parts, Derik and Lucien were shocked since they didn''t pick up anything special about the lower parts when they barged into this castle! They could not remember feeling anything out of the ordinary when the came here. And just behind the castle, arge portion ofnd, these people kept walking forwards patiently until they began sinking into the smooth sand and their figure waspletely gone. "Wow" Kaido muttered in shock and hastened his pace to keep up with Derik and Lucien. Soon three of them felt their feet getting slowly pulled into the sand until they were dragged to the bottom! Bam! Three of themnded in what seemed like a cave with colorful crystals everywhere. The mana density in this ce was extremely high and could be considered a perfect cultivation chamber, far beyond even what emperors in the central continent used. To think they will find a ce with such rich resources, Derik, Lucien and Kaido understood why the young shadow dragon was kept here. Only a ce like this can preserve the body and mind, slowing down the effects of the damages done to his soul but for how long? The youth was ced on arge purple ss tform with his eyes sealed tight. He looked lifeless and unless someone paid serious attention to him, they would not be able to detect thest strand of his soul struggling to remain. "He is fighting, even in death" Derik said with a heavy voice. He respects people like this and sincerely wishes he could save someone like this. He hated the fact that this person would have no chance of reincarnation especially since it is his soul that is destroyed. Trying to consume a strand of his soul and look for another host to put him in is no different from taking just a single trait from thousands of personalities in a person and iming the real person has been revived. Bringing him back to life is impossible! Injuries dealt with the soul are severe and most times irreversible unless dealt with immediately! "He fought well... And my n will never forget him" Belize said and the rest nodded in agreement. Originally Derik just wanted to wipe out the dragon race to improve his power but now, he found a true purpose for wiping them out! These people had to atone for their sins! He wasted no time and ced his hand on the youth''s head and shut his eyes tight. Searching for a single soul amongst millions of souls can be tiring and considering all the tiring stuff Derik has done so far, it can be considered a miracle he can still move at this point. After a few minutes, his aura exploded as a darkish green soul emerged, appearing behind him. The death aura lingering around him faded before the body rushed into the new body, quickly taking the ce of ownership! Seeing this Derik slowly walked away with beads of sweat on his face as he slowly fell on one knee and bowed slightly. "MASTER..." He said in a voice filled with mixed emotions, stunning everyone except for Kaido. Which being is worthy enough to gain Derik''s respect up to the point he is calling the person master? The shadow dragon''s facial features changed to match that of Demos and when his eyes yanked open, it was filled with an intense darkish purple aura. Demos did not talk or move, he justid there and drew the power of the cave towards himself, using it to adjust the damage done to the body and allow his soul to fuse perfectly. His ck hair kept growing until it reached waist-length, with purple stripes appearing all over it. With this dealt with, Demos sat up and gazed at his new body, ck tattoos formed all over his body and a smile bloomed on his face. "To think it took you a thousand years to bring me back" Demos chuckled as he slide down the purple tform and walked towards Derik. He grabbed the death God kneeling and pulled him up to his feet, before hugging him. "A death God does not bend a knew for anyone" He said as he tightened his grip on Derik. "Ha! It is only me paying respect to the original death God" Derik said as he hugged Demos back. "You far surpassed me, kid... You have no reasons to pay any respect" Demos rejected Derik''s words and Derik chose not to argue any further. Watching Demos from the side, Lucien couldn''t help but shiver. Derik''s aura is wild and domineering, it shows the nature of the user and why Derik can be considered one of the strongest beings in the world. But Demos was quite different, his aura could not be felt easily like Derik''s, it was just as calm as the night but left a taste of impending doom in the mouth of whoever felt it. It made people around him rxed but on their toes as well. While it can be said that Derik is stronger than Demos, Demos is more terrifying than him! That exins why this man has the right to be called master by Derik. "I guess the gang is back together" Kaido said as he walked forward to meet the two princes of darkness. He didn''t seem scared of them or anxious when meeting any of them, making Lucien and the other shadow dragons, inwardlymend his strength and bravery! Even someone like Belize, a man with the demigod cultivation base will not dare approach Demos so recklessly. "You are right... Now we are all together... Let''s go for a walk" Derik said with a sinister smile on his face, making Lucien freeze. A walk? They call their n to murder thousands a walk? How did he get entangled with so many bad friends? "I will tell you what''s going on while we move..." Derik said to Demos and Kaido. "Lucien, Belize... Get your forces ready ande assist us when you are ready... For now, three of us will just go have a chat with them while we wait for you" Derik said Chapter 255: We wait! Chapter 255: We wait! "What do you think? Should we let them go just like that?" An elder asked as he remembered Derik, Demos, and Kaido walking out of this ce in high spirits. Although they didn''t specifically say what they n to do, everyone knew they were going to try invading the enemy territory and wreak havoc! With five injured demigods on the enemy side, they couldn''t help but wonder if they made the right decision letting those three leave. "Even if all of us joined hands with all the shadow dragons we will still fail to stop them from leaving! Derik may be impulsive and hot-headed but he is also one of the calmest and calctive people I have ever met... He wouldn''t do something unless he is absolutely sure ofing out of it alive..." Lucien said as they returned to the surface and began rallying the shadow dragons! This time both young, old, male, and female gathered to fight! With the presence of Belize and the deration of war, these shadow dragons had absolute faith that they wille out victorious. Watching the elders run around while making preparations for war, some thoughts entered his head. "You said the red dragons are the most powerful right? The fire dragon n..." Lucien suddenly asked, taking Belize by surprise. "Yes... They are the strongest currently... But each of the dragon ns has god realm experts on their side... Luckily, they had already used the god''s descent on the is strongest members and set out for the central continent..." Belize said and Lucien nodded in agreement. God''s descent is no different from a god taking a nap and finding himself in a mortal body. It is unable to tell what''s happening outside the mortal body so they won''t be able to tell that this ce is getting attacked. If they didn''t do this, then the n of destroying the Dragonir will be nothing but wishful thinking! "Knowing how Derik is, he and the other three will be heading for the fire dragon n... Honestly, even if we don''t take part in this war, I am sure those three wille out on top but it will only take more time and time is not something we have... The invasion is not the only problem we have to deal with in the continent..." Lucien said and Belize listened in silence. Due to Lucien''s dragon inheritance, Belize felt the strong urge to serve this kid, and right now he could barely resist that urge. He could only struggle to keep that urge in check while trying to see if Lucien is someone worth his service! "Since your group is the ones that dered the war, it is only fair I put you in charge of the army... We will all follow your order" Belize said and Lucien nodded in agreement. "So what do we do now?" Belize asked. "As soon as the army is ready we wait till nightfall" Lucien said decisively, stunning Belize. Why would they wait till nightfall? It''s like three to four hours of waiting! This should be enough time for the enemy to kill Derik, Demos, and Kaido. For a moment, he even felt like Lucien was trying to get them killed. "Don''t worry, Derik works better in bad situations... That''s when he is at his best... Also, I have this feeling that he wouldn''t want us toe too soon... We will be taking all the thrill away if wee too soon" Lucien said calmly. Seeing how calm and confident Lucien is, Belize could only ept. Meanwhile..... Three figures appeared out of nowhere gazing at the biggest castle amongst the five clustered together. They descended to the ground and slowly began walking towards the castle as if they own the ce. "You will die if you insist on using that spear, don''t forget we are not undeadmanders, we are more are living beings...we can be killed... We cannot afford to be reckless" Demos said as he saw that spear in Kaido''s hands and frowned. He has seen this sun god at his best and his best weapon is the zing broadsword. Anything else will just limit his capabilities. "To do that I have to summon my divine armor... If you expect me to summon my divine equipment for these kids then you must be joking... Until I see someone worthy, I don''t n on going all out" Kaido said and Derik sighed. "Enough both of you... We need to be careful, I understand Demos'' concern but we also have our pride! We can''t go all out for kids... When the timees and we see someone worthy, we won''t hesitate to go all out... You can rest easy, Demos" Derik said calmly and both of them nodded their heads in understanding. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" A loud voice cried out from the massive wall in front of them. Unlike the home of the shadow dragons, the wall was riddled with magic formations and there are numerous war weapons put in ce. "Wow... They are prepared" Kaidomented and Demos chuckled. "They saw me kill the owner of your body... They heard me dere war... If they didn''t do this much I will be disappointed " Derik said indifferently as his body slowly levitated off the ground but before he could shoot forward Demos and Kaido held his legs and pued him down! "You have fought so many battles... I think it''s time for us to test our strength and stretch a little!" Kaido said. "Yea... You shouldn''t be too worried about things like this... I desperately need to stretch a bit, so I think you should leave this one to us" Demos added. "Very well then" Seeing both of them insisted, Derik conjured a bone throne and sat down with an indifferent look on his face. He wouldn''t have loved to fight but he also wanted to see how strong his master and his old friend are. By the way, it has been a long time! "Just don''te crying to me when you are getting your ass whooped! This world is far moreplex than ours" Derik said. Chapter 256: The absolute skill, Devour! Chapter 256: The absolute skill, Devour! "Hee! Don''t even think for a moment that these kids stand a chance against me!" Kaido said with a wide grin on his face. "I have tangled with gods, demigods, and cosmic beings... How can these mere mortalspare?" Demos said coldly! Bang! Bang! Two of them shot forward viciously, not even bothering to listen to Derik''s reply! "ATTACK!" The same voice cried out again but this time it seemed more annoyed than fearful! How dare these invaders to walk into theirnd? Do they think they can do whatever they wish in the fire dragon territory? Bang! Bang! Bang! Countless ming javelins shot into the air, raining down on Demos and Kaido! "Basic!" Kaido growled as the sun tattoo on his forehead lit up and the massive sun appeared above him and Demos! BRILLIANT SUN! The two flew under the massive sun, allowing it to take the hit from the javelins while reducing the distance between them and the wall! FIRE DRAGON ROAR! Suddenly numerous cries could be heard and multiple beams of me shot forward, smashing towards Demos and Kaido violently! Using the massive sun as a shield! BOOM! The massive sun shook violently as countless beams struck it at the same time, pushing it back! "Impossible!" Kaido roared as he flew behind the sun and used his body as a wedge, preventing it from getting pushed back! He was stunned as he saw many cracks in the artificial sun and he soon realized it will crumble soon. "We are mortals too you know... We are not at full strength and even now, I hate to as we don''t even have ten percent of our true strength so don''t find this too shocking" Demos said indifferently as he watched Kaido struggle Pa! sping his hands together, the world around him trembled as darkness spread across his body, covering the entire fire dragon n territory like a dome! The scorching sun above the desert vanished and was reced with a blood-red moon. At this point he grabbed Kaido by the shirt and pulled him away, appearing over a hundred meters away as they watched countless attacks bombarding their previous position! Where did they go? What the hell is this? How can they turn day to night? Many screams could be heard but they did not stop attacking! Kaido was stunned by this as well. He could see the enemy clearly but the enemy could not see him. Such arge-scale AOE spell like this can be considered godlike in arge-scale war like this one! "WHO DARES ATTACK MY FIRE DRAGON CLAN! YOU MUST BE TIRED OF LIVING!" A vicious voice shook the skies and a powerful beam of scorching red light shot straight to the blood moon. Seeing this Derik frowned and charged forward! Aaarrrgh!!! A painful cry can be heard as the dark world quickly crumbled and Demos fell on one knee. He spat out blood continuously and Kaido tried to hold him up, forgetting the countless barrages of attacks flying towards them! Whoosh! DEVOUR!!! Derik''s figure appeared in front of them and his ck aura surged out uncontrobly! It soon began to spin violently sucking in all the attacks sent at the two. "You are not yet used to your bodies and after staying dead for a long time your fighting skills have depreciated! Letting you do this alone is a mistake on my part" Derik said with a frown while Demos and Kaido didn''t dare look him in the face. They made mistakes! While Kaido forgot to take into ount that he is in a much weaker body than his original body, Demos went ahead to use a skill tied to his body, even when he knew there was a hidden powerful existence in the massive egg above! They were both reckless and that''s why they almost died here, wasting the opportunity given to them by Derik! "I apologize!" They both said at once and Derik simply nodded in response. "As long as you understand" Derik said calmly as he noticed the enemy was not attacking anymore. They must have seen that throwing countless attacks at the ck wall was not working so they stopped. "Devour!" Derik said as his eyes revealed bright red light and all the attacks wereunched back to the wall in an instant! Run! No one knew who said those words but many people fled as the walls were bombarded with an army worth of attacks released by one man! Kaido and Demos watched as the walls came down with just one move from Derik and they couldn''t help but admit that this Derik may be weaker in terms of cultivation whenpared to his past self but, right now he had a power that far surpasses what he had in the past! In one attack, a good number of dragon guards stationed at the wall died instantly and the rest were badly injured! The wall crumbled, revealing a small weing red dragon army, waiting for their turn to make a move but at that moment that furious roar echoed again! "YOU DARE!!!!" It cried out again and the massive red beam descended from the heavens like a divine judgment! Seeing this, Derik let out peals ofughter as his body shot into the air and he raised his hand towards the massive red beam! "DEVOUR!!!" Derik growled as the ck whirlpool appeared once again, greedily consuming the bright red beam sent to kill them! "I WILL HAVE TO THANK YOU FOR THIS FAVOR! IF IT WASNT FOR YOU, GETTING PAST THIS ARMY WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY TROUBLESOME!" Derikughed as he finished absorbing the enemy''s attack! Pointing the ck Whirlpool at the army ahead the powerful red beam was released, surging towards the enemy greedily! Boom! A massive explosion urred as the castle shook violently and when the dust had cleared only scorched corpses can be seen! Not a single one of them survived! "You..." the loud voice spoke again but this time it was reluctant to attack. "Rise!" Derik said with greedy eyes! He ignored the voice and watch his death aura spread amongst the dead! Chapter 257: Mood swing from a death god Chapter 257: Mood swing from a death god "Raise!" Derik''s eyes let out a bright red light as his death aura spread violently. He watched his aura surge into the bodies of all the dead present and slowly their wounds began to heal at an rming rate! In just a few seconds Derik already acquired a small army of dragons but he wasn''t too impressed. In terms of cultivation realm, When grading using beast grades, it can be said that these beasts were at the king tier at most, but it''s better than nothing. Does within the castle watched as the undead dragon bent their heads in submission as the trio walked past them slowly. The small army was defeated and no second force was put in ce so the doors of the castle were left wide open for them to walk into. Thud! Thud! Thud! Derik, Demos, and Kaido walked into the castle and left the undead army behind. The goal is to stop any army from another n from interfering in their business. "These structures are really huge!" Kaido eximed and Derik nodded in agreement. The dragons are extremely massive so it''s only natural they build a bigger home! Therge hall they stepped into was no different from a medium-sized kingdom in size. If a normal person were to live here, moving from one room to another or one floor to another might take days if not weeks. They felt like ants stepping into a home owned by giants! "Of course it is huge... You shouldn''t expect anything less from dragons" Demos said with a stern look on his face. He was still a bit pale with the stain of blood on the side of his lips. His eyes seemed heavy and it seems that he sustained more damage than expected. Seeing this Derik couldn''t help but frown. This two didnt have an immortal body so any injury sustained will be a blow to their fighting power. "I may have sustained some injuries but it won''t affect my fighting power much... You shouldn''t get worried over that" Demos said the moment he noticed Derik''s gaze. "Demos is right, by the way, I believe it is better we pay attention to what is happening around us" Kaido said in a strained voice, drawing the attention of the two. Derik and Demos looked towards the massive stairs and at the top of it were three dragons in human forms gazing down at them. These men all possessed the strength of spirit realm masters and they wore enraged looks on their faces when looking at the three intruders. Full-grown dragons could be seen behind them, ring at Derik and his team fiercely but none of them dared to make a move unless ordered to. "Scapegoats" Derik said those words calmly and the entire room fell silent. It felt like everyone stopped breathing, even Demos and Kaido were stunned by Derik''s words since he really had no reason to say it. "I assume the fire dragon n has more capable elders but you three volunteered to take us down just to earn some merits... Sadly, you fail to know that you are only a scapegoat, used to test our strength... I have seen this happen so many times and I can''t help but ask, are you all stupid? Your chances of beating us are far higher if everyone in this castlees out and charges towards us as one..." Derik wanted to say more but he couldn''t bring himself to say anymore. He sincerely hated when powerful people die because of pride and culture! I am the strongest, so I have to gost? What kind of mentality is that? In the past, in his original world, where he was the leader of a group known as the pce of the dead, filled with supernatural beings and dark magicians of various kinds, Derik was always the first to step up when they get attacked. Using the method he dealt with many powerful foes and those he couldn''t face alone, he relied on the help of his allies. If all the powerful forces in this castle stepped out and got involved in this fight, they will most likely lose but that won''t happen because his enemies choose to act foolishly! "You know what? If you all wish to die, then you came to the right ce!" Derik said as his body levitated off the ground and shot forward! "He is mine!" One of the elders roared and lunged towards Derik like a wild beast! Boom! The entire room shook from the impact and surprisengly none of them retreated! "Impressive!" the elder whose body was covered in dragon scales said when he saw Derik took almost no damage! He didn''t expect a human to possess such strength without any form of artificial enhancement! "It is a thousand years too early for someone like you tomend me!" Derek said coldly as the death scythe appeared in his hand and he hacked the man viciously, in an attempt to split him in two! Wah! Two dragon wings sprouted out of the elder''s back, pping only once but allowing him to move a bit higher! He could be seen standing on Derik''s death scythe while looking down on Derik. "If this is your strength level, thening here is no different from suicide!" The man dered body and the dragon behind roared but Derik remained unimpressed. His eyes were still pinned on the man as if he was deep in thought and after a while, he let out a disappointed sigh. He hoped for more but it seems he was right, these weaker elders only came here to gain recognition and show off. Is the danger worth the risk? How can people be so short-sighted in life? And more importantly, Why is he too bothered by something like this? Derik didn''t know why this is happening. Maybe it was a mood swing or something but he failed to understand why something like this would bother him this much. "I guess I am the one who has been losing focus over here..." Derik muttered before looking up to the fire dragon elder and revealing a sinister smile. "I apologize old man, but I have to kill you now" Derik said coldly. Chapter 258: Ghost Haunt! Chapter 258: Ghost Haunt! Seeing Derik space out during the battle, Demos and Kaido sighed in annoyance since they are already used to things like this. Most times, Derik is ruthless and unforgiving! He doesn''t speak much on the battlefield and focuses more on destroying the enemy but once in a while Derik loses focus and bes overwhelmed with numerous thoughts flowing into his little head but this period doesn''tst long. So Demos and Kaido weren''t too disturbed by the distracted Derik since they knew he wille back and deal with the enemy! "Kill me? I don''t know how you got past the weaklings outside but we are clearly different!" The Elder growled but then the ck scythe he was standing atop vanished and he almost fell, for a moment he lost his bnce! Seeing the man struggle with his wings to regain bnce, Derik lunged forward with a hand shrouded in darkish free aura! Bam! The man was able to take catch Derik''s punch but that was all! His eyes widened in shock as he saw his bright red dragon scales peeling away and fall off while it was under the influence of the death aura! "Sure enough, the dragon scale has a certain level of resistance to my death aura" Derik said but he didn''t look bothered; Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! A flurry of punches was released upon the enemy, forcing him to block while retreating! Each ce hit by the punch lost the dragon scales ced at that area, causing the elder more energy just to create a new one! He knew if Derik''s attack should somehow reach his body, he will be dead even before he gets the chance to fight back! "What Kind of power is tho?" the elder growled as hended roughly on a massive staircase before jumping back but Derik stubbornly chased after him, not holding back while delivering the countless attacks! "Help!" The elder finally screamed the moment he got closer to the two elders! His face had already turned pale and his body was soaked with sweat as he hastily retreated. They could understand if the elder lost against Derik but not this fast! Their pride as dragons will not let them take this sitting down! Bam! Bam! The two elders let out furious cries as they spat out two massive balls of fire! Devour? No! Derik made up his mind not to limit himself to only devour and he summoned his death scythe! "TEAR!" Derik growled as his body was propelled forward by an unknown force and in one spinning attack, he split the two balls of me in two! Swoosh! "Not bad, you two" Derik said with a sinister smile as people noticed his upper half has been severed from his lower half! Apparently, the two balls of fire were a distraction, and using it as a cover, they were able to blitz past, Derik, delivering a killing blow in one move! Unfortunately, death cannot be killed! Derik''s eyes revealed intense killing intentions as some sort of ck tendrils shot out of his severed body parts reattaching them once again! "Don''t forget about me!" The first elder''s voice rang from behind, causing Derik to frown A massive explosion urred behind him and from it a mighty red dragon emerged, pping down at Derek with its massive ws! Seeing this, Derik knew they were no means of escape, considering the distance and a smile bloomed on his face! "Kill me with this? Cocky!" Derik said as his aura exploded, surging into the death scythe violently! The weapon let out spooky screams of pain and sorrow while vibrating viciously! "Die!" The elder growled as his massive ws reached Derik but to his greatest surprise, it was knocked back by the death scythe. Fire Dragon Roar!!! The other elders screamed as they let out two massive beams of red mes. "Not enough!" Derik growled viciously as he tightened his grip on the death scythe and he swung forward! His red eyes turned green as his death scythe let out another soul-chilling cry while splitting the fire beams in two! Bang! Bang! The massive red dragon behind Derik took a few steps back in fear as it realized Derik''s power was just too overwhelming for it! "Didn''t I tell you? This is where you die!" Derik''s eyes let out a threatening d as the death scythe turned green! Ghost Haunt! Derik cried as he charged forward, leaving behind free after-images as he moved! Bang! The red dragon retreated hastily but the moment it hit the stairs, its face turned sour! "DONT GET COCKY!" It growled furiously as its ws were engulfed in bright red mes while swinging down like a divine hammer! The two attacks struck but contrary to everyone''s expectations, there was no noise or explosion! Derek''s death scythe phased through its skin and pierced the soul directly! They watched as Derik''s death scythe dragged out the dragon''s soul directly before consuming it greedily! Bang! The soulless body of the red dragon fell to the ground like an empty vessel! The dragons atop the stairs all remained silent in shock and gazed at Derik in disbelief! An attack that directly attacks the soul? What kind of monster is this? The two remaining elders turned towards the direction of the stairs and tried to flee but Demos and Kaido appeared in front of them blocking their path. The duo wore satisfied smiles on their faces after watching Derik''s battle! He was still the hot-headed, yet crafty beast they remember! "As for you two... We can''t allow you to leave this ce without a proper send-off" Demos said calmly. "Allow me to send them off" Kaido was fired up after watching Derik''s fight! It may have been short but extremely intense! Enough to make his blood boil! Seeing Derik fend off against so many foes with such passion, he too wanted to replicate that feat and feel the thrill of battle once again! SUN DOMAIN! He muttered as his aura exploded and six human-sized suns began orbiting around him. His face turned fierce and even his smile looked terrifying! The sun god has returned! Chapter 259: The one pathway! Chapter 259: The one pathway! BRILLIANT SUN! Kaido let out a furious roar and two artificial suns charged forward, chasing after the two elders viciously. Two extra artificial suns coordinated with the other two, blocking the route of escape for these two, meanwhile, the army of dragons above the stairs were prevented from interfering by Demos. " ! What Are trying to do?" one of the elders roared as he retreated hastily! Maneuvering through the attacks with a frown on his face. "Igneel is gone... You are going against the sun God Kaido!" Kaido growled as he sent out thest two suns revolving around him at the two elder dragons! With three human sized suns chasing each of them, their movement was locked down and they found it hard to break free from the three suns. While retreating they asionally nced at Derik who was leisurely sitting on the head of the new undead elder dragon. Both of them seemed to be watching the battle and none showed any intentions of getting involved but these two couldn''t let their guards down. "You dont have to worry, as the god of death, I swear on my name not to get involved in your fight... I have no reason to interfere... If you can kill the sun god over there, then you are allowed to leave... No one will harm you when I bring this castle down" Derik said with a smile on his face. Although the two elders felt insulted, they also felt relieved as well. They had been too bothered about Derik interfering for a while now and that has been preventing them from focusing on the battle at hand! If this happens they should be able to win against this imposter! "It''s toote for you to start getting cocky boys!" Kaido growled as he sped his hands together and only then did the elders realized that the three artificial suns were in a triangr formation around them! "Crippling sun formation!" Kaido growled as the three suns lit up and were connected by beams of orange light, forming the perfect triangle around the two elders. "Burn!" Kaido growled with a sinister smile on his face as the triangr formation began shrinking with them at the center. The beams of orange light prevented these people from powering their way through. The closer the sun got the more intense the heat became! Any normal person would have been dead by now but because these fire dragons have a high amount of fire resistance and that''s why they only had blisters when the sun crippling formation was just a small distance away from them! DON''T GET COCKY BOY!!! ROAR!!! Enraged roars filled the air as the two elders turned into their dragon forms shattering the sun formation! Seeing this Kaido frowned but he didn''t attempt to retreat! Sun Domain! Six more artificial suns appeared around him but two massive dragon ws were already swinging at him viciously! "Kill!" Kaido roared as the six suns merged to be one massive sun! By punching forward he sent the massive sun towards the huge hands of the massive dragons before turning into a beam of light and vanishing! Whoosh! Boom! Kaido watched with knitted eyebrows as thebined strength of the two dragons was enough to obliterate his sun. "If you think you can win against them without using the power of your inheritance then I have to agree with them, you are cocky" Derik said to Kaido with a slight smile on his face. Hearing this Kaido frowned, he understood what Derik was trying to say. He knew the body he was reincarnated in is limiting his abilities but then he just couldn''t bring himself to use his sun inheritance on beings below the demigod level. His pride as a former god kept hindering his judgment, clouding his mind. He could remember Derik''s fight, Derik used his inheritance without hesitation. To be able to put behind his pride and focus on the task at hand is something he needed to do. Not for anyone but himself! "I guess I have no choice then... I AM THE ONE AFTER ALL" Kadio said as bright orange tattoos appeared all over his body. His eyes revealed a hint of disgust as his body expanded and he grew muscr at an rming rate! The sunlight outside became so intense, they prated through the windows and the small holes in the walls just to reach Kaido who kept absorbing them greedily. Everyone watched in horror as he grew twice his original size, with muscles bulging everywhere. His eyes were golden,plementing his skin color! The ancient sun texts all over his body gave him a more intimidating look! Gazing at this transformation, Derik couldn''t help but shudder! He remembered the first time this ability was used by Kaido in their battle. If it wasn''t for the immortal body he would have been killed. He got his limbs ripped off, his head crushed, and more. Derik went through so much pain and barely survived! He won simply by ousting Kaido whose strength is solely dependent on the sun! That was his only w! "Nice line" Derikplemented the catchy line he used back there and leaned forward. Even he was interested in seeing this Legendary power again! Meanwhile... Outside the castle countless dragon armies were gathered by all the other ns, preparing to lend a hand to the fire dragon n invaded by outsiders! Watching from above the Skies Lucien gazed at Belize who was concealing their presence. Thebined army of five dragon ns was flying towards the fire dragon ns. If they interfere now, Derik, Demos, and Kaido will be overwhelmed by the sheer power of numbers. "We have to move now or we may lose them before nightfall!" Belize said with a frown. Hearing this, Lucien''s gaze turned vicious. If it wasn''t for his aura getting suppressed and concealed by Belize the dragons below would have noticed his existence. He summoned the azure blue dragon spear in his hands and turned to Belize. "I will keep the dragon army upied... Your job is to wait till nightfall before you attack..." Lucien said calmly Chapter 260: Strength of the Chosen Chapter 260: Strength of the Chosen "Are you sure? Going in alone is no different from suicide! You can''t do this without us" Belize said with a frown. The army below consisted of dragons at various levels and numerous cultivation bases. They may not have demigod dragon realm experts on their side but the elders of each of those ns are part of that army! How can Lucien speak so boldly about holding them off again! "What you fail to understand was that the shadow dragon n was never part of the n... We simply wanted to jump in and kill everyone here and leave... You would have been our enemy too if Derik didn''t have a change of heart!" Lucien said as his eyes revealed terrifying blue light and his grip on his dragon spear tightened! "With or without the shadow dragon n, we will still win... It will just be slightly more difficult" Lucien added before his body began falling! WHO!!! Seeing the figure appearing from the clouds the dragons flying towards the fire dragon n were stunned but reluctant to act since they felt a powerful aura within Lucien which even their dragon god realm experts don''t have! "AZURE DRAGON SPEAR: TYPHOON!" Lucien let out a vicious roar as he struck down with the spear, creating a powerful hurricane of blue mes surging violently! "Emperor Blue mes! The dragon emperor!" An elderly man in yellow robes said with a frown when he saw the bright blue mes! Just like that humans, even the dragon race has prophecies of a dragon emperor who will appear with his intense blue mes, wiping out all those who dare stand against the dragon race! It is said he will possess majestic blue dragon scales and possess the will of fire all dragons yearn for! The massive tornado of blue mes pulled in so many weak dragons, mixed with the phoenix mes the dragons were set aze until there was nothing left! Dragons below the king tier were killed instantly! "With this cultivation level he can wipe out so many dragons in one move, impressive" A young man in a gray robe said while gazing at Lucien. In his opinion, those killed by Lucien''s attacks were low-level dragons and they hold no value to them. If they had more low-level dragons, he wouldn''t hesitate to send them forward just to find out more about Lucien''s capabilities! "What do you think?" The elder in yellow robes asked. "This is nothing... Only low-level dragons were killed... It''s not much!" A middle-aged man in brown robes said with a firm look on his face. "We are all at the same realm as him, yet I am sure we cannot replicate the same power... Don''t let your feelings cloud your judgment!" The elder in yellow robes rebuked! "Truly this man possesses the dragon will... But he is too weak to lead us... He also attacks us, meaning he is an enemy... " A Lady in blue-robed said while seductively gazing at Lucien. The thoughts of having Lucien in her bed and having a child who will inherit his power crossed her mind but for only a moment since she knew the other ns will never allow that! Seeing the high-level dragon was yet to make a move, Lucien smiled. He knew it was because of his inheritance that''s why they are reluctant and this will be the end of them! [Beast assimtion sessful...] [Beast assimtion sessful...] [Beast assimtion sessful...] Hundreds of messages like this appeared and a vicious smile bloomed on Lucien''s face. Not only did he acquire enough power to increase his realm but the system recorded every one of the beasts killed and assimted! "RISE!" Lucien mimicked Derik''s words as gray aura exploded from his body, each taking the form of the dragons he killed! In an instant, Lucien had hundreds of dragons flying behind him like an army! Seeing this the elders of the various dragon ns couldn''t help but frown, not only was Lucien holding on to their inheritance but he also has the strange power to bring back the dead! "You are right... He is a threat!" The youth in gray robe said with a frown. "Fight now, talkter! We can''t give him the chance to do as he wishes! If possible capture him alive!" The elder in yellow robes said as hemanded the king-tier dragons of the thunder dragon n to charge forward! Up above the clouds Belize was still reluctant to leave but after seeing what Lucien just did he was too stunned to speak. He knew Derik was incredibly strong and those who brought him back to life are strong as well. Lucien was more like the quiet one amongst them, so he didn''t really think someone this young will possess such incredible strength! "Absolute confidence is built through experiencing countless victories! I may have underestimated these people" Belize said before vanishing! Meanwhile... "He has made a move? So early?" Derik was stunned when he felt Lucien''s violent aura surging! He didn''t expect Lucien to be so impatient and act alone. But after sitting there in silence and letting his sense spread far he finally realized the situation. The reinforcements arrived too early so Lucien went in alone to stop them and buy him some time. He didn''t expect the prideful dragons to be ready to lend the fire dragons a had so quickly! He expected them to wait till the fire dragon n is almost destroyed! "That kid... He is strong" Kaido said while turning his attention to Derik, ignoring the two dragons charging at him from behind! "You should focus more on your fight and stop paying attention to our junior" Derik said with a smile. "The ability to remain calm in such a situation is a privilege reserved for the strong alone these two are not my opponent!" Kaido said with his hands wrapped around his chest! Bang! The two hands struck his small figure but to their greatest surprise, they couldn''t move him. Seeing this the fire dragon elders felt their throats go dry and they quickly tried to retreat but it was already toote Chapter 261: Strength of Demos Chapter 261: Strength of Demos The attack from the two elder dragons did not even move Kaido and even till now, he acted as if he wasn''t hit at all. "Since you guys have things under control, I have no reason to wait, I will go ahead... Try not to waste too much time here" Derik said casually as the undead fire elder dragon began pping its wings, slowly lifting off the ground. Its eyes showed no form of emotion, it felt empty. "You really have so much confidence in that kid" Kaido said in a questioning tone. "More or less, I chose him... Everyone here, I chose you all... Do you know why? Because you all are the best at what you do" Derik said while shrugging his shoulders! Whoosh! The undead elder dragon quickly pped its wings and exploded off the ground, shooting towards the ceiling! Derik had already decided to end this fast! Bang! The ceiling shattered and the elder dragon kept flying higher without flinching! As an undead, it felt no pain, no emotions, so it didn''t matter how many ceilings it crashed into, even if it got hurt, its wounds will heal! ROAR! Seeing Derik leave the other dragons on standby knew he was going for the chambers of the elder dragons! They all shot into the air in hopes of stopping Derik but a slim figure dressed in dark is purple mage robes appeared in their way. In his right hand was a death scythe and on his back were three pairs of ck angelic wings! "You are not elder dragons so I see no reason to waste my inheritance on you all" Demos said as he brandished his death scythe at the enemy ruthlessly, releasing countless waves of darkish purple energy arcs! The dragons were quick in their movements, regardless of their size, evading numerous attacks sessfully while closing the distance between them and Demos! "Not bad!" Demos said with a slight smile on his face as he levitated even higher while muttering some ancient words! "Go!" He said calmly as darkish purple clouds could be seen manifesting above him and from it, a massive skeleton slowly emerged! "Who do you think is the original wielder of the death magic the world fears today?" Demos said coldly as he watched the bone hands descend from above, gripping two dragons closest to Demos by the head and smashing them together! The other dragons watched in shock as the two headless dragons fell to the ground without offering any resistance! Demos made it look so easy, that many believed this is no different from a bodybuilder strangling two defenseless puppies at once. They died instantly from the attack! FIRE DRAGON ROAR! Seeing how two of theirrades were killed the other dragons dared not go closer! If they couldn''t deal with Demos upfront, they might as well kill him from a distance! ROAR! Numerous beams of mes shot towards Demos with shocking uracy! "Block!" Demos said with a calm look on his face as he watched the massive skeleton hands wrap around him in a bid to block the attack! Boom! Boom! Boom! Numerous beams of mes shed with the bone hands, leaving mild web-like cracks on it! Seeing this Demos frowned but he did not act quickly. Not only has his vision been blocked by his defense but he couldn''t tell what was going through the mind of the enemy. There were over ten to fifteen dragons left out there, making his chances of victory even slimmer but he found all of this exciting! Did their previous world give them this much thrill or is he this happy because he hasn''t fought in a battle for so long? No! Thinking back on the past, Demos could clearly remember why he never got this feeling from his previous world! Over there he always yed the role of the observer, the Guardian spirit who watched over Derik until he grew to be an even more capable death god! He barely engaged in battles and was never allowed to y an active role in the fate of the world until now! "So this is what it feels to fight... To put my life on the line for everything I believe in... AMAZING!" Demo''s growled as his senses picked up two dragons trying to sneak past him from the sides while the beams of mes keep the massive skeleton distracted! HOW BOLD! Demos was instantly encased in a ck knight''s armor created with his bone magic and with his death scythe ced in front he allowed the skeleton to attack the two dragons while he takes thebined attacksbined! Boom! Puti! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Resoundingughter echoed across the castle as the beams of mes were split in two and the dark knight with a scythe as a weapon charged forward! Who the hell is this guy? The dragons didnt know what was more shocking! The fact that the two dragons who went ahead to sneak past this man were instantly killed by the massive skeleton or that the man was able to power through theirbined attacks? At this point, these dragons were just a small push away from going crazy because the world has turned upside down. Before they were banished to this ce from the central continent, Dragons have always been the leading force and a powerful group. A single dragon could level cities and just an encounter with one is considered a lifelong achievement for all the races. People feared and worshipped and even when they were sent here, they didn''t lose that prideful spirit! They waited in silence for the day they will return to the central continent and prove their strength and worth but now they were getting ughtered like mere dogs by three unknown humans. No matter how much they fought! No matter how much effort they put in, these three humans make it like children trying to gang up on an adult! Did the humans grow stronger or did they get weaker? What if every human in the central continent is this strong? Doesn''t that mean going back there is no different from suicide? Has the age of dragons reallye to an end? "Don''t beat yourself up... You only lost not because you are weak, but because you met us" Demos easily deduced their thoughts when he saw the confused expression on their faces. He knew how it feels for beings who once believed they are the most powerful to be suppressed by others outside their kind! "YOU DAMN HUMAN!" One of the dragons could not take the fact that Demos stood above them and looked down on them while he spoke! It roared with all its might ad it charged forward, throwing its right hand at Demos! Pointless! Whoosh! The severed massive dragon hand could be spinning uncontrobly in mid-air! How someone can effortlessly cut something at least six to seven times his size with ease kept shocking the other dragons, but the injured dragon did not stop! It was lost in its fury and deep down inside it swore not to stop even if it means taking this human down with it! ROAR! It let out another furious cry as it threw its left hand at Demos, only to meet the same fate! Right before everyone''s eyes, its left hand was cut off even before it could reach Demos! All this happened so fast these dragons barely saw Demos move! All they saw was a darkish purple streak of light and then the limb is gone! Boom! The dragon let out a furious cry while its wings pped viciously sending It flying back a few meters! Everyone would have assumed it was trying to flee if not for its murderous gaze pinned at Demos who still stood there gazing at it indifferently! ''A MERE HUMAN DARE LOOKS DOWN ON DIVINE BEASTS LIKE US! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT DEFEAT!" FIRE DRAGON ROAR! It inhaled deeply and with its mouth wide open, Demos could see the bright red mes surfing dangerously within the dragon, gathering together for a final attack! PA! Demos had no intentions of waiting for the enemy to make a move. His eyes revealed a strong purple light as his body drifted backward and his aura turned ferocious. This could be considered the first time he is using the power of the dragon body he is residing in! SHADOW DRAGON ROAR! Demos cried out as he spat out a beam of darkish purple mes, shing with the bright orange mes of the enemy! A powerful shockwave urred, sending many dragons flying back! The two attacks shed and slowly the shadow beam overwhelmed the fire beam, surging into the mouth of the fire dragon and destroying it from within. The fire dragon shivered and suddenly stopped moving. Its body slowly fell to the ground! "It is a thousand years early of little dogs to challenge a god" Demos said those words calmly but it sent shivers down the spine of all those who heard him. JUST TOO DOMINEERING! Chapter 262: Helping Derik comes first Chapter 262: Helping Derikes first Bang! Bang! Bang! Barrages of w attacks rained down on Kaido but he knocked all of them back without much effort. He wore an indifferent look on his face as he parried the attacks without much effort. He even began suspecting that these elder dragons were holding back on him. Thinking back to his old life where he was forced to take on very powerful ancient dragons, Kaido could remember almost dying to one of them. If he hadn''t been saved by Cyrus back then he wouldn''t be here! Those dragons were only three yet they were extremely powerful to the point that it took Derik and Cyrus to join hands to fight one of them, and even then the match ended in a draw after a week-long battle! Derik returned with serious injuries for the first time in a long time, making all those who dares to believe in him shiver in fear. Thinking back on it, Kaido realized they have been living a different life back then. This world may be more advanced with magic and cultivation but theyck what it takes to be strong! From the day of their birth till date, he, Derek, and the others have been jumping from one battle to another. They fought countless opponents of various levels and won! Back then cities were surrounded by magic walls to prevent magic beasts from invading but at a point in their lives, they brought down the walls and faced the beasts! Yes! They wiped out all magic beasts in their world, making sure no one ever had to live in fear again! From the beginning, they were up against gods trying to invade their world! Cosmic beings trying to steal their powers! Monsters! Yet! In this world what these people are fighting for isnd... They just want theirnd back. Kaido couldn''t help but p his face in disappointment! He was here doubting himself when the people here are the problem. It wasn''t that they are not strong, it''s just that they don''t know how to be strong! Their power from the very beginning has been used for meaningless struggles, minor issues not even noteworthy! How do they dream to surpass older beings like him if they have not gone through hardship? "Children!" Kaido''s gaze turned murderous as he said those words! He stomped his feet on the air and shot forward, reaching the two elder dragons in an instant! Whoosh! "DON''T GET COCKY!!!" The elder dragons cried out as they saw Kaido throw his fists at them! Whoosh! Bang! The two elder dragons threw their ws at Kaido but the moment it made contact with Kaido''s fists it was blown away violently, forcing them to stagger back! "SUCH IMMENSE STRENGTH! IS HE EVEN HUMAN?" They bought screamed in their minds as they felt their hands go numb. They both retreated by one step but Kaido was already in front of them. Whoosh! Delivering a simple uppercut he sent one of the elder dragons flying high, while his body levitated backward. His eyes revealed killing lights as he charged towards the second wall, smashing him into the staircase and shattering the entire structure! Bang! The one sent flying was already descending at that point and Derik wasted no time in delivering a powerful kick to the belly, sending it crashing into another wall. Fighting someone like Kaido using the one inheritance was like fighting an invulnerable man with super strength! He was just too domineering! Watching him toss massive dragons around as if they are nothing was just too terrifying! He was about to make another move but the injured elder dragons were attacked by numerous undead dragons! Kaido watched the feed on the two dragons, biting deep into their skin without restraint! "Why?" Kaido said with knitted eyebrows as he gazed at Demos standing above him. "Derik needs our help, you have yed with them for too long... It''s time to move!" Demos said calmly and slowly flew towards the hole on the ceiling created by Derik. Kaido gazed at Demos back with a hint of reluctance in his eyes. It was only for a brief second. ------------------------------ Bang! Bang! Bang! No matter how much the enemy struggled they couldn''t kill the beast assimtion summoned by Lucien. Theyunched countless attacks but this undying army charged forward without fear! Peng! Peng! Peng! In a single second Lucien had delivered hundreds of attacks but the enemy blocked all of them perfectly! No matter which side he attacked, the ming azure blue spear could not make it past the wind barrier protecting the youth in gray robe! "The strength you used to defeat so many lesser dragons a moment ago... Was it a fluke?" The gray-robed man asked and Lucien frowned. He was surrounded by elders from the various dragon ns with each possessing strength almostparable to a champion realm expert. The fact that they are dragons gives them a massive boost in terms of power and defense putting a normal person in a disadvantaged position when going against them! The others watched from the sidelines as Lucien battled it out with the gray-robed man. They seemed to be more interested in seeing Lucien''s abilities than in killing him. "You must be crazy if you think this is all I can do..." Lucien said with a sinister smile on his face The others were taken aback by this and felt a bit disturbed but they did not retreat or attack. "What are you trying to say little one? You were holding back even when you killed all the lesser dragons?" The elder in yellow robes asked with knitted eyebrows. That attack alone carried the strength of a peak spirit realm master! For someone like Lucien who is just at the early phase of the spirit realm, they felt it was already amazing that he can pull out that much power. "You know, the original n was to stall till nightfall but after crossing de with you all I realized you are not the main dragon army... You are just cannon folders sent to support... I can''t be caught wasting time with trash like you all, so this time, I will be going for the kill!" Chapter 263: Change of plans Chapter 263: Change of ns "You know, the original n was to stall till nightfall but after crossing de with you all I realized you are not the main dragon army... You are just cannon folders sent to support... I can''t be caught wasting time with trash like you all, so this time, I will be going for the kill!" Lucien said as his aura exploded violently creating a massive hurricane around him! Everyone saw as his blue aura slowly took the shape of a massive dragon, making many even the elders shiver! "The dragon will! He is finally using the dragon will!" The elder in yellow robes said with knitted eyebrows! He hated the fact that Lucien was looking down on them but if what Lucien said is true and he did have the power to suppress them all, taking him down will be an issue, especially since he had the dragon inheritance! [What are you doing? This is not part of the n] Rakuzen said calmly. "Thus is not the main army... Just as we expected the Dragon race is not truly friendly, that exins why they would send their weakest forces to help deal with the invasions at the fire dragon pce" Lucien responded. [True... It is more like the fire dragon n is the most powerful so they are obliged to help... They sent help to be on the good side of the n when things are over... But the backup they sent is quite insignificant because they hope the fire dragon n gets destroyed! Giving them the chance to take their seat of power] Rakuzen said and Lucien nodded in agreement. "If that is the case, then we can''t hold back anymore... The fire dragon n still has a wounded Demigod on their side... Since I have a chance of victory against these people, I will kill them all and go meet up with Derik" Lucien said before shooting forward with the azure blue spear! Whoosh! The zing blue mes around the spear were so intense and massive, the gray-robed youth could barely see what was at the other side! Seeing the twirling blue mes surging towards him, the gray-robed dragon elder frowned. His wind barrier can stop a lot of attacks but this is not one of them! "Then I will rely on speed!" he growled in his mind as his body shot into the air, moving at an incredible speed. Before the blue mes could reach him, he had already passed its reach. He stood above the attack watching the surging mes bombard where he once stood with a satisfied smile on his face. The wind dragon n may not have explosive power like other dragon ns but they possess immense speed almostparable to the lightning dragon n and the variety thates with the wind element! "Did you really think you escaped me?" Lucien''s cold voice rang in his ears as he felt the threat of death looming over his head! Whoosh Stomping the air, the gray-robed man vanished just before he was hit by the attack. "Die!" His voice erupted like a volcano as a massive wind w descended from above trying to crush Lucien below! He watched the massive wind w strike Lucien only to realize that was just an afterimage! He wanted to flee but he felt Lucien grab his right hand! Before he could react, he already felt the sharp edge of the dragon spear piercing his arm! Lucien was nning to chop his hands off! "YOU DARE!!!" Boom! A gray aura exploded from the youth''s body, sending Lucien sliding backward as a massive gray dragon appeared! Bam! And with a single p of its wings, it retreated almost fifty meters back, increasing the distance between it and Lucien. The beast had a terrified look on its face while Lucien looked more excited than terrified. His eyes revealed killing lights and he wore a mocking smile on his face. "Challenging me in a game of speed is very stupid... Even before I became the person wielding the dragon inheritance, I was the fastest amongst my peers..." Lucien said calmly as he tightened his grip on the spear. The gray dragon gazed at him inplete fury! It has never been disgraced like this before so it didn''t know how to deal with such insults. As one of the younger generations in the dragon n, this going elder has surpassed all his peers and even his parent, taking his ce as a member of the wind dragon elders at such a young age. He has always been used as an example for the younger generations of dragons and many looked up to him while the others expected more from him! This is the first time he has faced off someone as young and talented as him who dares say crap to his face! "I KILL YOU!" he growled as the wind around them began surging towards him furiously. WIND DRAGON ROAR! Letting out a furious cry as a white beam shot towards Lucien. Seeing this Lucien smirked and walked forward while in mid-air. [Silver armor activated!] Lucien''s aura quickly changed from that of a dragon to something different. His eyes turned white as his body released some sort of white liquid which hardened almost instantly forming a white armor around him. His aura took the shape of the ant queen as he raised his hand toward, taking the attack head-on! BOOM! A powerful explosion urred as the white beam met Lucien''s open n, only moving him back by a few steps before stopping. The dragon elders around gazed at him in disbelief especially since he took the attack head-on and came out fine, without even a single scratch on him! "This!" The lightning dragon n elder said in disbelief! How can someone in the lower realm take an attack from a foe in a higher realm ande out perfectly fine? The gray dragon. was even too scared to react immediately. He gazed at Lucien with a terrified expression on his face as Lucien mmed his fists together and took a deep Breath! "Don''t die..." Lucien said calmly! AZURE DRAGON ROAR!!! Chapter 264: The strongest Chapter 264: The strongest ROAR!!! The blue beam smashed into the white beam, cutting through it almost effortlessly, until it shot into the gray dragon''s mouth, causing its massive head to explode! The other elders who were easygoing were rmed by the sudden development, especially since they didn''t expect Lucien to win against an elder so easily! Ding! Ding! Ding! [Wind elder dragon defeated] [Beast Assimtion sessful!] [New abilities acquired...] Several notifications appeared making a smile bloom on Lucien''s face but he still didn''t let his guard down. No matter how happy he is, he still considered the fact that he is surrounded by enemies! "Rise!" Lucien said calmly [Beast assimtion summon sessful] Suddenly a gray mist surged out of Lucien''s body and quickly took the form of the gray dragon. Seeing the massive gray dragon, levitating behind the kid that killed it like a bodyguard made the other elders fearful. The power Lucien just showed right now meant that with each death, Lucien''s power gets stronger! No one knew how such an ability exists since it has nothing to do with dark magic, all they know right now is that they need to join hands if they wish to fight against Lucien and win! "All of you at once? Come at me then... Let''s see how strong you are" Lucien said with zing blue eyes ---------------- Derik stood atop the head of the undead dragon and smiled. He could feel the aura of his allies surging violently, especially that of Lucien. He could tell Lucien was engaged in a fierce battle against very powerful foes and he was even more stunned by the fact that the kid is yet to retreat. "This kid is more capable than I thought... I have been underestimating him for a while now" Derikmented with a satisfied smile on his face. In the past, it was just him doing all the work and trying to save humanity and then Lucien came along. The kid may have been young and impulsive but he was also promising and hardworking. If he had killed him during their first encounter he would have lost a very powerful ally. Right now he also had Demos and Kaido by his side, fighting for him. All that is left now is his best friend Cyrus but even Derik knew that those were only wishful thoughts. Cyrus has a duty to protect the people in their original world and he is there to make sure they don''t go astray. He cannot apany Derik on this journey and maybe that is a good thing. They are the first andst line of defense of this god vein and honestly, while he may be confident in his abilities, Derik knew there was a possibility they will fail. What they are up against are celestial beings far stronger than anything they have ever faced. If he thinks it will be a walk in the park is just in stupidity. Bang! The undead dragon reached the top floor of the castle and smashed open the two massive red doors, lunging into the massive hall with three elderly men seated. "It''s strange I didn''t meet anyone trying to stop me along the way... Are the red dragons that small in number or is it that you guys are just confident in your strength?" Derik said as he jumped off the head of the undead dragon and conjured a bone throne, sitting down calmly. The trio did not respond, they just shot a nce to the elder dragon now serving Derik under the power of his death magic and sighed. It is a shame to see an elder dragon reduced to this state but they did not speak out their mind, they just remained silent. Meanwhile, Derik was skeptical about the whole operation. This ce seemed rather empty but he simply assumed that it was because the main forces of each n were sent to the central continent, so most likely they sent their best men for the job. His eyes narrowed as he assessed the strength of the trio. Each one of them was no different from a champion realm master and whenpared to the elders of the shadow dragon n, it became obvious why they are the ruling n here. FIRE DRAGON ROAR! The massive undead elder dragon begin Derik took in a deep breath before spitting out a beam of scorching red mes at the elder seated in the middle. Derik watched closely as the raging beam of fire smashed into the elder who didn''t even attempt to protect himself! Boom! A loud explosion urred and the room shook violently but the three remained seated with frowns on their faces as if a fly just disturbed them recently. "I expected this much from dragons that are at the champion realm, but that doesn''t give you the rights to act disrespectfully in front of a god" Derik said calmly as he waved his hand and the massive undead elder dragon behind him slowly sank into his shadow, vanishing almost instantly. While it left, its re pinned at the elders carried hints of hate and resentment, even Derik couldn''t help but notice. All undead in this world possess consciousness, they think and act ording to their will. Even though they cannot go against their master that doesn''t mean they can''t show emotions. It was clear that this elder dragon med the three elders for his death. They knew that strength of the enemy and still sent him, just to confirm. He was reluctant to leave but since Derik willed it, he had no choice but to obey. "Dont worry, none of them will survive this encounter" Derik said to the undead elder dragon, and only then did its facial expression rx and it nodded at Derik respectfully. "A very bold im..." The elder at the center said calmly but he deliberately failed to hide the hint of disgust in his voice. "I am the strongest... I believe I have the right to make such ims" Derik yawned as he replied. Chapter 265: You are outnumbered Chapter 265: You are outnumbered Hearing Derik''s reply the three elders frowned but did not make a move. They heard all the conversations and they have seen everything that has happened. Derik may be the death god who invaded this world and gave them a chance to return to the central continent but that''s just it. If this man chose to go against them, they definitely will not hold back against him! In fact, they find it extremely infuriating that a former god whose power has been reduced to this level dares to go around making bold ims! If they don''t deal with him now, it will be harder to do that in the future. "You gave the dragon race a chance to return to glory! You gave all of us an opportunity so we will do the same for you... Call off your people and there will be peace... All the dead will be overlooked... We will even let you have an empire of your own in the central continent... This is an opportunity for you to repent of your sins... By the way, we will be getting rid of the gods whom you infuriated... It is a win-win situation here" The elder at the center said calmly and Derik frowned. This cocky piece of shit dares ask him to repent of his sins? IMPUDENT FOOL! "The only sin I have to repent of is that of Endangering hundreds of thousands of lives by invading and weakening their gods... That is the sin I am atoning for right now!" Derik responded coldly. There was silence for a short while as both sides kept gazing at each other from a distance since none wanted to make a move. "If that is the case then you must die here" The elder at the center finally said while letting out a defeated sigh. "Only someone capable of taking my life is allowed to say that... As far as I am concerned... No one in this room is capable of that" Derik hissed before mming the armrest of his bone throne and flying into the air. His eyes revealed intense killing lights as kicked the air and shot towards the three elders like an arrow! "HE IS MINE!" The elder at the center growled furiously as he mmed his throne, shattering it while shooting into the air! Boom! Both sides collided creating a powerful shockwave! Bam! Both sides were sent flying back and eventuallynded roughly but Derik remained unharmed while the fire dragon elder had blood rolling down his lips. "Even with a weak body, you are able to bring out this much strength? As expected of the being that many considered the absolute in the past... But if this is the full extent of your strength right now, you stand no chance against me... Not to talk of all of us!" The elder said calmly. Derik remained silent as he flexed his muscles. As expected he barely had the strength advantage against an elder dragon even with his werewolf form activated and the enemy is yet to use his dragon scales or return to his strongest form. "I guess this is it..." Derik said calmly as his body leaned back and his eyes revealed a bright red sh! His words left everyone confused since it was so abrupt and out of context. They could only wait for him to exin. " Even three of you will fail to deal with me... Even if there are five of you, you still have no chance at victory..." Derik said calmly as he began talking little steps forward. His words infuriated the two other elders and they quickly rose on their feet. They initially nned to let Derik face them one on one but after he dared to say words like that, these people decided to and his life together! "You just had to open your big mouth" One of the elders said with a frown on his face. "Only I would have been enough for you but you just had to talk..." Another elder said calmly. "Now you are surrounded, what do you n to do?" The third elder asked with a raised eyebrow. Meanwhile, Derik remained silent as they slowly surrounded him. He didn''t speak or interrupt them while they spoke. He just let them finish before making his move. "Surrounded? What the hell are you saying? I should be the one saying that... You all are surrounded" Derik said with a cruel grin on his face as his ck aura suddenly turned darkish green. Whoosh! His body was covered in green mes as he charged at the first elder and the other two by his side chased after him! The first elder saw this and braced himself for Derik''s attack but then he realized Derik was slightly slower than usual, allowing the two eldersing in from the sides to reach him faster than expected! "Get back! It''s a trap!" The first elder roared but Derik had already made his move! Bam! His darkish green aura sank the ground and from the ground, numerous green chains shot out, shooting towards the three elders! Whoosh! These elders are far skilled than the others Derik has gone against and instead of pushing back the two elders kept advancing while maneuvering through the numerous chains attacking them from all sides. Bam! The first elder took a massive leap back as he inhaled deeply before exhaling! FIRE DRAGON ROAR! A massive beam twice the size of the normal beams sped towards Derik! If he gets hit by such an attack, it would be a miracle if his body remains intact! "Nice move!" Derik muttered as he controlled all the chains to form a wall to block the fire beam, meanwhile, he slowly turned to face the approaching enemies with a wild grin on his face. His eyes shed brightly as his hair grew evenrger and ws could be seen taking the ce of his nails. ROAR! Derik let out a loud cry as he lunged at one of the elders with a wild grin on his face. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!