Alibuda Era Festival 14

When I agreed to escort Narcissus back to her country with Yueying, I already anticipated that the journey would be difficult. Besides Narcissus's own cunning and treacherous nature, the complex political situation in Ishtar was an even greater danger. One wrong move, and we would be dragged into it, used as Narcissus's shield.
I had foreseen this, but I still miscalculated. I never expected the political struggle in Ishtar to be so treacherous. We had barely arrived in Ishtar when Narcissus was betrayed by both sides, used as a sacrificial lamb to be eliminated.
Such a drastic change seems unbelievable, but political struggles are inherently irrational. Besides this reason, I couldn't think of any other possibility at the moment. Caught between two forces, isolated and helpless, the situation was bad enough, but to make matters worse, I was affected by the poison and couldn't move at all. I could only watch helplessly as the enemy charged right up to me.
(Damn it, the orcs have turned into zombies. This is like Ishtar and the Southern Barbarians joining forces, and I can't move. What could be worse than this?)
As it turns out, you really can't help but believe in the devil. No matter how bad things seem, they can always get worse than you can imagine. Just as Yu Ni and Yu Hong were desperately defending against the orc zombies' attack, and I was inwardly groaning, Ah Xue suddenly clutched her head, let out a painful howl, and knelt on the ground, seemingly in great agony. Veins bulged on her fair face, and she almost rolled around on the ground in pain.
(Wow! What happened now? When will this end?)
After observing Ah Xue's unusual condition for a moment, I realized that she was enduring immense pain, bathed in the blue moonlight. Violet was anxiously roaring around her, occasionally barking angrily at the moonlight. I realized that the problem lay with the blue moon in the sky.
This eerie blue light was man-made, a highly concentrated energy aggregate of magic. Normally, Ah Xue would have enough magic to defend herself and remain unaffected by external forces. However, in the energy storm of Black Mountain Valley, she was unable to use magic, and her magic was also affected by the blue moon, causing changes I couldn't comprehend.
The solution wasn't difficult; someone just needed to cover Ah Xue with a cloth to prevent her from being exposed to the blue moonlight, and the situation would improve. Otherwise, if she continued to be exposed to the moonlight, even I don't know what the consequences would be. But knowing this didn't save me from doing anything to improve the situation. And fate showed no mercy to a kind soul like me; a deafening explosion rang out, and the barrier around our carriage was breached. A horde of wraiths surged in, launching a fierce attack on us.
We should have been invincible against the undead, with Ah Xue, a necromancer. But things took an unexpected turn, and Ah Xue became the most dangerous being. Thankfully, there was also Narcissus, who, at the critical moment, flicked her wand from her sleeve, took a deep breath, and chanted a spell to repel the enemy.
"Goddess of the Underworld, Del, please open the gates of the underworld."
Ishtar's top-tier priestess personally intervened, and her skill was truly extraordinary. Narcissa's wand made five virtual taps in mid-air, the magic connecting the dots to form a line, and a gate formed by a blood-red pentagram opened. A chilling wind howled out, swallowing and sucking in all the
vengeful spirits that rushed towards it. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, guiding the wandering souls back to the underworld. Although not a form of salvation, it had a similar effect of different paths leading to the same destination. Narcissa's beautiful move, devouring and dissipating over a hundred vengeful spirits at once, turning them into nothingness, was indeed the skill of a top-tier sorcerer. And from her actions, I confirmed one thing: Ishtar had indeed developed special spells for the Black Mountain Pass, allowing mages to cast spells normally without being affected by the magnetic storm.
That crescent-blue moon is most likely a secret technique developed by Ishtar in recent years, a new variation on the basis of the crimson moon. It both strengthens dark magic elements and neutralizes the effects of magnetic storms, making Narcissa the only main mage among us who can use magic normally.
(This technology was definitely developed to deal with my freak father, but man proposes, God disposes. While developing super magic, he also produced those monstrous Skyhawk Warriors. Ishtar must have felt incredibly frustrated when he was stomped on by one of those Skyhawk Warriors!)
Imagining that scene, I couldn't help but feel an urge to burst into laughter, but my body was too stiff to actually laugh.
Moreover, it's too early to be happy now. I noticed that Narcissus's magic wasn't very powerful. It seemed that Qingyue's assistance was limited. Being in the center of the magnetic storm, she was still under pressure. Although her methods of casting magic were ingenious and minimized magic consumption, it was still very strenuous to cast. The Gates of the Underworld, which had an excellent effect, collapsed and dissipated after a short time. Narcissus, who cast the spell, looked panting heavily and had exhausted herself.
Worse still, Narcissus used magic, which seemed to have become a signal. At the same moment she cast the Gates of the Underworld, the azure moonlight in the sky suddenly intensified, changing from a crescent to a full moon. Although Narcissus's magic power did not increase accordingly, the entire space suddenly trembled. The atmosphere above the valley to the west became incredibly tense, and a chilling, eerie air swept directly towards us.
"Not good!"
"Damn it!"
Cries of the same meaning came from Narcissus and Yu Hong. Both of them were experts, and upon seeing this, they understood that the magic reaction they had just witnessed had been detected by the enemy, confirming Narcissus's location. They were now locked on by the enemy, and the real, brutal attack was about to begin.
"There's no time! Everyone, get off!"
Yu Hong decisively shouted, urging everyone to act quickly and jump off the out-of-control, crazed train. Having been delayed by the undead for so long, the train had accelerated to the point of near collapse, making it difficult to jump off. However, this brief battle had its advantages. The undead had destroyed the barrier, blowing away half of the train's outer shell, making it easier for us to jump out. Yu Ni and Yu Hong worked together to smash several orc zombies; their sturdy remains served as protective cushions. At Yu Hong's shout, everyone jumped off the train in perfect unison.
Yu Hong led me, while Yu Ni and Violet took care of A Xue together, and Narcissus brought up the rear. We jumped off the train one after another. As we jumped, several orc zombies roared and tried to leap off the train to chase after us. At that moment, Narcissus was halfway through her jump, in mid-air, about to use magic to intercept them, but the orc zombies inexplicably tumbled over halfway and fell to pieces. In that instant, I saw a small figure leaping behind the orc zombies' burly bodies like a rabbit.
The Black Dragon Ninja Army's killing methods are unparalleled. Future indeed chose the perfect moment to strike, eliminating several orc zombies that were almost indestructible in one move. Although the orc zombies were torn to pieces, the out-of-control train also derailed and crashed into the mountainside, turning into a huge, burning fireball, I felt no joy when I saw that fireball that illuminated half the sky. With Future's agility, he should have been able to escape unscathed from the explosion, but instead use the opportunity to hide in the darkness again, preparing for a surprise attack on the enemy.
And... this kid is full of bad intentions. If he's willing to sacrifice himself to save us, I'm the first person who wouldn't believe it, and I doubt even he himself would.
(Sigh, what a waste. My perverted dad spent who knows how much money building this luxury train, and it's gone just like that. Poor me, I only rode it once, and I didn't even get to ride the conductor... Damn, even though they're just ghosts, it shouldn't matter if I close my eyes, right?)
I muttered to myself, but I didn't dare to be careless at all. I tried my best to move the only five fingers I could, hoping to get my whole hand back to function as soon as possible. As long as one hand could move, the situation would be much better, and I would have at least the ability to defend myself.
(Uh, am I being too optimistic? Even if I can move my hands, what will I use to chant the incantation? Are there any spells that don't require chanting that could be useful?)
While pondering this, I assessed the current situation and any hidden backup plans I could use. The fall from the train was so powerful because of its high speed that everyone was thrown off, suffering injuries of varying degrees, including Neon. Fortunately, the orc corpses served as cushions, allowing everyone to step on them in mid-air to absorb the force and leap away; otherwise, it wouldn't have been just minor injuries, but a fatality.
In comparison, I was incredibly lucky. Due to the poisoning, my body was as hard as iron. Although I fell heavily and rolled more than ten times, I was completely unharmed. On the contrary, many of the stones I hit on the forehead along the way cracked. I was truly guilty.
The train exploded, and the intense flames and heat almost made us forget that the ultra-low temperature storm was still ongoing. We immediately encountered a new crisis: the enemy's main attack had arrived.
I initially thought the enemy would deploy some powerful magicians, but Ishtar truly lived up to the infamous reputation of the Black Magic Kingdom. None of the creatures attacking us were human; they were all non-human demons and monsters.
Minotaur, ghoul, skeleton demon, flying nightmare, cursed python... these strange creatures summoned from the demon realm attacked us as if we were our father's killers. More than half of them were weak and stupid low-intelligence creatures. Although they were not high-level, under the enhanced radiation of the Azure Evil Moon, each of them was incredibly strong, and their destructive power doubled. With the assistance of some small demons with strange abilities, they quickly gained the upper hand, causing the number of wounds on Yu Ni and Yu Hong to increase dramatically.
The defensive line held up by Neon and her companion was thinner than a sheet of paper under the overwhelming tsunami attack of these inhuman monsters. It was breached after only a few rounds. If Narcissus hadn't intervened in time, the two of them would have been swallowed up by the monster horde long ago.
"Ancient demon god, please bestow a black barrier to stop my enemies,"
Narcissus chanted the incantation. Suddenly, a huge buzzing sound arose all around, and thousands of flies flew in from nowhere, forming a protective wall around us. These flies were not human creatures. Most of the demonic hordes recognized their power and dared not charge in. A few foolish ones did try, but were devoured by thousands of flies, their bodies riddled with holes and falling apart in the blink of an eye.
This wall of disaster made of flies gave us a brief respite, but the wounds on Yu Ni and Yu Hong's bodies were rapidly rotting and decaying under the catalytic effect of the evil magic of the blue moonlight. Narcissus quickly advised them to use the extremely low temperatures created by the blizzard to stop the decay, otherwise they would both fall before the enemy could even attack.
"In the name of Narcissus, summon the Skeleton Knights!"
Risking the flesh-eating power of the Azure Moon, Narcissus slit her wrist, splattering blood on the ground, and expending a great deal of resources to perform this summoning. Ordinary wizards, when summoning undead skeletal creatures, usually summon skeleton soldiers or sword guards. Knight-level skeletons, because they also include mounts, consume a great deal of magic power, and only wizards of level five or higher can summon and ride them. With Narcissus's summoning, a magic circle first appeared on the ground, followed by twelve skeletal knights clad in armor and riding skeletal horses.
The leader of the skeleton knights raised his spear and saluted Narcissus. Narcissus nodded slightly, and the knights spread out in all directions, taking up key positions in each direction and surrounding us in the center. As the wall of flies began to dissipate, the monster horde broke through the wall and engaged the skeleton knights in a deafening battle, with blood and flesh flying everywhere and corpses shattering.
The twelve skeleton knights, their armor and spears were no ordinary weapons; they were specially enhanced and forged by humans, vicious cursed machines. Unlike any summoning techniques I knew, they weren't summoned directly from the demon realm or the underworld, but rather a "private army" painstakingly crafted by Narcissus over many years. Not only were they exceptionally obedient with a low risk of backlash, but their combat power was several times that of ordinary skeleton knights, making them a formidable secret weapon.
Narcissus is a cunning and shrewd woman; witnessing her hidden strength is a truly fortunate opportunity. Even this vixen was forced to reveal her trump card, which shows how dire the situation was. Especially after she summoned the Skeleton Knights, she deflated like a punctured balloon, collapsing to the ground and panting, "Believe it or not, I didn't perform a blood sacrifice. Under the Azure Moon, I can only use magic briefly. From now on, if the storm doesn't stop, I won't have any magic left."
Although it was a fox speaking, I found it reasonable. The ambush on Narcissa in the Black Mountain Valley was to prevent her from using magic. If she could cast spells as usual under the Azure Moon, the ambush would be pointless. Therefore, I believe what Narcissa said: to perform spells under the Azure Moon, a dark ritual, that is, a blood sacrifice, needs to be performed beforehand. Without this step, Narcissa cannot use magic for long under the Azure Moon.
But... I don't know if I'm just being too idle. At this critical juncture, I'm still thinking about random things. I feel like... something's not right about this series of attacks. Of course, this can't be a dream, but...
"Narcissa, you're really annoying. You're already in your own country, and so many people still want you dead!"
Yu Hong, who had a different stance and disliked Narcissa, never forgot to say a few words. Narcissa, who was so tired that her hands and feet were weak, could only smile bitterly.
"How many practitioners of dark magic aren't hated by gods and demons? It's normal for me to encounter this situation," Narcissus said. "Speaking of which, I should feel proud. Looking at this commotion, the elites of the Academy and the Royal Family have almost come out in full force. Actually, they overestimate me. To kill me, they didn't need to mobilize Qingyue like this. Just sending a few powerful sorceresses to ambush me would have been enough to take my life... Heh, I'm truly flattered."
Yes, Narcissus Although Sis is powerful, she is ultimately only a sixth-level mage. Even if killing her requires careful planning, there is no need to mobilize such a large force, including Qingyue and so many demons and monsters. Although the mages have not shown themselves, the strength of the mages hidden in the nearby mountains is not like that of someone ambushing Narcissus. It is more like someone who is prepared to deal with the strongest, or even to fight a powerful figure like the Black Dragon King to the death.
(Could we... have made a mistake?)
This thought popped into my head, and I began to seriously consider it. But as I pondered, the monster horde intensified its attack, destroying several skeleton knights. With each one destroyed, Narcissus's face showed a pained expression. Clearly, creating these skeleton knights was no easy feat, and each one lost caused her immense heartache.
Yu Hong, Yu Ni, and Narcissus fought together. Unable to use magic, Zi Ling Shui Xian could only rely on martial arts to fight. To be fair, her martial arts skills were quite good, but in this life-or-death test, I regretfully discovered that Narcissus's martial arts were far inferior to her magical abilities. If they were to truly fight, she probably wouldn't last more than a hundred moves against Yu Hong.
The situation is rapidly deteriorating. Since none of our side can use magic, the enemy will naturally target this weakness. While Neon and Narcissus are skilled in martial arts, their fists and feet cannot harm intangible monsters. Narcissus was able to open the Gates of the Underworld to devour the dead earlier, but she can't replicate that now. Moreover, the enemy's attack is truly ruthless. This time, they've unleashed not ordinary dead souls, but the guardian spirits of the Wizarding Kingdom—
liches!
These are the vengeful spirits of unjustly killed black magic users, among the most troublesome of the undead. When they are summoned from the Netherworld, floating in the air, the chilling aura emanating from them even frightens some weaker monsters into fleeing.
Three liches—compared to the desperate battle in the East China Sea, this was a trivial matter. But a single drop of deadly poison would suffice. For us now, these three liches were enough to inflict a fatal blow. As they hovered in the sky and began chanting incantations, the pressure of death sent chills down everyone's spine.
Suddenly, a strange fluctuation emanated from afar. Its exact location should be on the other side of the snow-capped mountain. Although separated by thick rock walls and affected by the magnetic storm, we could still sense it clearly, knowing it was a sign that a great mage or a group of magicians was wielding powerful magic.
The sheer power of this magical surge was truly earth-shattering. In my estimation, if it wasn't a group of nearly a thousand mages, then the caster was a Grand Magus of level seven or higher, their strength rivaling even the five strongest. Such a powerful mage would unleash extraordinary black magic. If they were summoning demonic creatures, it wouldn't be just a few liches, but rather mythical beasts like the Dark Dragon King or the Dark Phoenix. It might even be some ultimate magic lost for centuries, directly summoning top-tier evil demons or demon gods to descend upon the world.
If that's really the case, then I have to protest. This isn't just using a sledgehammer to crack a nut; it's like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. With such arrangements and strength, why would the enemy need to resort to so many tricks, messing with Qingyue and hordes of monsters? They could just summon the Nether Dragon Emperor and easily wipe us all out. What are these trivial matters? Foreplay?
"This fluctuation... they actually went to such lengths!"
Narcissus, who had been hiding her emotions, finally revealed her shock, showing how deeply she was affected. But I think she's blinded by the situation, stunned by the betrayal, and hasn't even noticed this most illogical point.
(Idiot, don't overestimate yourself. We don't need this kind of show to kill you! We were definitely caught up in this by accident. This is all an innocent disaster!)
I screamed inwardly, trying to point out this fatal mistake to them. If someone could realize this, we could escape from the brink of death at any time and not needlessly hinder other people's important matters. But everyone present was focused on the surrounding monsters fighting, and no one had the time to even glance at my eyes.
The magical fluctuations grew stronger and stronger. Amidst the howling wind and blizzard, Yu Ni said she vaguely heard a dragon's roar, which shocked everyone present. Strangely, the magical fluctuations coming from the other side of the mountain wall continued to intensify, but the caster's attack did not appear before us. Logically, the caster should have already summoned a top-level monster, but we couldn't even see a shadow of it, which seemed very unusual. Yu Hong questioned whether the enemy might have released an invisible monster and told everyone to be on guard. Narcissus looked confused and muttered to herself, wondering if the enemy had started fighting amongst themselves.
(Foolish! That's not how it works. Your enemies and colleagues aren't teaming up to deal with us. The real boss and the main battlefield are on the other side of the mountain. They must be fighting tooth and nail there right now. They don't have time to bother with us.)
I'm becoming more and more certain of this idea, but there's one question that makes me doubtful and uncertain. Just as we were each deep in thought, the lich in the sky seemed to awaken and resume its actions. Just as it was about to attack us, a strange wailing sound came out of nowhere. At first, we thought it was just a sign of the appearance of some kind of dead spirit, but although the wailing was intermittent and not loud, the magic and frequency it contained were extremely special. It spread and interfered with the lich's incantation in the sky, interrupting the incantation that the lich was about to utter.
"Waaaaah... Waaaaah... Waaaaah..."
Someone was able to use magic to break magic, thwarting the lich's attack. This unexpected turn of events surprised everyone on our side. However, when we searched for the source of the song, we were astonished to find that it came from one of us.
Ah Xue.
Originally enduring inexplicable pain, rolling on the ground groaning, she stopped wailing at some point and began to sob in a strange voice. Strangely, although the cry contained powerful magical fluctuations, it lacked any sense of sadness. Instead, it emanated a violent pressure, like a storm brewing.
Neon sensed the eerie atmosphere but didn't know how to deal with it. Only Narcissus's expression changed, and she shouted urgently, "Don't stand still, seal her away!"
This method might be correct, but no one could carry it out now unless the three liches in the sky came down to do it. In just a few seconds, the change had already occurred. A white shadow flashed, followed by the crisp sound of bones shattering. When we could see the scene clearly, we saw two skeleton knights being pierced by a pair of snow-white hands. Their armor and the demonized skeletons inside were broken through, one through the chest and the other through the spine. With a gentle shake of those hands, they shattered and dissipated in the purple light.
"You!"
Narcissa must be heartbroken to have two of her painstakingly crafted skeleton knights destroyed at once. Now, the number of skeleton knights has been reduced to six, making it impossible to maintain a complete defensive formation. The menacing horde of monsters from the outside surged in like a tidal wave. Neon was busy dealing with them, and Narcissa had no choice but to focus on the battle as well, unable to think of anything else.
"Sister Xue, what's wrong?"
Yu Hong asked, concerned for Xue's condition, but Xue ignored her calls. After destroying two skeleton knights, Xue turned around. In the blue moonlight, we saw that her expression was completely different. Her former innocent and kind nature was gone, replaced by a pair of eyes filled with violence, like a hungry wolf ready to devour someone at any moment.
How could Xue have suddenly become like this? No one present knew. I vaguely guessed it was related to the blue moon in the sky, but I didn't quite understand the reason. Recalling Master Xin Chan's earnest admonition when I left Cihang Jingdian, I felt even more uneasy.
"Howl!"
This time, Ah Xue's cry wasn't a sob, but a wild howl like a wolf. She howled again and again, the sound carrying far and wide. Not only did it send chills down our spines, but even the half-moon in the sky seemed to brighten with the sound.
A strange thing happened in an instant. After hearing the howl, the monsters around us suddenly stopped attacking and even fell silent. Although I couldn't see their eyes, I could sense that they were mostly staring at Ah Xue with awe. Even the three liches in the sky stopped and bowed slightly in a gesture of respect, greeting someone on the ground.
A suffocating, deathly silence hung in the air, as if a dark king had descended. On one hand, I felt utterly absurd, yet on the other hand, I knew clearly that something was happening. I saw the azure moon in the sky undergo an eerie transformation, as if it possessed a spirit, condensing its light into a beam that echoed Ah Xue's howl, projecting it directly down upon her.
"Howl!"
Another canine howl, almost like a wolf's, followed. Bathed in the azure moonlight, Ah Xue's figure became hazy, her eyes shifting unpredictably. One moment she seemed like a mindless beast, the next she reverted to her original gentle and charming self. But for a fleeting instant, her eyes appeared cold and clear, filled with reason and composure, as if the Heavenly River Snow Jade of the Palace of Light had been reborn.
Tianhe Xueqiong is undoubtedly a nightmare that has kept me awake for a long time. However, if Tianhe Xueqiong were to wake up at this moment, I would be less afraid, because I am now practically made of copper and iron, probably even tougher than the bodies of orc zombies. I am not afraid of any enemy coming to my door. Only death from poison is more terrifying.
"What's wrong with Sister Xue?"
Yu Hong called out, wanting to rush forward to check on her, but Yu Ni was a step faster than her. Without saying a word, she rushed into the blue moonlight. But in that brief moment, the moonlight dimmed slightly, and I saw Xue, shrouded in the blue moonlight, with a change in her face. Her canine teeth became sharp and protruding, and her eyes were filled with murderous intent. She had taken a step further from being a half-orc to an orc.
The bizarre transformation of my vampire and body sent my soul flying. I saw a figure flash in the blue moonlight and vanish abruptly. Yu Ni groaned in pain and tumbled out, half her body covered in blood. Before I knew it, an arm was gripping my throat. Although I felt no pain, I heard a soft, crisp sound, like stone shattering. In that instant, a beautiful new poem echoed in my mind: "
If my perverted father has ten illegitimate daughters, I can sleep with ten sisters."
Does he have ten illegitimate daughters? Probably not.
So I can't sleep with ten sisters. "
If my perverted father has ten illegitimate sons, I can sleep with ten younger brothers and sisters.
" Does he have ten illegitimate sons? Probably not.
So I can't take on ten younger siblings.
If Tianhe Xueqiong's strength could crush stones, my throat would be pulverized like sand.
Can Tianhe Xueqiong crush stones? Obviously she can.
Damn it! I'm doomed!
◆ Chapter Two: A Twist of Fate. An Unexpected Disaster.
Xueqiong, who lost her memories of the first half of her life, possessed superhuman strength, but after she began to practice magic, the uncontrolled energy within her body was suppressed, and her superhuman strength gradually weakened, as we all know.
But the astonishing grip strength emanating from Ah Xue's arm at this moment was enough to shatter stone tablets and break rocks, even stronger than before . The reason for this strange phenomenon was definitely related to the mutation occurring in Ah Xue's body.
In any case, this mutation was definitely not a good thing, especially since one of Ah Xue's hands was choking my neck. My throat was cracking, as if it would break at any moment, and I didn't know how to escape from this deadly danger.
The Sage's Bracelet had just been activated once, and there was no way it would appear to save me now. Yu Ni was seriously injured, Yu Hong was entangled by the surrounding monsters and it seemed impossible for her to break through. Narcissus was the main target of the three liches, and the only teammate I could see was a dead leopard that did nothing but eat.
Could this dead leopard really help me?
Sometimes you can't help but believe in the supernatural. A leopard really could be of help. Just as Ah Xue was choking me, Violet pounced forward and bit Ah Xue's calf.
Violet was usually raised by Ah Xue, and her bond with Ah Xue was far stronger than mine. I never expected that at this critical moment, this leopard would actually abandon its owner and come to my rescue. I was so moved. If we escaped danger, I would give this leopard an extra piece of meat with every meal.
Unfortunately, fate did not favor the kind-hearted people. In her beast form, Xue's body seemed incredibly sturdy. Although Violet bit down, it was as if she had bitten into a stone pillar, unable to budge Xue in the slightest. Instead, Violet kicked her away, sending her tumbling with a howl.
Fortunately, Violet's great sacrifice was not in vain. This brief delay allowed Xue to exert force again with the hand gripping my throat, but my other arm seized her wrist, forcing her to release her grip with overwhelming strength.
This powerful arm came from a strong partner, a giant dressed in tight black clothes and wearing an animal skin headdress. He was imposing and used his arm to save my life. Although Xue was still choking me, she couldn't exert any strength and couldn't hurt me anymore.
My last trump card finally appeared in time. Xue, whose killing was thwarted, threw a punch at the mysterious man. Although this punch was incredibly powerful, I had full confidence in my friend. A powerful overlord who had practiced the Beast King Fist would never be suppressed in a head-on battle.
"Bang!"
With a muffled sound, the two fists collided. Compared to Xue's all-out punch, the mysterious man simply raised his fist and moved it in a narrow space of half an inch. With only half an inch of space, a tremendous force erupted, smashing away Ah Xue's powerful punch, which she had thrown with superhuman strength, and even forcing her to take two steps back.
"Howl!"
Unconscious, Ah Xue's movements were not much different from those of a wild beast. After her fist collided and was forcefully knocked away, she half-crouched on the ground, howled, and charged forward again, this time not with her fist, but with a claw that combined power and speed; her fair and delicate snow arm rapidly changed during the swing, her fingers lengthened, and her nails turned into sharp claws, making this claw doubly powerful.
This was less a change and more an evolution. The mysterious man knew how formidable she was; his eyes revealed caution as he carefully analyzed her attacks. No matter how fiercely Ah Xue attacked from all sides, he remained steadfast, like an unshakeable boulder. But Ah Xue was not without threat. With each attack, she increased her speed, forcing the mysterious man to concentrate fully on his defense, leaving no opening.
I lay there, half-lying down, only able to see the flurry of punches and palms before me. I couldn't clearly see any of them, but judging from the powerful winds, both sides' strength and speed were escalating. My seemingly mysterious old friend was trying to defeat Ah Xue without harming her, but to no avail.
This battle harbored hidden dangers, and those dangers eventually materialized before us. Frustrated by the prolonged and unsuccessful attacks, Ah Xue instinctively sensed that this "evolution" was insufficient and initiated a new round of dramatic changes.
As the wolf howls rose again, the azure moonlight in the sky seemed to be summoned, once again directing its light towards Ah Xue, focusing the beam and piercing down. But this time, the situation was different. The descending moonlight seemed to encounter a thirsty wolf, devouring the moonlight and trying to absorb all the energy contained within it in one breath.
I don't know how much energy the Azure Moon contains. Perhaps the Azure Moon spell was already nearing its end and couldn't hold on much longer, but Ah Xue's absorption action did affect it. The originally hazy azure moon began to recede from a semicircle into an arc, and its color rapidly changed from azure to red, making it difficult to maintain its original shape and color.
The blizzard continued. The key to allowing mages to use spells normally in the blizzard was the energy supplied by the Azure Moon, not the Blood Moon. Ah Xue's depletion of the Azure Moon's energy in one go, turning the moonlight red, would have an impact not only on our side, but would definitely cause problems on the other side of the mountain as well.
Just seconds after the moonlight turned crimson, a colossal black shadow hurtled down from the other side of the mountain. Though it couldn't fly, its speed as it climbed the mountain was astonishing. Its massive body, reaching five meters in length, was clearly no ordinary beast; it was undoubtedly a summoned magical creature.
Based on my knowledge of Ishtar, I immediately recognized the shadow from its outline—it was a three-headed hellhound, a super-powerful magical beast guarding the gates of hell. The mage capable of controlling such a ferocious creature must be a sorcerer of Narcissus's caliber; in other words, Narcissus must recognize it.
Sure enough, upon seeing the three-headed hellhound, Narcissa, still locked in battle with the lich, immediately cried out, "Arus! It really was you who orchestrated this!"
Though obscured by the darkness, the man riding the hellhound possessed flowing light brown hair and a slender physique, appearing to be a rare and handsome man. If Narcissa's name was correct, then he should be the second prince, Arus, who currently held military power in Ishtar—a formidable figure possessing both talent and ruthlessness, who had caused the Alibuda army considerable headaches in recent years.
"Narcissa? How could it be you?" Arus was visibly shocked to see Narcissa and exclaimed in surprise, but this shock quickly turned into anger. "Why are you causing trouble here without even knowing what happened? You're almost killing us!"
Under the blood moon, I could vaguely see that Arus was covered in blood and badly injured. I didn't know what had injured him so badly. Narcissa was slightly taken aback. Before she could answer, Ah Xue, who had absorbed all the magic essence of the Azure Moon, had already launched an attack. Her left hand drew a circle, while her right hand quickly wrote words in the air.
The moment I saw this, I knew something was wrong. It was clearly the opening move for using high-level magic. Ah Xue's attack pattern had evolved from simple grabbing and tearing to intelligent magical attacks. However, under the blizzard's seal, magic shouldn't be usable, unless… unless she used an extremely powerful magical resonance to summon some kind of high-level artifact, and this artifact couldn't be too far away; ideally, it would be equipped on her person.
Did Ah Xue possess such an artifact? Indeed, she did. Ah Xue was equipped with quite a few high-level artifacts, both offensive and defensive, especially her wand, which was exceptional. But I sincerely prayed that Ah Xue's attention would remain focused on her body and not affect that…
Alas, as it turned out, I had absolutely terrible luck today.
A complex array of thousands of runes took shape around Ah Xue, her delicate skin covered in a ferocious blood-red light, echoing the evil red moon in the sky. Amidst an extremely strong stench of blood, the blizzard suddenly stopped, and countless pure white snowflakes drifted down. Dozens of faint shadowy figures formed a circle under the blood-red moon, singing in unison, their high-pitched and mournful songs summoning the Great Sun Mirror to the world.
As the host underwent a transformation, the children composed of the Winged Clan's child souls also changed. Not only did their wings transform into bat-like membranes, but their faces also became hideous, with horns on their foreheads and fangs protruding from their mouths, making them look like a group of demonic children, devoid of any childlike innocence.
The Great Sun Mirror, floating among the children, began to move slowly. In an instant, a chilling wind arose, and the sky and earth seemed to gloom. Everyone present paled at the sight, but only two people reacted first.
Yu Hong grabbed her sister, ignoring the attacks from all sides, and stomped heavily on the ground, burying half of both her and her sister's bodies in the earth. The mysterious man in animal skin did the same; he pressed me down heavily, burying most of his body in the ground, and then took the same defensive action. This was the best proof of their identity, because only survivors who had witnessed the devastating power of the Great Sun Mirror knew to defend themselves in this way.
Having missed their initial advantage, Narcissa and Arus were not so lucky. As the Great Sun Mirror unleashed its all-consuming, apocalyptic suction, Narcissas vanished from sight and slid rapidly toward it. Arus was in the same situation, but fortunately, thanks to the cover provided by the giant body of the three-headed hellhound, he slammed heavily against the mountain wall, thus avoiding being swallowed by the Great Sun Mirror.
In contrast, the tall, powerful, and ferocious monsters were not so lucky. As soon as the Great Sun Mirror unleashed its powerful suction, these strong but mindless monsters were the first to be pulled into the air, only to be swallowed by the mirror. As their bodies approached the mirror's gravitational pull, they were all inevitably stretched and elongated, letting out long, agonizing howls, becoming eternal victims within the mirror.
"What's going on? Narcissus, did you do this?"
"No, I don't know how this happened… Ah!"
Narcissus cried out, almost being pulled up by the Great Sun Mirror, her hands digging into the ground as she struggled to steady herself. Arus, who was roaring back at her, wasn't in much better shape. Within the suction range of the Great Sun Mirror, it wasn't that the larger and heavier one was, the more resistant one was to the suction. In fact, it was probably the opposite. Arus was clearly the farthest from the Great Sun Mirror and had the huge three-headed hellhound as cover, yet the suction he was experiencing was the strongest among us. This left Prince Ishtar in a very sorry state, and he did his best to resist this deadly misfortune.
From the moment the Great Sun Mirror unleashed its power until now, in just a few dozen seconds, all the monsters that were previously nearby—whether flying in the sky or crawling on the ground, including the skeleton knights painstakingly crafted by Narcissus—were completely devoured without exception. With no primary target on the ground, the Great Sun Mirror's indiscriminate attack focused directly on the ground, sucking up large amounts of earth and rocks, scraping the earth three feet deep, and rapidly swallowing them up.
As the situation developed to this point, everyone present turned ashen-faced, desperately trying to devise a way out. My situation was the same, but thanks to my friend's loyalty, I was placed behind him, where the suction force wasn't as strong, and the danger level was lower.
The Southern Barbarians are indeed loyal and righteous. They'll risk their lives to uphold this code of honor for their friends in need, far better than the cunning and treacherous humans. If it weren't for protecting me, with his martial arts now surpassing even Yu Hong's, he could probably still escape on his own. That's truly admirable.
"Hey…you…"
Wait, that's strange. Why would I be so kind as to advise him to run away alone? If he leaves, I'm doomed! This kind of self-sacrifice isn't my style. I'm not that noble!
Uh, wait a minute, isn't that the point? Wasn't I unable to speak? Why can I suddenly make sounds?
Surprised and delighted, I strained my mouth and found I could utter some simple syllables. The stiffness in my arm had also improved significantly; at least I could move one hand.
This sudden turn of events was like a lifeline in the water, a real lifesaver, allowing me to implement my long-conceived secret tactic. However, the presence of the blizzard made me unsure if I could use magic to summon what I wanted.
"...In...in the name of Farrell..."
I struggled to chant a few incantations, and to my surprise, the incantation triggered a magical reaction. In other words, I could now use magic. Because of the interference of the Great Sun Mirror's force field, the blizzard paused, and no one noticed that the blizzard had ended and it was time to use magic.
"Ancient lustful spirits, in the name of John Farrell, I sign a contract with you. Lend me your power, submit to me, and manifest yourselves..."
Of all the lustful gods' summoned beasts that I can control, even the most powerful Yama Corpse Mantis might not be able to withstand the terrifying suction of the Great Sun Mirror. Not to mention the Water-Fire Demon Spider and the Phoenix Blood Female Bee. Originally, I shouldn't have been able to handle the current situation, but the gift that Yueying gave me before my departure, which she had given me at great risk, has given me a chance to go all in this situation.
"Come forth, Hellish God of Lust, Gold and Silver Silkworm!"
The three previous summoned beasts created by the God of Lust were all medium-sized creatures of considerable size, but this one was different. When it appeared in response to my summons, it was a thin, long creature, about the thickness of a finger, entirely golden, neither dragon nor snake, slowly swimming in the air. It was surrounded by intense golden light, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes. Strangely, the suction of the Great Sun Mirror was still strong, but it seemed unaffected, leisurely swimming in the air. Its smug posture really seemed to be showing off to me.
With my free hand, I pulled out one of the legendary gold and silver gloves from the pouch at my waist—a white glove inherited from Famit. Then, I raised my hand, and the gold and silver silkworms in mid-air, seemingly sentient, transformed into a golden light and actively adhered to the glove. A flash of golden light appeared, and a shimmering emblem of the gold and silver silkworm appeared on the snow-white glove.
As soon as the silkworm and glove combined, I thrust out a blinding golden light. The golden rays intertwined and coalesced mid-air, forming a gigantic golden hand.
The whole thing happened in an instant. Yu Ni and Yu Hong, who were further ahead, probably didn't even realize what was happening before the gigantic golden hand had already torn through the air, striking the active magic circle from a distance of several feet.
"Bang!"
The forty-nine winged child spirits, forming a group of children, were simultaneously metallized, frozen into forty-nine small golden statues, and vanished. The suction force of the Great Sun Mirror ceased, and their forms disappeared as well.
(Well done!)
I shouted inwardly, relieved that my tactic had executed perfectly. But what happened next made my heart leap into my throat. After sealing the children in gold, the force of my palm strike continued, hitting Ah Xue, who was at the center of the magic circle. In an instant, dazzling light shot in all directions, and Ah Xue transformed into a golden statue.
One palm strike succeeded, and we were miraculously saved, but my fear had only just begun. Since the original owner of these gloves mysteriously disappeared, this Golden and Silver Absolute Palm technique has not appeared in the human world for hundreds of years. In addition to the fact that its technique was not passed down to later generations, the main reason is that the silkworm worm, which is necessary for practicing this absolute palm technique, has become extinct. If Yueying had not spent a lot of money to find silkworm worm fossils from the Southern Barbarians and helped me revive it in the form of a lustful god summoning beasts, this absolute palm technique would never have appeared again.
Ordinary people would need to undergo years to decades of arduous training to obtain the Silkworm Gu, but the Silkworm Gu, summoned by the God of Lust and appearing in the form of a beast, combined with the gloves, allows me to directly unleash the Ultimate Palm technique in the form of a supernatural ability. If it still possesses the power that swept across the land hundreds of years ago, then it would be the strongest freezing technique surpassing all petrification spells.
(However, this palm technique has a major fatal flaw: its irreversibility. If this Ultimate Palm technique has the power it had hundreds of years ago, then... once struck, there is no way to save oneself; certain death is inevitable!)
The unexpected consequences caused by this palm strike far exceeded what I could bear. Now I am completely speechless, my mind filled only with thoughts of how to salvage the situation.
In an instant, the entire arena fell silent. Everyone present was either still stunned or exhausted from the battle, completely forgetting that we were still in the midst of a crisis—at least… the crimson moon in the sky wasn't just for show.
What pulled us from our daze was a deafening roar. With a long howl, a four-headed dragon soared through the air, its massive body almost blotting out the entire sky. Although its body was intact, unlike the undead creatures summoned by typical black magic which are composed of bones, from the moment it appeared, the entire space was filled with a strong stench of decay, as if we were in a graveyard—a characteristic of zombie-like monsters.
This demonic dragon should be a zombie-like monster, but a four-headed, eight-winged azure dragon is something never seen even among existing dragon creatures, let alone a corpse. Although I am not familiar with the spells for summoning demonic creatures, judging from the terrifying aura of that four-headed dragon, it should be a god-level monster like a demon king or a god of the underworld. The spellcaster who can summon it must have either sacrificed thousands of lives or be a spellcaster of level eight or above.
The answer was revealed later: on the head of one of the four dragons stood a short, skeletal old man, a long string of skulls hanging from his chest, wielding a wand longer than himself. His leather coat billowed in the wind, and his piercing eyes exuded an imposing, unassuming aura—clearly the supreme demeanor of a great mage.
"T-Teacher!"
Narcissus exclaimed first, revealing that this unassuming old man was none other than Alan Fastan, the current chief sorcerer of Ishtar and president of the Wizarding Society.
This archmage, over two hundred years old and having survived from the previous generation, appeared riding a four-headed dragon, radiating power and majesty, yet to me, his image carried a strong sense of foreboding.
The ominous source was Alan Fastan. He waved his wand, seemingly attempting to cast a spell under the blood moon, but suddenly stumbled, as if losing his footing, nearly falling from the dragon's head. While mages may not possess the stamina of warriors, for a high-ranking elder of such monstrous stature to be so out of control could only mean one thing: he was already severely injured.
Who could have so seriously injured him?
In fact, from the very beginning, I had a strong suspicion.
While we were fighting chaotically here, the elite fighters of the two major camps in Ishtar were also battling their powerful enemies on the other side of the mountain. We just happened to pass by and released our magic, thus being accidentally drawn into this battle. The Ishtar people's tactics are basically to suppress the enemy's magical power with the Black Mountain Storm, and then take the opportunity to strike the weakened enemy and eliminate them. From this tactic, we can infer that their enemy must be a powerful magician, or someone who possesses or controls extremely powerful magical weapons.
The problem is, looking at the powerful figures of this era, which one is so formidable that the two major political factions in Ishtar have temporarily set aside their internal strife and joined forces to implement so many arrangements, almost mobilizing the entire nation's resources to deal with them? Such a lineup is enough to kill even the strongest experts. Who exactly are they dealing with?
Looking at the five strongest individuals of this era, the Black Dragon King is dead, the Beastmaster is far away in the Southern Barbarian Lands, and the Heart Sword Nun is still living a debauched life in the Golden Flower Federation. None of these three are likely. As for my perverted father… he's been framed and besieged. I'm more worried about the attackers than about him. If something really happens to him… I wonder how much of his fortune I'll get?
However, there is one thing that makes me uneasy: the last of the five strongest individuals, the Golden Admiral Li Huamei, is said to be heading towards Ishtar. Although I can't think of any reason for the two sides to go to war, if this is true, Ishtar will use all its resources to assassinate Li Huamei. She will be alone and outnumbered, and will definitely suffer a great loss. Since I have encountered this matter, how can I stand idly by?
However, there is one problem that is very unreasonable. Judging from the tactics of the Ishtar people, the enemy should be a powerful magician, which is why they have to use the Black Mountain Blizzard to seal off the enemy's power. But Li Huamei is a martial arts expert. Although I dare not say that she is not good at magic, it must be far inferior to her martial arts achievements. Choosing the Black Mountain Pass as the battlefield to ambush her is simply shooting oneself in the foot, tantamount to suicide.
All possibilities were wrong, so what could the answer be? I really couldn't figure it out.
The truth was revealed just as I was pondering this. A black shadow, swift as the wind, suddenly swept across the sky and appeared like lightning above Aranfastan, who was casting a spell. In the moonlight, we could see clearly that it was a person and a horse.
The black steed was tall and large. Although it had no wings, its body was riddled with holes, full of arrows and knife wounds, with countless streams of blood flowing down its body. It was clear that it had experienced a series of life-and-death battles. Its rider was dressed in black armor and helmet, holding a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left. The same rose pattern was engraved on both the armor and the shield, but the most striking thing was that the black-armored knight's upper body... was completely bare.
From the moment the man and his rider appeared, a strong stench of blood filled the air. Upon closer inspection, the stench of rotting corpse emanating from the black-armored knight was almost as potent as that of the four-headed dragon. Seeing undead and zombies in Ishtar shouldn't be surprising, but Yu Ni and Yu Hong, along with us, were all terrified by this black-armored knight. This apocalyptic monster shouldn't have been here.
The most infamous monster legend of the East Sea: the Headless Knight!
After the battle with the ghost ship, as time passed, we forgot about it. Although we all knew that the existence of the headless rider was related to the millions of vengeful spirits in the East Sea, which was a very serious matter, we easily forgot about it because it concerned the rise and fall of humanity and not us. But damn it, the problem actually came back to haunt us, causing us to encounter this peerless and ferocious god again.
The headless rider, riding his great black horse, seemed to soar through the air, gracefully gliding over the four-headed dragons. The dragons' four heads opened their jaws to bite, but the rider's trajectory took a bizarre turn, a sudden drop followed by a powerful leap, tracing a beautiful hook-shaped arc before bursting from the dragons' mouths. As he circled back in this graceful arc, the headless rider thrust his longsword horizontally. A look of horror crossed Alanfastan's face, an expression that would remain forever etched on his features.
The summoner was killed, the contract voided, and the four-headed dragons roared in furious resentment before vanishing swiftly into the air. One of their heads fell from the sky, seemingly intentionally, yet landing directly in front of Narcissus. Alan Fastan's pained and fearful expression met the gaze of his disciple. From that look, Narcissa was definitely grieving the loss of her master.
(This witch actually has true feelings? Unexpected. Hmm, how did the Headless Knight end up fighting the Ishtar people?)
The Headless Knight, of course, didn't need to answer my question. After killing Ishtar's top warrior with a single sword strike, it pulled on the reins of its black horse and sped towards the red moon in the sky. Before it disappeared from the moon, it swung its sword backhand. We don't know the purpose of this strike, but judging from its power, it was enough to kill any one of us, or even wipe us all out in one strike.
The sword energy pierced the air like a meteor, flying diagonally towards the ground, but instead of striking anyone, it fell straight towards the gleaming golden statue in the center of the arena.
"Clang!"
A deafening sound, like a gong shattering, echoed as the statue broke, and a perfectly intact Ah Xue collapsed from within, startling us. Ah Xue was unconscious, and her body had returned to normal; she seemed to be safe for the time being.
Distracted by this moment, when we looked up at the sky again, the headless rider and the black horse had vanished. The sky over Black Mountain, clear after the blizzard, was exceptionally clean, the vast, dark expanse dotted with twinkling stars. There was not a trace of bloodshed or slaughter; the fierce battle that had just taken place seemed to have never happened.
This inexplicable melee came to an end, and I thought the matter was over. However, not long after, Ishtar's main force crossed the mountains and arrived at the scene. They were surprised to see Narcissa and Arus, and then returned to their respective command posts according to their assigned camps.
Most of my body slowly regained sensation, but my movements were still somewhat clumsy. Just as I was about to call over the Neon forces surrounding Asue, Narcissa suddenly appeared beside me, a strange smile appearing on her calm and composed face.
"...Admiral, there's something crucial I need to discuss with you. If I'm not mistaken, your little apprentice... should be a fellow countryman born in Ishtar, right?"
◆ Chapter 3: Salvation in a Foreign Land.
Ah Xue, whose golden statue seal had been broken by the birdman reinforcements , collapsed to the ground. Yu Ni and Yu Hong rushed to her side to check on her and try to wake her up, completely unaware that on the other side, I was facing Narcissus's threat.
"Heh, heh heh, my poison hasn't been cleared yet, and my hearing isn't quite right. What did this heroine just say? I couldn't quite hear her."
"Admiral, you're quite the charmer. You've only just been cured of the poison, and you've already become so eloquent? I really admire you!"
Damn, you bitch are quite interesting too. Your master just died, and you can already be all smiles. I admire you too. Hey, could it be that you conspired with someone to kill your master?
"I appreciate humorous men, but Admiral, you'd better have some basic understanding. This is Ishtar. If you're too glib, your tongue might fall off at any moment."
Narcissa's tone was filled with intense murderous intent, which she couldn't hide. I knew that her smiling face was all an act. In reality, she was suffering from grief and anger, and desperately wanted to find a target to vent her anger on. If I didn't handle things well, she might kill me without regard for any benefits or consequences.
During the brief standoff, Narcissa's forces, the group of mages from the Witch God's Academy, slowly assembled behind her. Although each wore a thick cloak, they all reeked of blood, indicating that in addition to having just undergone a dark blood sacrifice and being covered in blood, they were all likely carrying serious injuries. In the previous battle, even the strongest, Alan Fastan, had perished; they certainly couldn't have escaped unscathed.
Of course, I later learned that these mages who had gathered behind Narcissa were all top-tier elites from the Witch God's Academy; otherwise, they wouldn't have survived until now. That night, a fierce battle raged. Ishtar, combining the main fighting forces of the two major factions within the country, numbered a staggering 1,207. Of these, only 294 survived. The Witch God Society lost more than half of its elite warriors, and the royal family's side had only a little over 20% survivors—a truly devastating defeat.
Narcissus, as a council elder of the Witch God Society, held a position of high esteem and prestige. After Alan Fastan's death, her disciples and followers implicitly seemed to revere her as their master, lining up behind her in silence to show their support.
With the support of her subordinates, Narcissa's momentum grew even stronger. Just as she was about to press me for more information, my loyal and mysterious friend appeared behind her, coldly snorting. Although he was alone and exhausted, his mere presence exuded an unstoppable aura, like a thousand troops charging into battle. The group of mages behind Narcissa immediately gasped in surprise.
In truth, rationally speaking, his best course of action was to disappear immediately. No matter how good Stone Hat's concealment ability was, given enough time, his identity might be revealed. And with his martial arts skills, even under such intense scrutiny, he could surely break through the encirclement. He shouldn't have lingered here any longer.
However, my orc friend was far more loyal than any human. He noticed my poor health and the lack of anyone he could rely on, so he risked exposing his identity to stay by my side and support me. This truly helped me immensely. From the moment he stood beside me, Narcissus was clearly wary and dared not press too hard. Yu Ni and Yu Hong also sensed something was wrong and rushed back to protect me.
The situation was tense for a time, but in the end, we still had to travel with Narcissus. The reason was simple: we were already at the end of the Black Valley Pass, essentially within the borders of Ishtar. The train was destroyed, and in our current state of exhaustion, crossing the Thousand-Mile Valley Pass back was impossible. Since we couldn't retreat, our only option was to move forward and enter Ishtar, so we had to travel with Narcissa.
With manpower available, Narcissa acted quickly. Although we had nothing at hand, she quickly managed to procure two large carts for us to travel to our destination.
Since traveling was much more comfortable than walking, and since I couldn't walk yet, we accepted her kindness. However… these two strange-looking carts made of white bones, with their fences formed by individual bones, looked remarkably like prison wagons—quite ominous.
Perhaps because the car ride was so comfortable, even that little brat from the future emerged from the darkness. To be honest, we didn't even notice how he caught up; by the time we realized, he was already inside the car.
The car quickly drove away from the Black Mountain Pass. These mages were using all their magical speed-up abilities to leave before another blizzard hit. Otherwise, once the heavy snow started falling again, they, having almost exhausted their magic and stamina, would be in grave danger, in a situation worse than an ordinary person.
About an hour later, we were completely out of the Black Mountain and arrived at a small town on the border of Ishtar.
Exhausted and wounded, everyone rested. Narcissus quickly settled us in and then began gathering the mages of the academy to find out what was happening.
I was also eager to know what had occurred, but compared to Narcissus, I had a much bigger mess to clean up.
Ah Xue was still unconscious. After checking on her briefly and finding her alright, I had Neon take her out first, leaving me alone with my mysterious friend.
"Hmm, long time no see. I was worried when I heard about your recent situation, but seeing how active you are, it seems you're doing even better than me, hehe. It's really not my style to talk like that. Could you take off that hat first?"
"I've wanted to take it off for a while. This thing is always on my head, it's so cool."
A small hat made of special stone was removed, and my mysterious friend revealed his true form. Without any animal skin, and taller than when he was disguised, Bai Lanxiong, the young master of the Bungoo tribe, appeared before me with a majestic presence. Although his eyes had gained a lot of weathering, an undeniable air of pride and heroism clearly told me that he had not lost heart. Beneath this strong and tall body, there were ideals and ambitions.
"Friend, since you left the Southern Barbarians, you've accomplished so many amazing things. Even though I'm in the Southern Barbarians, I often follow your news and get excited about what you've done. Hehe, although many people say you're a spy for the Black Dragon Society, I believe you're definitely not."
Bai Lanxiong patted my shoulder heavily with his paw, laughing radiantly. Despite being implicated because of me, he still seemed so cheerful and talkative, making me have to admit that his magnanimity was indeed extraordinary.
"Brother, it would have been fine if you had fought your way out of Youli, but the fact that you took a beauty with you enraged the Venerable One, who vowed to skin you alive and execute you brutally. In order to capture you, the Venerable One not only ordered all the beast races to investigate with all their might, but also broke the silence of more than ten years and took the initiative to gather the young elites of all the beast races to Beast God Peak to teach them martial arts..."
As far as I know, the Venerable One of Ten Thousand Beasts has been living alone on Beast God Peak for nearly thirty years, almost completely detached from worldly affairs. No matter what major events happen in the Southern Barbarians, he just sits on the lonely peak collecting offerings and does not interfere in the problems of the various beast races. As for taking the initiative to gather a large number of young elites of the beast races to the mountain to teach them, this is an unprecedented case in more than ten years.
To be personally taught martial arts by a master of the highest level is the dream of countless martial artists. All the beast races must have benefited greatly from this, greatly enhancing their strength. However, these beasts have plenty of strength but not much brains. If we're talking about truly grasping the essence of superior martial arts, probably very few can do it. So, many learn the skills, but only a limited number benefit. And the one who benefits the most is definitely this intelligent and brave Bai Lan Bear.
"No wonder your martial arts have improved so much. It turns out you benefited from the old man, the Beast King. With his personal instruction, your Beast King Fist has improved by leaps and bounds, saving you at least ten years of hard training. Hmm, but... after the truth came out, the old man must be furious, right?"
"Brother, you are truly a prophet. The Venerable One originally praised me highly, saying I was a rare genius among beastmen, and even wanted to pass on the seventh level of the Beast King Fist to me. But on the eve of the transmission, my act of covering for you was exposed..."
The story was similar to what I had heard before. Yalanjia personally went to Beast God Peak to tell the Venerable One, exposing the White Lan Bear's crime of colluding with humans and betraying the Venerable One and the Southern Barbarians. Orcs value their dignity above all else; to put it bluntly, they are obsessed with saving face. Not only did the Martial Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts not kill the human who abducted his concubines, but he also mistakenly trusted the traitor and personally taught him superior martial arts. If this matter is not dealt with and gets out, the Martial Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts will lose his position as a human.
"Actually, looking back at the history of the Southern Barbarians, the Venerable One was not only irritable and easily angered, but he also often misjudged people. My case wasn't the first; it's just that I was unlucky that day, as I happened to be on Beast God Peak..."
Bai Lanxiong scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. "That night, the Venerable One gave me a chance, letting me take three of his blows. If I survived, he would spare my life."
A truly tough and resolute man... Under the moonlight, the white bear bravely withstood three blows from the Beast Warrior. It was indeed a tragic and magnificent scene, perfectly in line with the aesthetics of beastmen. If the white bear had died like that, it might have been remembered for its deeds for eternity. However, this white bear was deeply influenced by human culture and knew the value of life. In the critical moment when it was facing death after being struck twice, it chose to give up taking the blows and used its last strength to desperately escape, thus narrowly escaping with its life.
"I spent a lot of time recovering from my injuries and barely escaped with my life. My wounds haven't fully healed yet, but when I heard that my brothers in the tribe were going to deal with you, I rushed here without hesitation. I'm still wanted by the authorities and can't show my face, but luckily you left this stone hat in the Southern Barbarian lands, and it comes in handy today."
Although Bai Lan Xiong was loyal, his haste to come wasn't solely for my safety.
Yalanjia's actions were mysterious, and his coming to the Southern Barbarian lands to stir up trouble must have a major conspiracy behind it. Bai Lan Xiong couldn't bear to see his people die far from home and the entire army wiped out, so he rushed here to stop it.
"Brother, the Snake Clan is treacherous. Their appearance this time hides too many possibilities. You have more experience fighting the Snake Clan, can you tell what they're up to?"
Although Bai Lanxiong is knowledgeable, he is still from a remote southern region and lacks information, unlike me who has firsthand experience and information. I frankly told him what I had been thinking, and his expression turned serious as he began to carefully consider.
"So... the whole thing is being manipulated by the remnants of the Black Dragon Society?"
"No, don't jump to conclusions too quickly. It's still hard to say whether it's the remnants."
Bai Lanxiong and I discussed it briefly. After all, I was weak and a little confused. My eyes were almost closing when I suddenly heard a sound outside, as if someone was rushing towards us.
"What a joke! Why won't you let me in? Anyone who dares to stop me, I'll kill them right now!"
A furious shout came from outside, a man's voice with an Ishtar accent. Not knowing who was approaching, Bai Lan Xiong hurriedly put his stone hat back on. Then, with a "whoosh," the door opened, and a large group of people entered. Leading them was none other than the so-called second prince of Ishtar, Arus.
In Ishtar, we only knew Narcissa; we were unfamiliar with everyone else. We didn't know why Arus had barged in to see us; it didn't seem like he wanted autographs.
"@#!&&︿("
After confirming we were there, Arus mumbled something in Ishtar to the person next to him. I had secretly studied Ishtar before and pieced together what he understood. It seemed he was arguing with the people from the Witch God Society, insisting on taking us away no matter what, while the Witch God Society insisted on waiting for Narcissus to return.
Even an idiot would know that waiting for Narcissus ... "With Narcissus back, leaving won't be so easy," Arus said, waving his hand. Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the window. This fellow had clearly been prepared, having mobilized a large force of royal troops outside. Taking advantage of Narcissus's absence, he was determined to launch a direct assault. If the Witchcraft Society didn't agree, he was prepared to fight to the death to take his people away.
This resolute attitude finally forced the Witchcraft Society to... They softened their stance. After all, he was a prince, and the magicians of the Witch God Society couldn't help but be wary. In the end, they decided to let him take us away.
However, we had no intention of being at his mercy. Since we were complete strangers, we had no reason to follow him. And if we insisted on resisting, no matter how many men he had deployed outside, it would be difficult to force us to go.
Arus seemed to understand this as well, so before I could speak, he took out a token, saying that an old friend had invited me and that I shouldn't hesitate to go with him. He had arranged the best medical facilities, which would definitely satisfy me.
It was this token that made me change my mind. I summoned Yu Ni and Yu Hong, and told them to pack their things and leave with me before Narcissus returned.
"Admiral Farrell, your family has truly left a deep impression on my nation. If I had a choice, I would rather have met you on the battlefield than in this situation." With his
dark brown skin and striking facial features, Arus was actually a very handsome man, and I completely understood what he meant. Arus was a high-ranking member of the royal family, wielding military power, and had had many opportunities to fight against Alibuda. He must have suffered a lot at the hands of my monstrous father, and he must hate the Farrell family with a vengeance. If I gave him a knife, he would definitely want to stab me to death immediately.
"However, you are currently a guest of Ishtar, and we understand the proper etiquette for hospitality. Before you leave our country, we will be responsible for your personal safety,"
Arus said calmly, showing no intention of shaking my hand. I was quite relieved, because in Ishtar, you can't just shake hands with anyone. Even three-year-old children here might practice black magic, and a simple handshake could inexplicably cast a spell on you.
The carriage sped along, and soon we arrived at a mansion. As soon as the carriage stopped, people rushed to greet us.
"Long time no see, John. You look much better than I expected."
The token Arus gave me earlier was a feather, and the owner of this feather was the beautiful woman standing before me, the current leader of the Feathered Clan, Katrina.
Since the fall of Skevago Tower, the Feathered Clan, under Katrina's leadership, had fled to the East Sea, allied with the resistance army, and temporarily submitted to Li Huamei's command. Logically, they shouldn't be appearing in Ishtar, but Katrina clearly didn't come alone, because in this building... From dozens of windows in the mansion, I could vaguely see the figures of the Feathered Clan female warriors, standing and whispering among themselves.
Then I looked at Katrina; she wasn't in military uniform, but in a magnificent and elegant gown, a long skirt trailing on the floor, her golden hair piled high, the high slit of the skirt revealing a pair of long, beautiful legs, fair and smooth, seemingly shimmering in the night, making my mouth dry and my heart pound.
This attire made her look more like a peace ambassador than a female general; I could roughly guess why she had come to Ishtar.
"John, Ishtar has invited Admiral Li to a cooperation meeting. We are the first to arrive, and Admiral Li will be here soon. You must be very happy to hear this news, right?"
Sure enough, Master Xin Chan had told me before that Li Huamei was about to go to Ishtar, and Katrina and the others came for this reason. However... judging from the interests of both parties, it should be Li Huamei who urgently needs Ishtar's manpower and resources, so why is it Ishtar that took the initiative to invite her?
Because Ishtar was founded on black magic, it has always been feared by the other countries on Earth, and it has never formed any alliances or diplomatic relations with other forces. Narcissus's insistence on joining the international alliance is an exception, but... hehe, Ishtar is probably forced into a corner, which is why it has no choice but to take the initiative to seek external assistance.
“John, this isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go inside.”
Katrina glanced at me, as if giving me a signal, but her eyes held a captivating glint, a unique sensuality characteristic of a mature woman.
My heart skipped a beat. Before I could speak, Katrina had already taken my arm. Intentionally or unintentionally, my elbow brushed against her soft body. She didn’t pull away, instead pressing her breasts against my arm.
“Uh, Chieftain, when was the last time you had a man?”
“And you? When was the last time you had a woman?”
The rapid-fire questions and knowing smiles made me suddenly recall a conversation I had with Katrina when we were trapped in the orc camp.
…We really are the same kind of people.
◇◇◇
The Feathered Race is a matriarchal society, with very different values from patriarchal humans, especially regarding chastity. Although for a long time the Feathered Race declined, wandering and suffering, with women living humiliating and tragic lives, these old values and ways of life resurfaced once their lives stabilized.
In the Feathered Race's mind, men are merely playthings for women, and a woman can keep numerous male lovers. I had read in books that the Feathered Race's heyday was also an era of sexual liberation; the atmosphere on Phoenix Island was promiscuous, with powerful Feathered Race female officials keeping several male lovers, inciting jealousy and providing amusement for the male lovers.
With this basic understanding, Katrina's gaze towards me became much clearer. Seeing old friends after so long, we greeted each other warmly, getting to know each other better and having a good chat – a great way to strengthen friendships. So, upon entering the house, I immediately dismissed everyone in the group, saying I needed to have a "private talk" with Katrina. Before long, the two of us were passionately kissing on her large bed in her boudoir. My still somewhat sluggish right hand lifted her long skirt, slipping inside the slit to caress her smooth, snow-white thighs, performing a sensual exercise.
In the midst of the frenzied kiss, my groin swelled to an extreme, hot and hard like volcanic rock, pressing against Katrina's crotch through her skirt.
This contact, which should have been disgusting, made Katrina increasingly weak and pliable. The beautiful mature woman, her face flushed and struggling to breathe, collapsed into my arms, trembling uncontrollably.
I chuckled lewdly, my lewd hand reaching towards her crotch, pulling down her already soaked panties. My fingers casually played with the glistening, wet pubic hair clinging to her skin, soaked with her juices, and deftly parted her smooth labia, touching the clitoris hidden deep within.
"Ah!" Katrina's entire body stiffened as if electrocuted, involuntarily letting out a moan of pleasure. The intense ecstasy emanating from deep within her flesh made the beautiful woman's eyes shine. She took my hand and caressed the clitoris with every caress.
Katrina's uncontrollable moans grew louder and louder, her full thighs trembling in waves. Her half-naked body, lying on top of me, swayed urgently. Finally, with a soft cry, her labia parted and opened, spitting out a stream of obscene fluid that splashed onto my hand.
"Chief? Are you still conscious?"
I continued with my hands, watching Katrina's half-closed eyes, her face flushed with excitement. As her full buttocks and breasts were roughly rubbed, she let out unconscious moans through her nose.
"Chief?"
I had barely uttered a sound when Katrina pounced on me like a tiger unleashed from its cage. She lifted her left leg, twisted her waist, and her two wet, fleshy lips took my large, round penis into her mouth, but didn't let me penetrate all at once, only teasing me, teasing me slowly and deliberately. Hot, slippery nectar flowed down my penis, and she deliberately dodged my thrusts several times.
(This slut clearly wants it, but she's still playing with me. Humph, let's give her a taste of surprise!)
With a thought, my right hand, which was on Katrina's fair buttocks, slowly moved, sliding down her snow-white buttocks like a peeled egg. It seemed like I was stroking her buttocks, but I was actually probing inside. Taking advantage of Katrina swaying her round buttocks, I suddenly aimed my thumb at her tender anus and thrust it in.
"Ouch!"
Katrina cried out as her anus was attacked, lowering her waist and swallowing half of my penis. I savored the ecstatic sensation from the tip of my penis, thrusting all the way in one go.
"Oh!" Another seductive, ecstatic scream escaped her lips. In an instant, Katrina's eyes widened, but quickly turned into a seductive smile as she straddled me, swaying rapidly back and forth.
I held Katrina's slender waist with one hand and caressed her snow-white, full thighs with the other, panting heavily as I thrust repeatedly inside her. The thrusting became faster and faster, and her flower garden became increasingly slippery. I watched as she tilted her head back, her beautiful eyes tightly closed, her whole body swaying involuntarily with each of my thrusts.
Her disheveled hair cascaded down her shoulders, swaying rhythmically, while her smooth, white breasts swayed dazzlingly. Accompanied by the beautiful woman's uncontrollable moans, my penis swelled even more.
"Chieftain, you're really quite wanton. I never noticed before. If I had known... Ugh!"
I said through gritted teeth as I manipulated her, my face buried between Katrina's breasts, feeling the wetness of her lower body, listening to her breathless moans during sex. I felt my blood boiling, and waves of pleasure ran down my spine. I simply grabbed Katrina's buttocks tightly and increased the speed of my thrusts.
"Do you like it? Then...that's great...as long as you like it, you can have any of the Feather Clan women, oh, fingers...don't pinch my ass...oh...my asshole is so hot!"
Attacked from both sides, Katrina was already delirious from being fucked, mechanically responding to my every move, her whole body as soft as if floating on clouds, with each thrust of that vicious penis, waves of pleasure lifted her higher and higher...
On the not-so-small bed, besides Katrina's uncontrollable moans, there was another kind of slapping sound, the shameful accompaniment of flesh slapping against flesh when the two of us were frequently joined together.
Slippery, lustful fluids flowed continuously from Katrina's swollen, red lips, sliding down her smooth, white thighs and dripping onto the bed.
Finally, with a series of convulsive movements of her breasts and hips, Katrina suddenly let out a high-pitched cry.
"Ugh...so good...can't go on..."
Another wave of uncontrollable pleasure surged from below, Katrina's mouth wide open, breathing silently as if she were suffocating. Every part of her body reached the peak of pleasure in that instant, followed by a feeling of emptiness as if her body had been completely drained, and a soul-stirring weariness that washed over her. Her exhausted, beautiful body collapsed onto me.
I leered at Katrina's body. From the intense intercourse, her entire body was covered in fine beads of sweat, as if coated with a layer of sensual massage oil. Her disheveled hair and alluring appearance after her climax further fueled my animalistic desires.
"Chieftain, why are you making it so easy for me? Are you going to let me have all the women of your Feather Clan? Are you kidding me?"
I embraced the beautiful woman's delicate, naked body, weak and powerless after her orgasm, reveling in the stimulation and lewd pleasure her mature, beautiful flesh brought me.
"...Because...because you are the chieftain's son...our Feather Clan now...ooh...needs you..."
Katrina's tender pink nipples, stimulated by the bestial violation of her lower body, stood erect like grapes, her alluring beauty resembling a blooming peony, dazzling to behold. But I was momentarily distracted by her cries, my penis suddenly feeling a pre-orgasmic tingling.
I had barely grabbed Katrina's breasts and squeezed them a couple of times when my scalding semen impatiently gushed forth, erupting into the Feather Clan chieftain's tender uterine walls amidst Katrina's joyful cries.
Between the man and woman, there was almost no space between their genitals, but a large amount of cloudy white fluid began to overflow, sticking lewdly to Katrina's wet pubic hair and snow-white thighs.
Katrina straddled me, seemingly reluctant to leave, squeezing her beautiful buttocks tightly, trying to squeeze out every drop of my semen.
I was still dizzy from the afterglow of orgasm, my consciousness not very clear, just panting heavily, unable to utter a word for a long time.
Katrina saw my expression, laughed, took off the dress that was still wrapped around her upper body, threw it on the ground, and laughed as she leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.
"Man, what's wrong? You're not going to just end it like this, are you?" Katrina said, moving her slender, jade-like thighs, slowly spreading her two full thighs apart and rubbing them against my legs. She also placed her hands on my chest, teasing me back and forth.
Under her skillful teasing, I quickly recovered from my fatigue, and my penis became erect again, swaying and provocatively inside her.
A gleam of joy flashed in Katrina's eyes, finally revealing her intentions. Despite some unease, I decided to cooperate. My limbs, which were gradually regaining sensation, moved, and with a wicked smile, I flipped over and pinned Katrina beneath me.
"Chieftain, you really should read more books. This position makes it very difficult to achieve what you want!"
◆ Chapter Four: The Great Healer. White Jade Peony
My first encounter with Katrina was in the orc camp. She was captured, and I played the role of a treacherous and cruel rapist. Frankly, that encounter was quite pleasurable, but I didn't believe she felt the same way, nor did I believe she would seek me out to relive the experience of being raped from behind.
However, I didn't see Katrina as a dangerous person, so when she invited me, since one of us wanted to sleep with a man and the other wanted to sleep with a woman, we decided to have a friendly match and bond.
But it wasn't until Katrina revealed her true intentions that I truly understood what she was planning.
The Winged Tribe's current situation isn't exactly a revival, just relatively stable. Katrina's greatest desire is simply to revitalize the Winged Tribe, but given her limited talent and abilities, she's unlikely to achieve much. Looking around the Winged Tribe, there aren't many other talented individuals; their only hope lies in the next generation.
I am the son of the Phoenix Celestial Maiden, the former leader of the Feathered Clan. I possess her genetic traits, and if I were to marry a Feathered Clan woman, our offspring could very well become the next Phoenix Celestial Maiden. If a Feathered Clan member with phoenix blood were to hold power, the Feathered Clan could hope for a revival.
This idea seems far too wishful to me. Even if it succeeds, what if I give birth to a daughter who becomes the Phoenix Celestial Maiden, raised by these bird-men of the Feathered Clan, tainted by their customs, and becomes a stunningly sexy woman, indulging in debauchery and wanting to seduce every man in the world… This thought makes me uncomfortable.
(Wait, she's going to sleep with every man in the world... In a way, isn't that the Farrell family tradition?)
Thinking about it again, with such a promiscuous woman born, I, as her father, am also proud. Most importantly, Katrina's eagerness to create a Phoenix Goddess isn't just for the Phoenix Goddess's special abilities, but also for bloodline limitations!
Although Phoenix Island has disappeared, it's said that many relics from the Feathered Race era still exist in the Southern Barbarian lands. Like the Phoenix Blood Souls I found before, those are top-tier, precious treasures. If we found ten or eight more, and combined them with special magic of specific attributes, who dares say the Feathered Race won't one day regain its power?
This idea is incredibly tempting. In view of this, I directly discussed terms with Katrina. " Everyone who finds it gets a share. If we find any Feather Clan treasures in the future, even if I don't get 80%, I have to have half." This request left Katrina speechless for a moment before she burst into laughter.
"John, the Farrell family is really something, actually selling even their own flesh and blood."
"Not selling, just selling for a good price... Get used to it, it's a family tradition."
The negotiations went smoothly, and the business cooperation was pleasant. Katrina and I went at it again until our legs were both weak before we prepared to get out of bed.
According to the clues Katrina gave me, since the collapse and destruction of the Black Dragon Society, the resistance has gained power and is completely different from what it was a year ago. While several major factions are vying for power, outsiders and newcomers, including the Feathered Clan, are also being marginalized. Seeing the complex situation in the East China Sea, Katrina considered retreating, but unable to return to the Southern Barbarians, she decided to search for the Feathered Clan's past treasures.
As a hunter, how could I not be interested in treasure? However, these are turbulent times, and I don't even know how I'll escape. Treasure hunting is temporarily out of my reach. Besides, Katrina said their main target is the lost Phoenix Island, which makes me feel even more hopeless.
Who exactly is the delinquent middle-aged man, Mao Yan'an? For over a decade, he had traversed every corner of the Loess Plateau, entering and leaving the Southern Barbarian lands countless times. If Phoenix Island were so easy to find, how could he still not have found it? If even Mao Yan'an couldn't be found, then these bird-men certainly had no chance.
"This time, Admiral Li was invited to Ishtar, and I led dozens of skilled warriors from my tribe, volunteering to be the vanguard. We just arrived here and happened to see you entering the city. I was afraid you would be imprisoned by Narcissas, so I asked Arus to get you out."
Katrina spoke while changing her clothes. Her previous dress had been torn during intercourse, and she changed into a backless, pale yellow dress.
I watched Katrina change her clothes from behind. She stretched slightly, and the pale yellow silk dress couldn't hide her stunning figure. Her breasts were rounded and full, and the belt encircled her slender waist. Further down, her round, pert buttocks stretched the tight satin, revealing most of her long, beautiful legs. There wasn't a single scar on them, and her snow-white, round calves looked like freshly peeled hard-boiled eggs, making one want to take a bite.
The Feather Clan Chief is indeed a beauty among beauties, especially possessing a unique mature and alluring charm that is something Ah Xue and Neon lack. For me, having a casual sex partner like her would be an ideal leisure activity—a chance to change things up and conduct business occasionally.
"By the way, John, there's someone you'd like to meet. I think you'll be interested."
"Who is it? I'm not interested in anything other than beautiful women."
"Then you absolutely must meet her. This person is not only an old acquaintance but also a famous beauty of our time."
A beauty I know? Judging from Katrina's expression, this beauty doesn't seem to be Li Huamei. So who could it be?
I was pondering this when suddenly a commotion broke out outside. A winged warrior woman rushed in, flustered, announcing an enemy attack and that an enraged Narcissus had come demanding our return.
Narcissus
probably hadn't anticipated this turn of events. Since entering Ishtar, we'd been isolated and helpless; this place wasn't within our sphere of influence, and we couldn't call for reinforcements. We had to cooperate with her temporarily, so she'd confidently left us at the inn while she went to a meeting.
But the appearance of this winged force shattered her plans. When she returned to the inn and found us gone, she was probably furious, her hair practically standing on end. She immediately mustered her forces and stormed here, demanding our return.
Arus, who was in charge of picking us up, was no fool. He had anticipated this move and led his men to guard the gate of the mansion, confronting Narcissa. The Ishtar royal family and the Witch God Society had long been at odds and fighting each other. Although they had been forced to join forces just now, the old and new grudges accumulated over the years could not be easily forgotten. The confrontation soon broke into a verbal dispute, and the situation on both sides was about to escalate into a full-blown conflict.
"Arus, you know absolutely nothing, what are you doing stirring things up here?"
"Hmph, Narcissa, don't think you can run rampant just because you've taken over as president of the Witch God Society. Ishtar isn't a place where your Witch God Society can call the shots. John Farrell is the person Marshal Li specifically requested to see. Until Marshal Li sees him, I won't allow you to harass him."
Narcissa and Arus's verbal battle quickly turned into a physical fight. In this respect, Ishtar and the Southern Barbarians are similar, both places that value individual strength. If you get into a verbal stalemate, and you don't show some physical strength, not only will you not be able to get things done, but you'll also be looked down upon by those around you.
One was the dignified Second Prince, and the other was the newly appointed Chairman of the Witch God Society. Neither of them were weaklings. Although this was not a life-or-death struggle, but merely a probing exchange, the skills they displayed were not ordinary. Narcissus used "Dark Erosion," and a cloud of black energy surged around her like a tidal wave, constantly spreading towards the enemy. Wherever it passed, whether it was soil, rock, or metal, it appeared as if it had been sprayed with strong acid.
Arus was clearly a necromancer, summoning dozens of vengeful spirits to protect himself. In terms of necromancy skill alone, he was far more competent than Axue. The vengeful spirits he summoned were not ordinary ghosts, but special ghosts specially crafted from the dead: blue-faced demons, red-haired fire spirits, golden-armored battle spirits… not only were they powerful combat-type ghosts, but they were also arranged in an array, their elemental interactions doubling their power.
Ishtar truly lived up to its reputation as the land of black magic; their duel broadened my horizons. However, when the two sides were once again locked in a stalemate, hesitating whether to escalate the fight or find a way to back down, a warm white light suddenly burst forth from the direction of the mansion's gate, like the rising sun, dispelling the darkness ahead.
This greatly surprised me, because it was clearly a phenomenon of divine magic at work, and the practitioner's skill was not shallow; otherwise, they could never achieve such a powerful yet unapproachable light. The problem was, this was Ishtar, not the Golden Flower Federation. Where did a master of divine magic come from?
The soft white light posed no threat to Arus and Narcissus, but it was a good way to back down. We withdrew our hands, just as they were surprised. Then we saw a beautiful woman with her fingers forming a flower seal slowly emerge from the white light.
"Gentlemen, could you perhaps do me a favor and not fight here?"
The elegant figure emerging from the white light was someone I had met several times in the East China Sea—none other than Bai Mudan, the renowned healer of the Loess Plateau.
This healer was a wandering physician, and I was initially surprised to find her in Ishtar. But then I remembered the large-scale plague that had recently struck Ishtar, and this healer must have come for that reason. To the people of Ishtar, suffering from the epidemic, she was like a savior, and no one dared to offend her at this critical juncture.
"I don't know what dispute you two have, but Admiral Farrell and his entourage are all injured and need treatment. Please allow them to stay here for a few days; we can discuss other matters later,"
Bai Mudan said softly, her gentle voice soothing to everyone's ears. If it were anyone else speaking, Narcissa, now newly in power, would undoubtedly be arrogant and disregard everyone, but she couldn't refuse Bai Mudan's request.
Ishtar was suffering from a severe plague, and all the country's magicians and doctors were helpless. Otherwise, Ishtar would never have set aside her pride and sought help from capable individuals outside the country. Bai Mudan is now practically the savior of Ishtar. Offending her at this critical juncture would be tantamount to making an enemy of the entire Ishtar, with dire consequences. Narcissa wouldn't do something so foolish.
"Great Physician, I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly. Admiral Farrell and his entourage escorted me home, enduring hardship and even sustaining injuries in the process. I feel extremely apologetic. Please take good care of me, Great Physician. I would be eternally grateful."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Narcissa led her men in retreat. Before leaving, she noticed me leaning against the window and gave me a strange smile.
"Damn, that lewd smile, I wonder if she's offering herself up for me to fuck..."
"John, you're overthinking it..."
Katrina stood beside me with a wry smile, and I knew which old acquaintance she was introducing me to. Bai Mudan is indeed a great beauty, and she is an old acquaintance of mine, but what use is an old acquaintance that you can't sleep with? Bai Mudan is now the savior of Ishtar, even Narcissus doesn't dare to offend her easily. If I don't know what's good for me and try to get my hands on her, I might be beaten to death by a mob the moment I step outside.
Moreover, the biggest challenge I encountered in getting Bai Mudan to cooperate wasn't the rioters outside, but rather…
◇◇◇
After returning to my room, one problem after another arose. First, Bai Mudan came to greet me and, incidentally, fulfilled her promise to treat me.
I had met this renowned physician several times, but the longest we spent together was on a boat trip back to the island in the East China Sea. At that time, I accidentally embraced this aloof and beautiful female doctor; the feeling of her soft and fragrant touch remains unforgettable to this day.
In terms of looks alone, Bai Mudan's elegant charm far surpasses Katrina's. Recalling all the beauties I've ever seen in my life, there is truly only one mature woman of her age who is so beautiful and charming. If I said I had no impure thoughts about her, I would be lying. Even if I couldn't have sex with her, it would be wonderful to occasionally catch a chance to touch her round buttocks.
"Admiral Farrell, the poison you've been afflicted with is very unusual, almost unheard of. Fortunately, most of it has dissipated, leaving only a few remnants. I'll use medicine to remove it, and it should be completely gone in a few days."
Bai Mudan spoke softly, her gentle voice seemingly possessing a certain magic. I almost fell asleep from the comfort. Just as she bent down to administer acupuncture treatment, her neckline suddenly dropped, and I peeked inside, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of snow-white, sensual skin…
"Admiral… your crotch…"
"Don't be nervous. I'm a poisoned patient; my body isn't under my control. Occasionally, something unusual might happen, which is quite normal."
"But… but what's in your crotch…"
"Don't be nervous, I'm a normal man. There's nothing abnormal in my pants except for normal stuff. Doctor, you don't need to be nervous at all."
I didn't know if Bai Mudan was nervous, but I was definitely getting more and more nervous, especially as she leaned lower and lower, completely unaware that her collar was drooping more and more. My body tensed up to the point of stiffness, and I swallowed hard, involuntarily reaching behind her head to press her head down.
At the critical moment, the door was suddenly pushed open with a "bang," and Yu Ni and Yu Hong stood in the doorway, staring at us in disbelief.
"You...you and Aunt Bai..."
"Don't be nervous, I absolutely had no intention of forcing Aunt Bai to perform oral sex on me, I didn't even have the chance!"
"………………"
"………………"
After an unbearably awkward moment, Bai Mudan stood up, calmly tidied her hair, adjusted her robes, and explained the situation to Neon as if nothing had happened. Although she said nothing had happened, in this situation, a reasonable explanation sounded like a lie, making Neon glare at me with a strange look.
Hey, I'm innocent too, at least I really haven't succeeded yet, I haven't even touched her butt!
But the truly embarrassing scene was only just beginning. Yu Ni and Yu Hong gazed at Bai Mudan as if seeing their only remaining family member in the world. Suddenly, tears welled up in their eyes, and they cried out in unison, rushing towards Bai Mudan.
"Aunt Bai!"
the two sisters cried, throwing themselves into Bai Mudan's arms, sobbing uncontrollably as if their emotions had collapsed. Their tears quickly soaked through their clothes, and to an uninformed observer, it would seem as if their father had died.
"Waaah... Master... Master he..."
Oh, it wasn't their father who died, but their master. But this master was of a different kind, so their crying was particularly heart-wrenching, which was understandable.
"I know...I know...I've heard about your master's death..."
Bai Mudan hugged Ni Hong, tears streaming down her face, her voice choked with sobs. Her sorrowful beauty, like pear blossoms in the rain, contrasted sharply with her simple white attire, making her look exactly like a beautiful widow who had lost her husband, except for the small white flower tucked into her hair.
"Alas...your master was so wise all his life, but unfortunately...children, please accept my condolences. Tell Aunt Bai, how did your master die?"
Upon hearing this, while others were unfazed, I immediately broke out in a cold sweat. If we were to pinpoint enemies for the death of Xin Deng's master, there were many to choose from. We could blame Gui Meixi, the perverted nun Xin Jian, and even Yu Hong, who publicly betrayed her master.
No matter how I tried to deny it, I knew in my heart that I was involved in the whole thing from beginning to end. If they wanted to make me the murderer of Master Xindeng, I couldn't escape it no matter how I denied it. So, in order to prevent them from coming to the ridiculous conclusion that "John Farrell killed him," I made an excuse about a stomachache and forced a smile in front of the three women and slipped away.
(Phew, that was close. The others were alright, but that idiot Yu Ni always brought up the most sensitive topics. If I hadn't slipped away now, there was a 99% chance I would have been in trouble.)
I secretly rejoiced when suddenly someone patted my shoulder. Before I could even say anything, I was lifted off the ground and dragged into a room at the end of the corridor.
"Who? An assassin?"
"No, it's me!"
"Brother Xiong? You didn't make a sound before pulling him away, were you trying to scare us to death?"
In the pitch-black room, Bai Lan Xiong gestured for me to be quiet. In the darkness, I couldn't tell if he was wearing a stone hat as a disguise, so I remained silent.
This is now the territory of the Feathered Clan. The Feathered Clan and the four major beast clans have a deep-seated hatred for each other. If Bai Lan Xiong is found out here, the consequences will definitely be dire. Even if I act as a peacemaker, it will still make things very ugly for both sides, so it's best to keep a low profile.
"I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, do you know what happened in Ishtar?"
"Oh? You have information to share? Tell me quickly."
That's the good thing about having friends. I never expected that while Katrina and I were causing such a ruckus, even betraying our descendants, my loyal friend had already gathered information for me. This was incredibly convenient. I was very interested in the recent series of events in Ishtar. If I couldn't figure out the whole story, I would be completely lost and unable to make any decisions.
"It all started with a few unnoticed plagues..."
Bai Lan Xiong explained to me. While the Level 1 Formula Race was in full swing in the Golden Flower Federation, several plague outbreaks occurred in Ishtar. They didn't attract much attention for two reasons: first, in this zombie-infested land with its appalling sanitation, plagues were commonplace, not news, and no one would notice them; a routine sprinkle of disinfectant would suffice. Second, most of those infected were commoners, so the court officials naturally wouldn't pay attention.
However, when these plagues could no longer be easily suppressed by traditional medicine and magic, and began to spread rapidly, even infecting the upper and middle classes of Ishtar, the situation caused a huge uproar.
Ishtar was founded on black magic. Although all the sorcerers in the country are ruthless, not all of them are fearless. Ishtar is unparalleled in its treatment of various diseases, especially infectious diseases like the zombie plague. It has also stored a lot of antibodies and disinfectant magic potions. When the epidemic shows signs of getting out of control, the authorities will intervene forcefully to suppress the plague. However, the long-established method failed this time. Neither special vaccines nor magic could suppress this mutated plague, allowing the epidemic to spread like wildfire.
"Ishtar had just been embroiled in a civil war, with the Royal Society and the Witch God Society locked in fierce combat and on the verge of another war. However, the epidemic quickly spread to major cities under the jurisdiction of both factions, causing soldiers and mages alike to fall ill and collapse. This deprived both camps of the resources to fight, and realizing the seriousness of the situation, they returned to deal with it."
It is not hard to imagine that once this kind of new disease spreads, it will be very difficult to control the situation. Although Ishtar's medical technology has its own unique secrets, most of them are techniques like fighting poison with poison. To truly treat it with the methods of the king, that is beyond their capabilities. So in the end, they still had to bow down and invite experts from abroad.
"The great healer Bai Mudan is currently a guest at Admiral Li Huamei's headquarters. Coincidentally, Ishtar invited Admiral Li to come and have a chat, so she accepted the invitation. To avoid being late and causing any delays, Admiral Li dispatched the Feathered Clan to escort her, and she flew all the way from the East Sea."
"I see." "
But the people of Ishtar invited Admiral Li to visit not because of the plague."
Finally, they got to the point, and I learned the details from Bai Lanxiong's explanation. Shortly after the plague outbreak, an even more deadly problem arose in Ishtar. The sheer number of deaths fueled a nationwide resentment, with hordes of vengeful spirits and ghosts roaming the country every night. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem; Ishtar sorcerers, accustomed to black magic, were more prone to encountering ghosts than people, and were hardly frightened. Besides, this wasn't the first time Ishtar had experienced a plague or civil war; such hordes of ghosts were commonplace and nothing to fear. However, no one anticipated that this inexplicable plague would attract a monstrous apocalyptic creature:
the Headless Rider of the East Sea!
Ishtar already had its share of headless ghosts; seeing a headless phantom riding a horse around wouldn't be unusual, and even seeing a headless phantom using its penis to propel itself across a pole would likely be considered boring. But this headless ghost's background was truly extraordinary.
The Headless Rider is the embodiment of the resentment of countless souls from the East Sea, the central hub of the East Sea's ancient vengeance. With the right methods and sacrifices, the terrifying scene of the ghostly ship appearing in the East Sea, with its wailing and howling, could reappear at any moment.
Even without reactivating the ghostly ship, the Headless Rider's power is formidable. The combined power of countless souls, even if only a tenth of it, is beyond the reach of any contemporary master, for it is a power that flesh and blood cannot withstand.
"This headless rider is more rampant than a plague. At first, it only appeared in remote small towns, but in one night it massacred the entire city, leaving no survivors, not even a worm or a blade of grass..."
Although it was just a small town, it still had a certain level of armed defense. This was a genuine massacre of a city by one man. Even the five strongest warriors, I don't know if they could do something so outrageous. Moreover, the aftermath of the massacre in those small towns was extremely horrific. All the corpses that could be found were bare bones, and the flesh and blood turned into a sea of red.
When the headless rider's bloody rampage reached the third city, the entire nation of Ishtar was shaken. The high-ranking officials on both sides, who were already overwhelmed by the epidemic, had to face this problem squarely. Facing the issue head-on is one thing, but devising strategies and taking action both require time. While both sides harbored their own ulterior motives and remained inactive, the Headless Knight had no time to wait and took the initiative to provoke them.
For seven consecutive nights, the Headless Knight appeared in seven cities hundreds of miles apart. This time, it didn't massacre the cities, but it still killed people, specifically targeting the powerful figures of Ishtar. The heads of four great wizards and three black generals were ripped off by it, and the additional casualties included the entire families of these seven individuals, all of whom were wiped out in a single night after the Headless Knight appeared.
These seven individuals belonged to two major factions and were not only no ordinary people, but also of extremely high status. One of them, a high-ranking wizard, was Prince Fusheng, the younger brother of the current emperor. As one of the strongest warriors in Ishtar, he foresaw the impending doom and had a large number of experts hidden in his mansion, setting up multiple layers of protective barriers and preparing for battle. However, the Headless Knight broke through the barriers and killed all eighteen of his disciples and thirty-six of his mage friends. Although he himself merged with the bones of a thousand-year-old demon tiger and fought desperately, he was still beheaded by the Headless Knight, his head severed from his body.
After this battle, the Headless Knight's strength shocked Ishtar, forcing the two factions in the internal strife to temporarily cease their fighting and unite to discuss how to deal with the Headless Knight.
This apocalyptic monster was far too powerful. After discussion, the Royal Family and the Witch God Society decided to invite Admiral Li Huamei, who was familiar with the monster's background, to assist them, while also requesting Alan Fastan, the long-reclusive chairman of the Witch God Society, to lead the annihilation of the Headless Knight.
Alan Fastan's cultivation was almost on par with the five strongest individuals, and his knowledge was even more profound. No sorcerer in Ishtar could match him. If he were to lead the effort, uniting the forces of the two factions, and with Li Huamei's assistance, the chances of victory would indeed be very high. Unfortunately, Li Huamei was held up by the changes in the East China Sea and could not set off immediately, ultimately failing to coordinate with this attack.
The Headless Knight was a demonic being, so the decisive battle was chosen to take place in the Black Mountain Pass on the border of Ishtar. Alan Fastan used a spell to summon the Headless Knight, hoping to seal its evil power with a magnetic storm. Outnumbered, we won the battle in one fell swoop. However, unexpected events occurred. Our group happened to be crossing the Black Mountain at that moment. Half of the resources intended to deal with the Headless Knight were used on our side, further depleting the magic power of the two major factions' mages. Through
a series of unforeseen circumstances, when the Headless Knight suddenly appeared, the skilled warriors were decimated. This not only severely weakened Ishtar's strength but also caused Alan Fastan to die on the spot, a grandmaster who met a tragic end, his head severed from his body.
"...That's roughly the situation. This is the information I have."
After listening to Bai Lanxiong's words, I understood the whole situation. I never imagined that the mighty black magic nation of Ishtar would be beset by internal and external troubles. Let alone threatening other countries, it was practically on the verge of national destruction.
So, what strategy could we adopt in this situation...?
◆ Chapter 5: Sacrificing Oneself for Justice.
I have a general understanding of the situation in Ishtar, the daughter of the Demon King. From Bai Lanxiong's retelling, I also understand that Li Huamei's delayed arrival is probably not due to any changes in the East China Sea, but rather a typical case of waiting for the highest bidder.
The new regime in the East China Sea has just been established and seems to be enjoying great success at first glance. However, it is actually riddled with internal political and economic problems. Li Huamei urgently needs resources from various countries. I heard from Yueying that she has been very active, secretly meeting with envoys from various countries and ethnic groups, and busy concluding various cooperation agreements. Ishtar is precisely the alliance target that Li Huamei is trying her best to win over, because many of the construction and magical resources left behind by the Black Dragon Society involve advanced black magic techniques. Li Huamei has no relevant talents under her command, so she can only borrow generals from Ishtar.
The Ishtar gang are no saints. Trying to cooperate with them is almost guaranteed to leave you utterly exploited. While Li Huamei is shrewd and capable, getting anything from them will be extremely difficult. Now that Ishtar is in trouble, if Li Huamei doesn't know how to demand an exorbitant price, she'll truly be unworthy of being a leader.
Being loyal to the Ishtar is pointless. If she immediately accepts their invitation to fight to the death in the Black Mountain Valley, not only will she not get a good deal, but even if she wins, Alanfastan will take half the credit. And the Ishtar might even betray her after she's done her bidding, killing her number one enemy and then conveniently eliminating her number one contributor as well.
Now that Alanfastan is dead, the Ishtar people's dependence on Li Huamei has increased significantly. Appearing as a savior at this time, even if the lions open their mouths wide, the Ishtar people will be easily slaughtered. Even if the Ishtar people want to turn against her afterward, given their current weakened state, they are unlikely to pose a threat to Li Huamei.
(The Ishtar people are unaware of what happened to the Southern Barbarians back then, otherwise they would know her style. The Feathered Clan didn't get a good result...)
That year, the Feathered Clan asked Li Huamei for help, and she arrived in the Southern Barbarians early, secretly manipulating everything, but only appeared in a glorious and benevolent manner at the last moment. Afterward, everyone reviewed the whole matter and found that she had taken all the advantages and benefits, becoming the real big winner, yet no one could do anything about her.
(But... Thrush, you're too confident, too calculating. Things change, and this deal might not be as easy as you think!)
In the Sea God's Palace, the guardian spirit Mutenglan told me a lot about the ghost ship. Now that I think about it, I'm very wary of the Headless Knight. Although Li Huamei is one of the strongest people in the world, the Headless Knight is a terrifying legend from the Warring States period five hundred years ago. If the strongest myths of two generations were to clash, who would win? Thinking about it might be an exciting and thrilling thing, but I don't want Li Huamei to get hurt.
"Hey, brother, don't just think about women, you have to be loyal too."
"Huh? What loyalty do you have to talk about, Brother Xiong? We can order some tea, hire a prostitute, and talk about it slowly. Hiring a prostitute and being loyal is good for your mind and body."
I quite like these kinds of leisure activities, but Bai Lan Xiong obviously wasn't interested and was eager for me to help him solve his problem.
"Brother, my lifelong ambition is to revitalize the beastmen. Perhaps I don't need to become a superpower, but I want all the beastmen on earth to live a good life."
"Hmm, that's quite a difficult ambition. Rather than struggling your whole life, I think you should sleep more. Maybe it'll be easier to achieve in your dreams." "
Now I'm facing a great calamity, and you're the only one in the world who can help me fulfill my ideal."
"Big Bear, when we're chasing girls and hiring prostitutes, we're brothers. But when it comes to getting teeth pulled and starting a revolution, can you pretend you don't know me? I don't have any grand ideals."
I tried to pretend I didn't hear him and changed the subject. I've heard that if you encounter a bear in the wild, lying down and playing dead will make it leave, allowing you to escape. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but I'm currently following this ancient wisdom, diligently feigning deafness and muteness, almost to the point of lying on the ground and holding my breath.
Bai Lan Bear's idea is simple: to perform a great feat, one that will convince all the beastmen, only then can he atone for his past sins and gain the forgiveness of the Lord of All Beasts.
To perform such an unparalleled feat requires the right timing and circumstances, but an opportunity just happens to be present. If Bai Lan Bear can liberate the beastman slaves of Ishtar, it will be an unprecedented achievement in the history of the Southern Barbarians.
However, even if Bai Lan Bear possesses extraordinary abilities, rescuing a large number of his compatriots in a foreign land is still just a pipe dream; he will at least need the help of his companions. The problem is...
Ishtar has no chance of liberating the orc slaves within its borders, not even with the full force of the nation or hundreds of thousands of troops. It's impossible to accomplish this with just a few of us taking on the entire country. There's no need to be so reckless as to commit suicide.
Based on practical considerations, I hesitated to agree to Bai Lan Xiong's request. Although I do owe him a great favor, owing someone a favor doesn't mean I have to repay it with my life.
"Huh? Wait a minute, everyone just arrived in Ishtar. How do you know all this?"
"Oh, it's simple. I asked a friend."
"Friends? The drug addicts you used to hang out with around the fireplace? Don't be ridiculous. You've never been to Ishtar before. How could you possibly have friends here?"
"I really do! Other friends are hard to say, but I have plenty of 'friends with benefits'."
"Friends with benefits? Friends you have sex with?"
Remembering my experience in the Southern Barbarians, I wasn't too sure. Maybe this polar bear was incredibly resourceful and really had a lot of strategy game friends in Ishtar. They might play "Admiral's Decision" together all the time, maybe even exchanging information through a magical network.
Then, the polar bear gave me a smug smile and said that everyone was a male, and "friends with benefits" were obviously real sex. Since we were all adults, "friends with benefits" should be women. What's so fun about strategy games?
His smug tone stunned me for a moment, leaving me wondering what he was up to. Then, he suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, saying he was very fortunate to be my friend. He explained that while I was talking to Katrina earlier, several young women had approached him and asked about his identity.
"I told them I was from the Farrell family, your good brother. They asked if we were related by blood, and I said a little. Then they pounced on me like they hadn't seen a man in years, practically devouring me."
Damn! This guy's got incredible luck. Many people probably know what Katrina's plan is: if she can become the mother of the next Phoenix Goddess, not only will she rise to prominence, but she might even be able to use her mother's status to dethrone Katrina from her position as clan leader and temporarily seize power in the Feather Clan until the next Phoenix Goddess comes of age.
The current situation is indeed very strange. Judging by this, it's possible that if I take off my pants and run outside, waving my penis around, those bird women will fight over who gets to rape me!
"If I had known that women would throw themselves at me if I were a member of your Farrell clan, the various beast races wouldn't have fought so fiercely when we were attacking the Feathered Clan."
Bai Lan Xiong became more and more excited as he spoke, leaving me unsure of how to respond. I don't think being a member of the Farrell clan is an honor, and outsiders can hardly imagine the thrill of being scorned or hunted down from childhood because of a relative who specializes in seducing other men's women. Although... I've now become a "successful person" who causes my relatives to be hunted down as well.
The orcs' moral compass is vastly different from ours. A man who can seduce women everywhere and leave his seed widely is respected just as much as someone with unparalleled martial arts skills. This belief is deeply held not only by ordinary orcs but also by the most revered Beastmaster. Even while living in seclusion on Beast God Peak, he would occasionally send out messages to demonstrate his continued sexual prowess.
After all, the Giant Sun God is a deity worshipped by the orcs. No matter how high the Beastmaster's cultivation, if he lacked the ability to seduce women, he would be nothing more than a pitiful old man with unparalleled martial arts skills. Now, from Bai Lan Xiong's perspective, the men of the Farrell clan must be pampered princes, living a life of luxury and constantly being pounced on and raped by women. This beautiful misunderstanding is impossible to explain with words alone.
"Wait, you just said those bird women pounced on you, what happened next? Did you sleep with them?"
"They were all offered up, of course I swallowed them whole, hehe. I've been in exile for a long time, haven't slept with so many women at once. I got carried away and accidentally made one pass out."
"You...how many did you sleep with?"
"This... I don't know if I should count it as three or four..."
The orcs' arithmetic wasn't their strong suit, and Bai Lanxiong stammered and couldn't figure it out. So he simply walked to the bedside, lifted the bed curtains, and saw naked female bodies lying haphazardly on the originally spacious bed. Some had long hair, some had short hair, but without exception, they all had a pair of slender, beautiful legs, which were spread wide apart, revealing their bright red vulvas that clearly had just experienced a fierce battle.
"Damn! Seven! Did you just escape from a famine or just finish hibernating?"
"It's nothing, they're just too useless. Every time I go at them, they scream and faint. If they were more durable, I wouldn't need to change women so frequently."
Bai Lanxiong's tone was calm, but he couldn't hide the smugness on his face, as if he was showing off his abilities and achievements to me, but my mind was on other things.
(Seven in such a short time, and he ejaculated on every single one? Hey, that's premature ejaculation, old friend…)
I found it funny, and then I thought about how these winged female warriors were vying to pounce on Bai Lan Xiong, actually to extract his seed and obtain the Phoenix Goddess's genetic material. But they didn't know Bai Lan Xiong's current appearance; he was just a transformation from a stone hat. If they extracted Bai Lan Xiong's seed, having a girl wouldn't be a problem, but if they accidentally gave birth to a boy…
"Hehehe… This is good… Hehehe… He really brought this on himself, this is good!"
"John, I don't know if I should warn you, but your smile is so evil!"
"It's alright. From today onwards, open your heart—no, open your pants—and enjoy a life of debauchery as much as possible. Maybe you can hone your sexual prowess here and earn the title of the orcs' number one gunman. Then you won't need to achieve any great feats; all the orcs will be vying to bring you back as their coach. You can become an orc idol without fighting to the death. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" "
Hmm, what you said makes sense. I'll think about it."
"Still considering? Don't waste your time. I'll go out and find a few more idiots for you to fuck. You just spread your legs and wait!"
I said hastily and rushed out, afraid that I might accidentally be dragged by Bai Lan Xiong to save the world. Such a great thing is best left to people who don't look like they'll live past tomorrow. Although I don't expect to live to be a hundred, I do want to live a little longer, so please don't involve me in this kind of thing.
However, there seemed to be a lot going on today. As soon as I stepped out of Bai Lan Xiong's room, before I could even see whether the corridor light was white or yellow, someone grabbed my shoulder and dragged me to another room.
I wondered which bastard was looking for me this time. Just as I was wondering if it was an assassin, I saw a pair of "weapons" appear in front of me. Those snow-white, round breasts that could take any normal man's breath away were definitely a pair of weapons. And as the weapons approached, I also heard that gentle voice.
"Master!"
"Oh, it's silly Xue. You're awake? Did you sleep well? Do you want me to get you a bowl of plain noodles?"
"Master, I have something to ask you..."
"What is it? Do you want to ask me the secret to staying young forever?"
Thinking about it, today has been really unlucky. My body has finally regained its mobility, and I'm not even fully recovered yet. Now I have to play dead in front of the bear and pretend to be deaf and mute to the fox. What did I do to deserve this?
However, I also knew in my heart that things had come to this point, and it was impossible to hide it any longer, especially since Narcissus had become suspicious. Ah Xue's matter would soon be no secret, and if we didn't prepare our own people in advance, we would all suffer a great loss.
"Hmm, Ah Xue, it's time to give you an explanation, but before we begin... all of you who are eavesdropping, get out here!"
In terms of martial arts, I am not a good one, and with my hearing, it is impossible for me to have discovered that someone was eavesdropping. However, the interaction between the Hellish God of Lust and its host allowed me to discover that Yu Hong was hiding in this room early on.
Since Yu Hong would be hiding here, Yu Ni couldn't possibly be too far away. Since they needed to know about this, I simply gathered every member of the team for a team meeting, and also added a new mercenary, Bai Lan Xiong.
"This... is a distant relative of mine. He usually works as a mercenary, but he was specially hired by me this time to secretly assist us along the way. His name is... Johnny Farrell."
Bai Lan Xiong's identity couldn't be revealed, so I had to make up a false one for him. Fortunately, Yu Hong didn't seem to mind. After giving him a few slightly surprised looks, she urged me to reveal the secret.
I looked around but didn't see that brat. In my heart, the future is someone I could turn into a dead man at any moment, not one of my own. But even though I can't see this kid, I feel that he might also be hiding in this room, eavesdropping on our conversation.
Oh well, in a few days, this secret might become common knowledge. Let him listen if he wants!
"Well, the whole thing started when I was still in the Golden Flower Federation. Back then... Abbot Xin Chan had a private talk with me, saying he had a big secret to tell me..."
◇◇◇
"Nephew, the reason I invited you here today is actually to tell you a huge secret."
"What secret? I'm easily frightened. My mother just transformed into a phoenix goddess; you're not going to tell me my dad turned into a rabbit, are you?"
"No, no, no, if your dad turned into a rabbit, he could beat Hulu Hou Si with a flush. We didn't call you here to talk about your dad, we called you to talk about your disciple."
Mao Yan'an shrugged with a smile, pointed at Master Xin Chan, and said, "He has some secrets to tell you about your disciple. Hey, you should have been prepared, you knew this day would come sooner or later!"
Indeed, it had. From the moment I left Ah Xue by my side, I knew that sooner or later my deeds would be exposed, and people would recognize Tianhe Xueqiong's identity. Cihang Jingdian would never let me off the hook. However, the current situation is different from what I expected. The big boss of Cihang Jingdian seems to have become "one of our own," and he obviously doesn't intend to make this public, so he came to talk to me privately.
It's easier to get things done if you're on the same side. I wonder if there's a chance to make some exchanges of benefits and secretly smooth things over?
"...Nephew, in truth, this old monk should thank you."
That was a decisive statement; just hearing it told me I could rest easy. But you monk are truly wicked. I was the one who violated your nephew's buttocks, after all. Even if you wanted to protect me, you didn't have to say thank you!
"You probably don't know about this matter. Alas, actually, there aren't many people on Earth who know about it anymore..."
Master Xin Chan sighed, saying, "The origin of this matter begins with Ishtar..."
Ishtar, the land of black magic, conducted countless secret studies to enhance its strength, attempting to exhaustively explore the magical theories of black magic, creating an invincible legend. Among the numerous research topics, the Colossus is one that is already well-known. All the magicians on earth have heard of the Colossus's power and know of the destructive myths it created overnight. However, such a dark and evil creature as the Colossus is just one of countless unethical studies in Ishtar.
The reason why the other studies are unknown is not because the research is not powerful. In fact, in Ishtar's military secrets, the Colossus is not the most powerful. It is said that wizards once tried to summon a god-level monster to directly unleash the ultimate magic of sending black fire meteors down from the sky to destroy an entire city in one blow. If this succeeds, it would be a terrifying killing move that surpasses even the Colossus.
But the main reason why these studies have not been whispered about is because they lack practicality.
Of the hundred research topics, at least fifty are absurd and delusional, the wild fantasies of madmen; the remaining forty, while theoretically sound, are impossible to realize with current technology; only ten can be truly researched and experimented with, and even with massive investment of resources and decades of in-depth research, perhaps not one out of a hundred will bear fruit.
Great achievements like the Colossus are undoubtedly half due to the researchers' efforts and sacrifices, but half is purely due to luck. Many researchers lack this good fortune, researching until their deaths without ever achieving success.
"If all this kind of research in Ishtar fails, it will be a joyous occasion for the whole world..."
Nonsense! Monk, you're their archenemy, of course you'd say that!
"But unfortunately, occasionally their luck improves. And then... my dear nephew, you know, every time they're lucky, we're unlucky."
It sounds like a truly tragic symbiotic relationship. But I'm not the head of the Cihang Jingdian Sect, so why does bad luck always seem to happen to me?
It's said that around 500 years ago, during the Warring States period, a bunch of magic fanatics were eager to destroy their enemies, but also themselves. That's the essence of war, really. However, they did come up with many interesting ideas.
A whimsical idea, if casually proposed, might just be a heretical joke, but if someone is willing to spend hundreds of years and effort researching it, then no matter how absurd the idea, it will become a very dangerous thing.
Opening a portal to the mortal realm, allowing millions of the dead from the underworld, or even the supreme demons of the demon realm, to descend upon humanity, is a ridiculous joke. Countless ambitious individuals have attempted similar actions, only to end up disastrously disastrous. The conspirators aiming to open the portal, the reckless prince with his endless adventures, and the voluptuous, brainless princess—these are the three pillars of adventure stories, supporting countless third-rate writers and providing a livelihood for mediocre bards.
However, the joke is funny not because the portal itself is comical, but because the entire concept is so incredibly difficult, almost impossible to realize. But if someone were to actually accomplish this, opening that forbidden door, then probably no one would find it funny anymore.
"After the Warring States period ended, this delusion was inherited by the Ishtar people, who invested funds and manpower in its research." "
At its peak, the Witch God Society had over a hundred groups researching this idea, attempting to open the portal to the next realm using different methods."
Although many people were researching, clearly only a few were lucky; otherwise, the world wouldn't still be peaceful to this day. However, luck doesn't last forever, nor does it last forever. As a great man once said, opportunity is like a penis; the more you hold it, the bigger it becomes.
The Ishtar people undoubtedly knew how to seize opportunities, so after hundreds of years of effort, one group finally overcame countless difficulties, pushing the theory into practice, turning the impossible into possible.
"Fortunately, before this catastrophe occurred, Ishtar experienced internal strife. During the turmoil, the entire research team was killed, and their research results were stolen, causing Ishtar to fail and be unable to open the gate to the Demon Realm."
It sounds like Ishtar often experiences internal strife, but apart from the turmoil of the last two years, I've rarely heard of internal conflicts occurring within Ishtar. Perhaps most of them are hidden from view. But considering the timeline, the biggest turmoil Ishtar has experienced in the last fifty years should be…
"That's right, just as you thought, my dear nephew. The source of that internal strife was Senior Sister. She had a falling out with Ishtar, took up her sword, and fled abroad. Before leaving, a fierce battle broke out in the capital city. Among the experts she killed in the pursuit was that research team. She even broke into the laboratory, took away the final results of the research, and set fire to all the data and records, making it impossible for the Ishtar people to continue the research."
She? Should I say "he"?
Xin Jian, that perverted transvestite nun, is indeed skilled. When she defected abroad, she killed and stole, and even after taking what she had, she didn't forget to set a big fire to destroy all traces. The thought of cultivating such talent must be excruciating for the people of Ishtar. If I were her master, I wouldn't know whether to be proud or just kill myself.
But I'm not her master, so these things are none of my concern…
"Ishtar's method involves creating a special key, which, combined with a special ritual, opens the boundary tunnel."
This is somewhat similar to the Ghost Ship of the East Sea, both using a living being as a key, offering sacrifices, to open the boundary passage. If the gate to the underworld is opened, the nightmare of the Ghost Ship will be reenacted on Earth. But if the gate to the demon realm is opened… well, I don't know what will happen. In any case, it's probably not a pleasant sight.
"As for the keys they created... they're quite peculiar. Simply put, they're neither human nor beast."
Another interpretation of "neither human nor beast" is that they are both human and beast, or to put it bluntly, orcs or half-orcs. I remember the Ishtar people always despised these inhuman, half-beast creatures. Why would they...
well, probably because of the experimental materials. Conducting such evil experiments requires countless lives, and orc slaves are the best source of materials. The final product, of course, is just like these. Huh? This feels so familiar? " There seems to be a half-orc next to me..."
"No, no way? Master, you don't mean..."
"Exactly." Master Xin Chan said, "Amitabha, my dear nephew, just as you guessed, my senior sister brought a baby girl from Ishtar. Although she was only born a short time ago, she was already full of evil energy, shocking everyone present. At that time, many elders of our sect insisted on killing her, but my senior sister refused. My master, mindful of Heaven's benevolence, took her in and sacrificed his cultivation to use our sect's Great Brightness Righteous Dharma to cleanse her marrow and transform her demonic eyes into heavenly eyes, restoring her to human form. Finally, he returned her to my senior sister to raise. According to the Hui generation ranking of our sect, her Dharma name is Hui Xue."
"Hui... Hui Xue? What does that mean?"
"Don't be nervous. This name was chosen by my senior sister. I believe it's just her personal wish and doesn't have any special meaning. Besides, my master insisted against it, so my senior sister changed the child's name to Huichaxue."
I was stunned and said, "Hui... Huichaxue? Do you know what that means?"
"I don't know, but I believe it's just my senior sister's personal wish, nothing special. Nephew, you don't need to be so nervous."
I slammed my hand on the table, angrily saying, "Damn it! Is this naming deliberately trying to cause trouble? 'Wisdom Cave,' 'Wisdom Forked Cave,' why not just call it 'Wisdom Playing Cave'?"
"Eh? How did you know, nephew? After the name 'Wisdom Forked Cave' was rejected, my senior sister actually suggested 'Wisdom Playing Cave,' but everyone present objected, so it was renamed 'Heavenly River Snow Jade.'"
"…Master, forgive my impertinence, but you're a virgin, aren't you?"
"Uh, can you tell? I entered the Cihang Quiet Hall at the age of three, and after decades of solitary cultivation, I practiced the 'Virginity Kung Fu,' and I'm still a pure yang body. But I wonder how you, nephew, could tell?"
"Enough, no more words. I know you're in a terrible state."
All the mysteries were finally revealed. I never imagined the Holy Maiden of the Temple of Light would have such a hidden story. It seems the place directly beneath the Lighthouse truly is the darkest. The witch of Ishtar actually became a Holy Maiden in the Cihang Temple. Just imagine Narcissus and Tianhe Xueqiong switched places, and you'll understand how absurd this is.
However, it truly seems to be fate. It turns out that Xueqiong was born a half-beast, but the Temple of Light used some powerful magic to seal her evil energy, transforming her into human form. Later, she reverted to beast form. Is this a revelation of her true nature, or an inescapable fate?
"By the way, the baby my senior sister brought from Ishtar back then was the daughter of a demon king, flowing with the blood of a cursed beast. In Ishtar, she's called Huzbaka, which translates to 'lustful beast witch.'"
"Lustful...lustful beast witch? Does that name have any special meaning or attribute?"
I swallowed hard, imagining the meaning of "lustful beast witch," and couldn't help but get excited. I watched as Master Xin Chan scratched his bald head, answering with a bewildered expression.
"I don't know. I don't understand Ishtar. It was my senior sister who translated it, and I believe it reflects her personal expectations... Nephew, why are you suddenly smiling so lewdly? Also, why do I feel like your expression is similar to my senior sister's?"

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