Ch. 3711..3720
Chapter 3711 Santino Has Arrived After sending Floyd away, Gloria began devising a plan. She wondered how she could use him to incur the Ecclesiastic Order’s wrath. Before she could finish fleshing out her plan, she suddenly received news from Grant that Santino was about to arrive.
That made her very excited as she swiftly returned to the Glorian Order’s base. After all, it was a chance for her to ascend to greater heights, so she dared not mess up her opportunity.
The moment Gloria arrived at Corpse Pit, she saw Grant and the others waiting at the entrance. “Santino is about to arrive, Gloria. You should be careful. He is one of the most important members of Void Sect,” Grant reminded in a whisper.
The air of arrogance he usually had was gone, and all his emotions had been kept in check. “No need to worry, Grant. I know what to do.” She very much looked forward to Santino’s arrival because she was curious about how powerful he was.
After around fifteen minutes, the temperature of the whole area suddenly dropped. A powerful wave of pressure poured into the area, making the crowd feel as though a mountain had just dropped onto their heads.
“Santino has arrived!” Grant’s expression became serious. At the same time, his eyes filled with fear and respect.
Gloria held her breath. Even though she hadn’t met Santino yet, she could already feel his terrifying presence from a distance away.
That alone showed just how truly powerful he was.
Moments later, that pressure became even stronger, causing most people to have trouble breathing.
Only Gloria, Grant, Wade, and a few Paladins were still able to withstand it. Everyone else subconsciously felt compelled to kneel down.
“What terrifyingly powerful energy this is!” The edges of Xylas’ lips twitched.
Not only was it comparable to the time when Gloria devoured two super-spiritual ley lines that belonged to the deviant clans, but it was even far more powerful than that.
It took a lot of effort for Xylas to resist the urge to kneel. At that moment, he felt an invisible aura support his body.
When he turned around, he saw Wade unleashing his energy.
“He’s coming!” Grant exclaimed lowly.
Gloria lifted her head and saw a figure slowly stepping toward them from the void.
Thud, thud, thud!
Even though the figure was walking in midair, it was as though they were walking on solid ground. Each step they took made a sound.
As the figure stepped toward the crowd, energy spread out from their feet, forming visible energy waves in the air.
He manifested his power into something solid, which then allowed him to walk in the air! Gloria was shocked.
To be fair, she could do something like that too, but not to that degree.
It was as though that person had melded the energy in their body with the environment. Otherwise, no one would’ve heard the sounds of them stepping on something solid in the air.
After a while, Santino finally arrived in front of the crowd. As a result, the titanic pressure that was exuding from his body increased.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
The sounds of people falling to their knees rang out all over the place. The only ones left standing were Gloria and her posse.
Only Gloria and Grant were having an easy time resisting the urge to kneel.
The others, including Wade and several of the Paladins from the Void Sect, were trembling.
If Wade hadn’t released all his power to help support Xylas, Xylas would’ve been kneeling on the ground at that moment. Even so, his knees were already half-bent.
“I’m impressed that there are still cultivators this powerful in the mundane world. Not bad!” Santino spoke.
Even though it didn’t seem like he was speaking, his words exploded in the ears of the crowd.
Gloria’s men instantly became dizzy and almost fell to the ground because their cultivation wasn’t good enough.
“Who’s Lord Gloria? Step forward!” Santino uttered.
Gloria approached him as she carefully observed him.
Chapter 3712 Strength Of Santino Santino’s appearance suggested that he was around twenty-seven years old. He was wearing a black, quaint robe with an antique dragon jade pendant hanging from his belt.
In his hand was an ancient bronze sword. He was so attractive that his handsomeness could only be described as divine. His entire body was exuding an aura of otherworldly strength.
The look in his eyes was so arrogant that it felt as though he was looking down at everyone. “Greetings, Santino!” Gloria’s gentle voice rang out as she bowed to him.
Santino nodded. “Cease your little trick or suffer the consequences.” His expression was so cold that he appeared very distant. The Charm Technique failed? That stunned her slightly.
She tried using that technique on purpose to see how he would react to it, but she didn’t realize it was completely ineffective against him.
“It was not Glor— Lord Gloria’s intention to disrespect you, Santino. She just admires you so much!” Grant quickly came to her defense.
“Admire me so much, you say?” A mocking chuckle was heard from Santino before he turned to look at Gloria again. “Attack me with your full power. I want to see how high your cultivation level is. If it’s passable, I may be willing to make an exception and take you in as my disciple.”
Grant swiftly reminded Gloria, “Quickly, do as Santino says! This is an opportunity of a lifetime!”
“Then I shall fulfill your request. Pardon me,” Gloria replied politely. In reality, she also wanted to use that chance to test just how powerful Santino was. However, she didn’t want to use her full power because she wanted to keep some trump cards a secret.
“Let’s see what you’re capable of!” Santino exclaimed arrogantly. As he spoke, he shifted his hands to his back, his expression saying, “Hit me as hard as you want. I won’t dodge.”
If one were to observe carefully, one would see a thick energy shield rapidly forming around Santino. “Take this!” Without hesitation, Gloria jumped up, her body shooting toward him like an arrow, and struck his chest with her palm.
Whoosh! Before her palm even made contact, the wind arrived first. An insane amount of energy exploded outward, as though it was trying to tear the entire area apart.
“Oh? You can unleash this level of destructive attack?” Shock flashed past Santino’s eyes, though it rapidly faded away. He still had no intention of dodging the technique and allowed Gloria’s palm to approach him expeditiously.
Boom! The moment her palm made contact with Santino’s energy shield, a terrifying, deafening sound was heard.
Swoosh! Gloria was pushed back by that powerful shield. It wasn’t until she was sent a few meters backward that she was able to stop moving.
On the other hand, Santino remained unmoved. It was as though he hadn’t been attacked at all.
“Your power is barely acceptable,” he commented.
He’s that powerful? Gloria was overwhelmed by his inhuman strength.
Even though she had only used sixty percent of her full power, she didn’t even manage to scratch his shield.
Additionally, Santino remained unmoved from his spot. Based on that observation alone, she concluded that even if she used her full power, she was not certain she would win.
That made her become even more interested in Kenfort.
As expected from Santino of the Void Sect! His power is truly terrifying! Gloria sighed in her mind, though she became even more confident she could take out Levi and Thundera.
“Your power is otherworldly, Santino. How can my meager candle flame be compared to your lunar glow? If you hadn’t shown mercy, I’m afraid I would’ve been severely injured or even died on the spot,” she uttered politely.
Santino’s gaze became gentler as slight joy entered his heart.
Everyone loved being flattered. He was no exception.
Chapter 3713 Stoneheart Swordsmanship “If you’re this powerful in this spiritual-energy-deficient mundane world, your talent must be quite impressive.” Santino bequeathed rare praise to Gloria.
In reality, he was pretty shocked by her power. Even though he appeared unmoving earlier, he had been secretly using more energy to counter the impact of her attack.
Not only that, but when he was fighting back against her power, he felt their auras clashing against each other. Even in a confrontation between two members of the seven most powerful Paladins in Void Sect, a situation like that would rarely happen if a combatant wasn’t using their full power.
Yet, a mere head of a sect from the mundane world was capable of achieving that. It was only natural that he was shocked. “If I had used my full power on that shield technique, your internal organs might’ve been destroyed,” Santino uttered pridefully.
Of course, he was just bluffing. His shield had actually almost been at full force earlier. He just wanted to scare the fighters from the mundane world.
Gloria played along and buttered him up. “I thank you for your mercy, Santino.”
“Mhm!” He nodded slightly. This Gloria has good manners! Her flattery is on point, and she plays along with my attempt at showing off very well.
In a happy mood, he raised his hand. “No need to kneel before me anymore. All of you, stand up!”
The elites of the Glorian Order, who were all originally kneeling on the ground, suddenly felt as though an invisible force was traveling through their body. They then felt their knees straightening out, the movement beyond their control.
The oppressing aura from earlier had instantly vanished. “This isn’t a good place to chat, Santino. Please, come in,” Gloria invited politely.
Santino stepped into the building and arrived in the hall. Without hesitation, he sat on the chair that belonged to the head of the Glorian Order.
While people were pissed he did that, no one dared to object. There was a huge difference between Gloria allowing him to sit there and him sitting there without permission.
“Santino cultivates Stoneheart Swordsmanship, Gloria! You should quickly present him with the magical herbs that you gathered beforehand,” Grant reminded.
It was then Gloria suddenly recalled that. In the past, she had taken time to learn about Void Sect’s situation. The people of the Void Sect mainly practiced the art of swordsmanship. Most of them cultivated Stoneheart Swordsmanship, in particular.
A cultivator had to sever all emotional ties during cultivation in order to achieve a heart devoid of desires. Only then would they truly grasp the principles of Stoneheart Swordsmanship.
Seeing as Santino possesses such a high position in the sect, that means he must have a very deep understanding of Stoneheart Swordsmanship. No wonder my Charm Technique didn’t work earlier! And here I thought I had failed.
The truth was that Santino was simply immune to its effects.
It seems like I won’t be able to rely on Charm Technique to control the high-rank officials in Kenfort. As her train of thought ended, she quickly smiled. “I’ve prepared many gifts for you, Santino. Please take a look.”
“Show me!” Finally, a subtle smile appeared on his cold face.
Clearly, he was much more interested in magical herbs than beautiful women.
Gloria shot a glance at her subordinates before they brought out the magical herbs she had prepared beforehand.
The gifts included hundred-year-old herbs grown near super-spiritual ley lines as well as a bunch of treasures from different places.
It was an amazing sight to behold, especially since the gifts that were sitting in front of the rest were exuding powerful spiritual energy.
Santino’s attention was instantly grabbed by the gifts. Initially, he thought there was nothing special about things from the mundane world.
However, he now realized how very wrong he was, especially when he saw the magical herbs sitting at the very front. Those were as potent as the herbs found in Kenfort.
Seems like my trip here isn’t a waste of time! Santino’s mood was greatly improved as the smile on his face became brighter.
“I heard from Grant that you’re quite talented, Gloria. How about you show me your skills?” he requested with a smile.
Aside from collecting magical herbs, he also came because he wanted to recruit promising and talented cultivators for his sect.
Chapter 3714 Stand In Our Way When Gloria heard the friendlier way Santino addressed her, she let out a sigh of relief. She was glad those magical herbs had caught his eye. Originally, she had been prepared for the worst.
If those items had failed to impress him, she would have given him God Crusher. Hence, she was very excited at the moment. “Then I shall demonstrate my skills.” Gloria bowed before using her extreme devouring technique.
Since Santino wasn’t going to be won over by lust, she would have to do it in another way. Being talented in cultivation was a pretty good shortcut for her plan.
“A devouring technique?” Santino was shocked when he saw the large energy vortex forming around Gloria. Moments later, the spiritual energy inside the entire hall was drained, creating what seemed to be a “spiritual energy vacuum.”
The instant he noticed the technique she had cultivated was the devouring technique, he swiftly released an energy shield to protect the magical herbs.
Otherwise, the spiritual energy contained within the magical herbs would have been devoured as well. “Very nice!” Santino waved his hand.
Upon stopping her technique, Gloria pretended to ask ardently, “How’s my talent, Santino?”
“The devouring technique demands a lot from one spiritual bone. Since it has a limit on how much you can absorb, if you’re not careful, your body will explode, and you’ll die. Even still, if you use magical herbs to nurture your body, you’ll be able to expand the limit of the devourer spiritual bone. It seems like you’ve yet to master the technique, Gloria. However, once you receive my teachings, you’ll be able to improve greatly. In conclusion, your talent for cultivation is pretty good. Once I’ve concluded my matters in the mundane world, I shall officially accept you into Void Sect,” he commented.
With a grateful expression, Gloria thanked, “Thank you for taking me in, Santino!”
Even though she didn’t show it on her face, she was actually quite shocked. Her lack of mastery over the devouring technique earlier was intentional on her part.
She had been worried Santino would give her trouble due to jealousy. What surprised her was that he managed to notice the intricacies of the technique. Not only that, he even outright pointed out the limitations of the technique.
“You really are impressive, Santino. Your knowledge and observational skills are leagues ahead of Grant’s and Hansel’s.” Gloria sneered in her mind. Sadly, I’ve already thought of a way to remove the limit of the devouring technique. Using Heavenly Thunder to metamorphose, I’ll be able to expand the limit continuously.
Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough spiritual ley lines around for me to absorb. So many divine ley lines—possibly even holy ley lines—will be waiting for me to devour when I enter Kenfort. When that happens, I doubt I won’t be able to stand at the peak of the world.
“While I do have the intention of taking you in, it’s mostly because you fought for the chance.” Santino paused before continuing. “With my guidance, you’ll be able to improve rapidly in the future.”
“I won’t forget your help,” Gloria uttered directly. The smile on his face became wider. It was rare for him to meet someone who could swiftly understand what he meant.
What he was trying to imply earlier was that she shouldn’t forget about him once she became successful. Even in Kenfort, only those who helped each other could last long.
It involved many aspects.
For example, if one were to accept a disciple who was exceptionally talented, it would be very helpful to the expansion of one’s sect. As a result of that, the materials for cultivation that the master would receive would increase too.
The saying that people in close proximity to a lucky person would also get lucky was proven even more true in Kenfort.
“You’re a good disciple!” Santino nodded satisfactorily.
Then he changed the topic. “I heard you lot had run into some trouble. With me around, you all can do whatever you want without worry.”
“With someone as powerful as you backing us up, we’ll definitely be able to wipe out Levi’s base in no time at all,” Gloria flattered again.
“Go and prepare!” he uttered in a deep voice. “Those who stand in our way will be cut down by the merciless blade of my sword!”
Chapter 3715 The Biggest Crisis At The Base The arrival of Santino dispelled any reservations Gloria, Wade, and the others had. Those reservations included the ones they had toward Thundera and the few Paladins of Bluesky Sect.
After all, Santino held a high position in Void Sect, and he was the vice sect leader’s best pupil. If anything were to happen to him, the entire Void Sect would definitely avenge him.
“Bone Grandmaster, you’ll leave a batch of Fatalis Warriors and stay hidden outside the base to ensure that the ones who flee are all dead.”
“Xylas, you’ll lead the Glorian Order’s elites to target the base’s council members. You don’t need to hold back this time. You don’t need to restrain yourself in taking your revenge anymore.”
Gloria gave her orders. Xylas was excited. Levi and the others had been the main reason for the annihilation of the two deviant clans back then.
The last part, especially. Levi had done that to let Azure Dragon and the rest get rid of their inner demon, but what he had done had tormented Xylas. “I’m going to crush those ants myself. No one is allowed to steal my prey from me!”
Xylas then licked his lips, looking as if he was a bloodthirsty demon. “Remember to keep Floyd alive. He could still be of some use.”
“Don’t worry, Master. I know what to do,” Xylas replied. Gloria nodded in satisfaction before turning to the other core members. “You’ll split up to station around the base’s outermost ring. Keep a close eye on Levi’s subordinates and the Ecclesiastic Order members.”
“Understood!” Gloria had made up her mind to get rid of Thundera once and for all.
It was almost time for her to enter Kenfort, and she could not possibly afford to leave Thundera and the Ecclesiastic Order around, for they were bound to be trouble in the future.
The moment the order was issued, the entire Glorian Order began working on their respective tasks. The small sects that had been merged into the Glorian Order were also fulfilling their tasks by barricading the base.
On the other side, in the Ecclesiastic Order, Thundera was arranging the army formations for the last preparations before the battle.
“The head of each faction will lead their men. You must cut off all routes to the base and not let anyone go. The best will be to capture Levi’s core apprentices, family, and friends alive. I want to be the one to kill them to warn those madmen who try to show off in the Ecclesiastic Order,” Thundera icily said.
“Levi is grievously injured, and the others at the base is of no threat to us.”
Ever since Thundera returned, the Acting Minister of the Ecclesiastic Order had taken a step back to become the second-in-command. Nevertheless, he remained a crucial member of the order.
“The key thing is, how will we deal with Wade and Void Sect’s fighters? The Glorian Order has murdered too many of our members, and we mustn’t let them go. Master Thundera, have you ever thought about how we should take the opportunity to get rid of the Glorian Order?”
Hearing that, Thundera’s gaze turned cold.
“I’ve thought about this as well since Levi’s party no longer poses a threat to us. I won’t be staying in the mundane world for long, and I will not let the Glorian Order continue to flourish here. One day, they’ll become a threat too. However, it’s too tricky to deal with Void Sect. We can only hope for Hansel’s aide.”
Thundera could not help but feel a wave of worry as he said that. It was because he had received news about Hansel getting closer to Gloria.
Furthermore, every time they met, they met in private. No one knew what that man and that woman did behind closed doors.
If the two were going to be partners in cultivation, it would be even tougher to get rid of the Glorian Order.
“Master Thundera, to my knowledge, the Glorian Order bears a grudge against the Esoteric Guild as well. Why don’t we discreetly contact the Esoteric Guild to play safe?” the Acting Minister of the Ecclesiastic Order suggested.
Thundera mulled over his words with a frown, but alas, he shook his head.
“I’m afraid the Esoteric Guild will not be able to help us with anything in face of Kenfort fighters. Furthermore, if news about this gets leaked out, we’ll alert the Glorian Order of our plans,” Thundera rejected.
Chapter 3716 Santino Shows Up At A Critical Moment “Master Thundera, you’ve really put in much effort in this, but the Ecclesiastic Order currently isn’t in control of the situation. If we don’t have any alliances, it will be impossible for us to get rid of the Glorian Order,” the Acting Minister said with a sigh.
Right then, soft footsteps came from the outside. Then, Hansel entered with his men.
“Bad news. We’ve just heard that Santino of Void Sect has arrived in this world and is currently in the Glorian Order,” Hansel solemnly uttered.
“What?” Thundera yelled as he leaped in shock. Santino was the core of the Void Sect. If he was getting involved in this, there was no way they were going to be able to lay a finger on the Glorian Order.
In fact, the lives of the Paladins and the young master of the Bluesky Sect would be in danger. “How did they do that?” Thundera was baffled.
Jasper sighed before replying, “I heard that Wade and the others had found many magical herbs, and their finding alerted Void Sect’s council members.”
“Darn it! Darn it all!” Thundera slammed the table in fury. He never thought that Santino would appear at such a critical moment.
“Let’s not force ourselves to do anything to the Glorian Order for now,” Hansel suggested. “I doubt Santino would do anything to us if we don’t confront them head-on.”
“All right.”
Despite Thundera’s reluctance, he dared not go against Hansel’s suggestion.
Furthermore, Bluesky Sect’s fate was on the line, so Thundera did not dare to suggest anything else.
Meanwhile, at the Esoteric Guild, the theurgists were all discussing a plan as well.
Their main topic was whether or not they should send someone out to help Levi overcome his crisis.
The theurgists in the guild were split into two factions because of that.
One side wanted to remain uninvolved to ensure their safety, and the other side wanted to land a helping hand to Levi’s party.
After a long intense argument, the master theurgist finally came to a decision.
“If Levi’s party gets annihilated, we’ll end up with the same fate as well, for the Glorian Order would never let the Esoteric Guild go.”
“Caelum, lead thirty elite theurgists to aid them. If you must, you can use Heavenly Thunder to kill your enemies. Of course, we can have a plan B. If needed, we’ll claim that Caelum has betrayed the Esoteric Guild and fled with his trusted subordinates.”
Caelum did not mind becoming the scapegoat. After all, he wanted to help, for he felt that Gloria was not going to stop so easily.
In the meantime, the people in the base were all preparing to defend themselves. Nevertheless, the tripartite alliance outside the base was already carrying out its plans.
The informants stationed outside kept bringing back bad news. When the people found out that the base had been barricaded, they panicked.
Their panic worsened when they heard that Void Sect had sent another top-level fighter to aid the Glorian Order.
“What’s the point of fighting? We might as well surrender and wait for them to kill us instead.”
“Boss is grievously injured, and Evie has abruptly left the base. Now, our enemy is even having another elite fighter joining their ranks. We’re doomed!”
“What are you quaking in your boots for? At most, we’ll fight to our deaths. We’re going to make them pay a hefty price for our deaths!”
Although many were talking about how they were going to fight to their last breaths, they, too, were not confident about the battle.
Of course, it was not because of their pessimistic demeanor; it was because their capabilities were truly worlds apart from their enemies.
“Have everyone who can fight clear a path out and try to get the younger apprentices out of this place. That way, we’ll be able to have someone to revive the organization. Contact all of the branch family forces that are outside and have them do their best to distract the attention of the tripartite alliance outside.”
Zoey and the rest were also making their final arrangements.
At the same time, the looks on Phoenix and the others were grim. They all knew that the chances of surviving the battle were slim.
However, they had prepared themselves for the worst-case scenario. In fact, they had readied themselves to fight to the death against the tripartite alliance.
In contrast, Floyd was much calmer than the others. He was even thinking of how he was planning to use the opportunity to make a name for himself and convince others to work for him.
The tension in the air was palpable as the battle was about to begin.
Chapter 3717 A Mere Bluesky Sect Gloria had made plans for almost all the factors she could think of, but still, she was not confident in winning the battle. Although Santino had stated earlier that he would cut down anyone in his way, Gloria wondered if those people included the ones from Bluesky Sect.
After all, she had heard that Hansel and Thundera were quite close. There was no guarantee that Bluesky Sect would not try to avenge them if she were to kill them.
Will Santino really keep his promise by then? “We have to check this over one last time, or else it’s too risky.”
With that in mind, Gloria went to Grant to tell him about the worries she had. By then, Grant was completely head over heels for Gloria. When he heard that the beautiful woman was plagued with worries, he decided to bring the Paladins to test things out.
Of course, Grant had plans of his own. He was going to tell Santino exaggerated tales of how arrogant Hansel and the others were.
“Don’t worry, Gloria. I’ll do my best to settle this for you,” Grant reassured her. Gloria beamed and replied, “Thank you very much, Grant.”
Gloria’s smile made Grant’s day, and he became even more eager to show off his capabilities to her. Soon, a few of them came to the room Santino was resting at. “Why have you come to me?” Santino queried.
Grant politely said, “Santino, there is something I wish to discuss with you. It’s something we wouldn’t dare to simply decide on.”
“Stop beating around the bush,” Santino impatiently said.
It was then Grant hastily explained, “Here’s the thing. We were forced to ally ourselves with the Ecclesiastic Order previously. The young master of Bluesky Sect, Hansel Xanadu, once told us that he would kill us all if we didn’t form an alliance with him. I’m sure that you know their numbers surpass ours, as well as their capabilities, so—”
Before Grant was done speaking, Santino cut him off, “B*stards! Losers! How can Void Sect be oppressed by a small sect? Even if you’re not the top Paladins around, you’re still elite apprentices of our sect. Could you not have a little more courage?”
Santino was a prideful man, and he never thought that Grant and the others would be that cowardly. Thus, he was livid.
“Santino, please calm down. We were too cautious, and that was why we ended up humiliating Void Sect’s reputation,” Grant said, using a reasonable excuse to explain his inadequacy. Then, he sang flattering praises to Santino to persuade him, “Now that we have you with us, we have regained our confidence. Thus, we’re hoping for your aid when the time comes to rid Thundera and the others.”
Grant’s flattery worked.
“Are you genuinely hesitating on something as trivial as this?” Santino gritted out before huffing. “Fear nothing and just do it. I’ll bear the responsibility for this.”
“But, Santino, what if Bluesky Sect sends their best men to this?” Gloria wasted no time asking.
Santino rose to his feet and scoffed in disdain. “A mere Bluesky Sect means nothing to me. We’ll ignore them if they choose to hold themselves back, but if they foolishly decide to retaliate, I shall wipe them all out. However, there is one thing. I want you all to bring the magical herbs and the child by Levi’s side back in one piece. Do you understand?”
Santino had long heard about how Levi had countless magical herbs and about how he had an unusually gifted daughter.
If he were to keep her under his wing, she might grow up to be someone useful to him.
As a matter of fact, Santino was willing to kill anyone who stood in his way of getting those things.
“Understood!”
Chapter 3718 Not A Simple Woman On the other side, at the Ecclesiastic Order, Thundera and the rest received reliable news about how Santino of Void Sect had arrived at the Glorian Order.
Almost at the same time, news came from Gloria’s side requesting the Ecclesiastic Order to be the main assault party against the left wing.
According to the information they had received, the defensive formation of Levi’s base’s left wing was the most powerful formation of the entire base, and elite fighters were stationed there as well.
“She’s clearly throwing the hardest bone to chew on to us so that she’ll tire us out,” Thundera angrily uttered. Jasper chimed in, “I’m afraid the Glorian Order is already making a move against the Ecclesiastic Order and Bluesky Sect.”
“It can’t be, right?” Hansel muttered in disbelief.
“Master Hansel, I’ve wanted to remind you about this a long time ago. Gloria is no simple woman. Based on what I know, a few Paladins in Void Sect had fallen in love with her. Master Hansel, it’s best if you keep your guard up. If you don’t, you might end up affecting the entire sect, and the master of the sect might not forgive you for that.” Jasper pointed out somberly.
It was nothing short of a chiding, but surprisingly, Hansel did not fly into a rage.
That was because not only was Jasper the elder of Bluesky Sect, but he was also an elder who shared the same ancestry as his father. Strictly speaking, Hansel would have to refer to Jasper as one of his grandfathers.
“Don’t worry. I know what to do.”
Hansel replied with a grim look. Then, in an annoyed tone, he said, “I wonder what these people did to invite Santino to their ranks.”
“Could it be that Gloria seduced him?” Thundera tentatively suggested.
Hansel furrowed his brows, upset to hear that.
However, Jasper waved his hands dismissively and said, “I don’t think so. From what I know, Santino practiced Stoneheart Swordsmanship. The first step for learning the technique is to cut off all feelings. Charm Technique will be ineffective against Santino.”
At that, Hansel let out a sigh inwardly, but a confused expression remained on his face.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Glorian Order has been searching for magical herbs everywhere. Furthermore, it’s highly likely that Gloria is the one who stole Levi’s God Crusher. It’s possible that she has attracted the attention of Void Sect’s council members if she had offered them God Crusher,” Thundera speculated.
Hansel and the others raised their brows and nodded in agreement.
After all, the master of the Void Sect trained in swordsmanship, and what they lacked was a powerful weapon.
“If that’s the case, the Glorian Order’s true target might be us!”
Jasper’s expression turned grim, and so did Hansel’s as the latter’s heart began thumping wildly.
If Santino were to strike, the entire Bluesky Sect would be decimated. It would no longer be merely the issue of staying alive.
After all, Santino was one of Void Sect’s council members. Most of the things he did, he did as a representative of the sect.
Furthermore, Santino was one of the most talented young individuals in Kenfort—he was even one of the top participants in the sect competition the year before.
Most importantly, even if they managed to end Santino’s life, Void Sect would certainly send out fighters to avenge Santino.
It did not help that Santino’s master was the vice sect leader of Void Sect, so anything happening to Santino would trigger a whole series of chain effects.
Hansel and the others were terrified. Their sect’s survivability was on the line, so there was no room for mistakes.
“If only Levi were still at the prime of his power. We could have worked together to fight our enemies,” Hansel said with a sigh.
He was beginning to regret acting too haughtily when he went for the negotiation. Otherwise, he would still have Levi as an ally.
Even if they could not defeat Santino, they could still blame everything on Levi when Void Sect came to hold them accountable for the incident.
“Master Hansel, Mr. Xanadu, what are we going to do now?”
Even Thundera’s voice was shaking as he said that.
Chapter 3719 Toying Levi Thundera was observing the expressions of Hansel and the others the whole time. When they guessed that the Glorian Order’s true target was Bluesky Sect, Thundera saw fear in their eyes.
Bluesky Sect was his biggest supporter. If they decided to step out of the situation, he was doomed. Hence, dread twisted in Thundera’s guts. He even let out a string of curses at Hansel in his mind.
If not for Hansel’s arrogance, Levi might have agreed to the alliance, and they would have had control over the current situation. “Sort out the best people in the Ecclesiastic Order. I’ll bring them to join Bluesky Sect,” Hansel said after a moment of contemplation.
Since there was a likelihood that Santino would target Bluesky Sect, expanding the sect to empower it had become Hansel’s priority.
Even though there were few members of the Ecclesiastic Order who could enter Kenfort, that would not be a major issue if he were to lower his standards. “All right!” Thundera swiftly agreed.
He would benefit from that as well, for he was only just a minor leader in Bluesky Sect. If the members of the Ecclesiastic Order were to join the sect, they might end up helping him rise in the ranks.
Jasper then said in a low voice, “It’s best if we deal with the base blitzkrieg-style. Then, we’ll take away all the magical herbs that Levi owns. Oh, right. Didn’t you say that Forlevia’s spiritual bone is exceptionally wondrous? Regardless of whether we’ll be cultivating it or taking it out for our own use, we’ll capture her as well.”
Hansel expressed his agreement to that. “Once we’re done with all these things, we’ll flee back to Bluesky Sect immediately. There’s no need for us to get into a direct confrontation with Santino.”
Jasper nodded and added, “That’s right. We’ll make preparations to return to the sect. I’m sure Santino won’t launch an invasion into Bluesky Sect without a good reason either. Moreover, we still have the formation left behind by our elders to defend the sect. Even if Santino were to initiate an attack, we’ll drag Void Sect to hell with us.”
“That’s decided, then. We’ll launch the attack on the base earlier than planned, and we’ll wrap this up as quickly as we can,” Thundera promptly concluded, for that was a plan that benefited him the most as well.
Not only would that be able to let him have his revenge, but he would even be able to keep himself safe.
After that, Thundera issued the order to his subordinates to attack the base at midnight.
That was eight hours earlier than the time they had agreed upon with the Glorian Order.
On the other side, Gloria had finished making her arrangements.
All of her plans were meticulous, especially the ones that involved the Ecclesiastic Order members. She made sure to have all the routes blocked off.
“Don’t worry, Master. Thundera and his people will never get to run,” Xylas said insidiously.
He had been assigned to intercept and kill Thundera, and that was nothing challenging with his current cultivation level.
In addition, Xylas despised Thundera, for he felt that the other person to blame for the slaughter of his people was Thundera.
The only way for him to vent his anger was to kill Thundera with his own hands.
Gloria nodded, satisfied. She said, “We mainly want those from Void Sect to engage in a fight with them. All we need to do is to stay aside and reap the benefits at the end of the battle.”
“Aren’t they a bunch of conceited men? As long as we tell them that Bluesky Sect is too powerful for us to handle, they’ll initiate the attack themselves. In other words, these people are just mindless brutes!”
“Be nicer to our allies. They’re the best weapon we have, after all.” Gloria laughed smugly. “I wonder how long the base will last without Levi there. I hope they won’t be razed to the ground so quickly, or else it’ll be boring.”
“This is all because of your intellect, Master. You’ve managed to toy Levi!” Xylas praised.
At the base, Levi, who had pretended to be on the verge of death, had calculated the approximate time for the tripartite alliance to strike. Upon getting his answer, he immediately recalled his subordinates, who were metamorphosizing outside.
Chapter 3720 Overly Optimistic The four commanding figures, Cyrus, Wynona, Mia, and Forlevia, returned. Bruno and the eighty students returned in several batches as well. Finally, Heavenly League led by Daxon and Edmund returned as well.
While they were outside, the members of Heavenly League had been discreetly using the super-spiritual ley line to upgrade their cultivation level at Levi’s arrangement. Some of the members even took the pill that Chad provided for their cultivation upgrade.
Although Heavenly League members did not have vast improvement, they were finally just a little weaker than students like Bruno. All of them rushed to the outside of the base, but Levi decided to continue pretending to be severely injured as he waited for the battle to begin.
However, Zoey, Floyd, and the rest knew nothing about Levi’s arrangements as they continued to fortify their defenses.
Everyone was incredibly tense.
Fortunately, these people were skilled individuals who had been through hundreds of battles. Otherwise, the stress alone would have rendered them insane.
Even so, those with important duties were mentally and physically tired. Their willpower was the only thing that kept them upright.
While they got ready for battle, Forlevia returned to the base through the secret tunnel.
It was then the people saw the unfazed expression on Forlevia’s face and heard the soft tune she hummed. It was as if she was in a whole different world from them.
“Kids will always be kids. She doesn’t register the impending danger at all. How is she still capable of smiling like this?”
“Boss is barely holding on to life, but his daughter still seems so nonchalant. How sad is this!”
“Cut it out. Even we adults are almost losing our minds from the stress, let alone a kid like her.”
“Are you saying that something’s wrong with Evie’s mind?”
“Maybe.”
The people talked among themselves, and Forlevia heard everything.
However, she knew that she could not clear things up with them right now.
After using the super-spiritual ley line to metamorphose, Forlevia refined her power to even greater heights.
Even though she did not choose the path of extreme devouring technique, the technique she came up with had as much potential as the extreme devouring technique with the help of the super-spiritual ley line’s spiritual energy.
In other words, the rate of improvement in Forlevia’s technique depended on the environment.
With the divine ley lines and holy ley lines around, the speed of her improvement with her own technique was on par with the extreme devouring technique. In fact, she was not even restricted by the limits of devouring.
“Evie, you never contacted us after leaving. I was so worried!” Zoey grumbled upon seeing Forlevia, but she was simply just feeling worried about her daughter.
“Mommy, I’m sorry to have worried you,” Forlevia apologized.
Zoey ruffled her hair and sighed. “Why did you come back here if you managed to escape?
The tripartite alliance’s fighters are sealing off the place, and we barely have any chance of winning. So, we’ve come to terms with the fact that our lives might end here. Run now. You’ll have a higher chance to flee this place alive with us covering for you.”
“Mommy, the battle is upon us. I’m Daddy and your daughter, so how can I run now?” Forlevia rejected her offer instantly.
“It’s not a matter of making sure that the people stay spirited anymore. It’s unlikely that we’re going to win this,” Zoey said, trying her best to convince Forlevia otherwise.
However, Forlevia nodded and said, “I got it, Mommy. Don’t be too stressed. The tables might turn soon! I’m going to check on Daddy first. Don’t tire yourself out too much.”
Without giving her mother a chance to say anything else, Forlevia ran off.
Zoey could only watch her daughter speed away, perplexed.
My daughter has always been sensible and smart enough to see the big picture, but why can’t she understand the current situation? How can she still say that the tables might turn?
“Isn’t she a little too optimistic?”
Zoey was truly puzzled. Doesn’t she sense the tension coming from the outside?