Ch. 3941..3950
Chapter 3941 What A Shame
Levi’s words were nothing but a blatant provocation. Consequently, Gavin’s expression grew solemn as he clearly recognized the challenge to his authority.
“How dare you!” Gavin snapped. “It looks like you have to suffer before you learn your lesson!” “Mr. Finnegan, why are you wasting time talking to him? Go ahead and kill him already.”
“You b*stard! How dare you disrespect Cordierite Association? Do you think that I won’t kill you just because you’re a blacksmith?”
“Mr. Finnegan, just give the order. Once we eliminate these insects, the magical herbs and premium ultimate weapons will be ours!”
The members of Cordierite Association—overwhelmed with excitement—didn’t see Levi as a threat at all.
It was then that Larissa whispered, “Master, these are the elites of Cordierite Association. We had better not aggravate them.”
“That’s right, Lord Garrison. Cordierite Association is way more powerful than Prime Association. They’re not someone we can afford to offend.”
Cheriette, too, was filled with anxiety, for Levi had already made plenty of enemies.
Firstly, it was Void Sect, followed by Eclipse Academy and Eclipse itself.
If he were to get on the nerves of Cordierite Association, too, wouldn’t it threaten our lives in Kenfort going forward? After all, regardless of how strong Levi is, he’s still just one man!
The smiling Levi reassured them, “Do these men look like they come in peace? Anyway, say no more. I know what must be done.”
Faced with Levi’s resoluteness, Cheriette and Larissa didn’t dare remonstrate further, for they knew how obstinate he could be.
Once a decision was made, there just was no going back for him.
“Young man, I’ll give you one last chance. If—”
“There’s no if, and I don’t need you to give me a chance.” Levi cut Gavin off.
“All this while, I fought for my own opportunities and never had to rely on a nobody to give them to me.”
Did this b*stard just call me a nobody? His insolence is unforgivable!
As the corners of his lips began to twitch, Gavin could feel the rage swelling rapidly within him.
“Beat this impudent fool to a pulp but keep him alive. As for the girls, kill them. It will serve as a lesson to him,” Gavin barked.
His orders caused Cheriette and Larissa to stagger back in fear amidst the drastic change in their expressions.
Nonetheless, the relaxed Levi remarked, “Now that Dragon’s Grave and Thunder Slaughterer have just been forged, I coincidentally need to baptize them with the blood of elite warriors. Even though you’re not up to the standard I’m looking for; I’ll have to make do. After all, the blade and the sword aren’t picky about their food. So, stop wasting time, and come at me all at once!”
While speaking, Levi waved his hand to summon Dragon’s Grave and Thunder Slaughterer. Obeying his orders unconditionally, both weapons flew straight into his hands.
“Stand back, all of you. I alone will be enough!”
No sooner had the voice rang out than a fighter of Cordierite Association dashed forward.
With a quick flick of his hand, a blade emerged with a howl as it bore down upon Levi’s head.
Despite Gavin ordering Levi to be spared, the attacker figured that it was prudent to have the former killed. The sudden murderous intent was triggered by Levi’s brazen response.
As the blade cut through the air at lightning speed, it appeared right before Levi’s head in a flash.
In spite of that, Levi stood his ground without moving a muscle, as if he was oblivious to the impending attack.
“With that little skill, what gave him the gall to behave with such impunity? Does he really think a blacksmith’s life is worth a lot?”
“Elder Ragsdill is already brimming with murderous intent. What a shame that it’s too late to stop him.”
“It doesn’t matter. Cordierite Association has taken in a lucrative haul in the form of the four premium ultimate weapons.”
With the crowd debating in the background, Gavin felt that it was a shame for Levi to be cut down just like that.
“I’m sorry we have to lose such a skillful blacksmith this way.”
Yet, what happened next utterly shocked Gavin before he could finish lamenting.
Chapter 3942 I Am After Your Lives
Clang! A slicing sound was heard before the Cordierite Association’s fighter’s sword broke into two.
Whoosh! The next moment, blood spurted in midair, and that fighter’s head was separated from his body.
His body collapsed on the ground, stirring up a thick cloud of dust. The dust particles that were dancing about in the air seemed to be mocking the man for not knowing his place.
Gasp! The crowd gasped in shock when they saw that happening. Even though that elder wasn’t the strongest fighter on his team, he was definitely not weak.
How is it possible for him to be killed that quickly? “Everyone, please don’t panic. Elder Ragsdill was just too careless. His ultimate weapon and recklessness had put him at a disadvantage.”
“That’s right. That guy had only won because of his premium ultimate weapon.”
“To make things easier, let’s attack together! We don’t want any unnecessary complications.”
The fighters from Cordierite Association recovered from their shock quickly and attributed Levi’s win to his premium ultimate weapon.
Gavin said in a deep voice, “Let’s kill him if we can’t capture him alive. Most importantly, stay safe.”
Everyone was stunned when they heard that. After all, the man’s forging technique was unparalleled. It would not be too exaggerated to compare him to Weapon God.
“Charge!” Gavin ordered.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The elites of Cordierite Association drew out their swords simultaneously and charged toward Levi from all directions.
“Prepare to die, you insolent brat!”
“It’s a glorious death to be killed by all of us.”
“Exactly. You should feel honored that we are combining forces to kill you.”
In the eyes of those fighters, at that moment, Levi was no different from a corpse.
The man was still standing rooted to the spot, showing no signs of fear as his opponents closed in on him.
“Is this all you got? Well, I’m really disappointed.”
Levi held Dragon’s Grave in his right hand and waved the weapon in the air. A surge of terrifying sword energy was instantly unleashed.
At the same time, the man drew out the domineering Thunder Slaughterer and faced his opponents head-on.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of clashing metal reverberated through the air as Thunder Slaughterer sliced the elites’ blades into pieces.
The atmosphere was badly distorted due to the heat and terrifying energy that was released during the attack.
Creak!
Seconds later, the sound of metal cracking resonated in the air.
It turned out that the weapons belonging to the Cordierite Association’s fighters were not able to withstand the Thunder Slaughterer’s powerful energy and shattered into pieces.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The next instant, spurts of blood shot into the air as anguished cries rang out.
Cordierite Association’s elites collapsed and died wherever the sword energy swept past.
Within three breaths, nine of them were already killed.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The seven remaining fighters retreated at once and were dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed.
“H-How… How is this possible?”
“How can he have such terrifying powers?”
“Mr. Finnegan, his cultivation level is way beyond us!”
The remaining surviving fighters of Cordierite Association were shuddering in terror as fear gripped their hearts.
Not only did their combined attack not manage to hurt Levi, but they also lost half of their members.
Gasp!
Gavin sucked in a breath, his eyes filled with shock and fear.
He did not remember when the last time he felt that terrified was.
Within such a short while, ten elites were already exterminated by Levi effortlessly. It was a feat that even the most formidable warriors of hidden sects might not accomplish.
“You… W-Who are you?” Gavin asked. He was trembling uncontrollably, and his knees were almost giving way.
Suddenly, a sense of foreboding washed over the man as he recalled what the bounty hunters had said about the robber.
Levi approached the group slowly with a faint smile on his face. “I’m the one who is after your lives,” he said.
Chapter 3943 Wiped Out
Instantly, the surviving fighters of Cordierite Association lost their will to fight, and their hearts sank.
Levi’s powers were beyond what they had ever seen, and they knew that there was no point in them carrying on the fight as they were completely not the man’s match.
Refusing to accept reality, Gavin said, “Sir, please calm down. Let’s talk things through peacefully. No matter what conditions you have, I will try my best to fulfill them.”
The other elites of Cordierite Association looked toward Levi with a glimpse of hope in their eyes.
That was their only chance to live.
“If we switched positions, would you let me live?” Levi questioned back.
Gavin found himself at a loss for words. Deep down inside his heart, he knew that he would not do that. He understood very well that the root of a problem had to be tackled to prevent the same problem from resurging.
“Mr. Finnegan, we might still stand a chance to survive if we give it our all.”
“If we are going to die anyway, we might as well put up a good last fight.”
“You guys hold him back. I’ll go take those two women as hostages,” Gavin said telepathically to the others, who were encouraged at once.
They were confident that their plan would work.
“Let’s attack!”
Following Gavin’s command, the other elites of Cordierite Association launched themselves at Levi.
Almost simultaneously, Gavin charged toward Cheriette and Larissa.
The two groups were in sync with their actions, and it seemed like a foolproof plan. Gavin was feeling positive that they would succeed.
“What a puny trick!”
Levi let out a derisive snort before drawing out his sword.
Thunder roared in the background, and lightning flashed continuously across the sky, instantly blocking Gavin’s attack.
The leader of the group felt a numbing sensation in his body as he was held back by the pressure caused by the sword energy that was released.
As for the others, their combined attack was blocked by an energy whirlwind created by Dragon’s Grave.
Two of Cordierite Association’s fighters were unable to dodge in time and were sucked into the whirlwind, instantly turning into two clouds of bloody mist.
The other elites also suffered different degrees of injuries. Levi’s casual attack had once again thrown his opponents into despair.
“D*mn it!” Gavin cursed in disbelief as he wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth.
His seventeen-man team had been reduced to just five of them. Moreover, all five of them were injured.
“Run! We should escape in five different directions!” Gavin instructed the others telepathically.
Without hesitation, the rest of the fighters activated their spiritual energy and tried to escape.
“It’s too late to think of escaping now!”
As soon as Levi said that, a surge of sword energy shot out from Dragon’s Grave before Heavenly Thunder shot downward from the sky.
The fighters of Cordierite Association who were running away were all hit by Heavenly Thunder and were reduced to powder almost instantly.
If they were not injured, they might have been able to defend themselves against Heavenly Thunder.
However, given that they were all suffering from internal injuries, their death was inevitable.
When Gavin saw the scene before him, his heart sank.
However, before he could analyze the situation further, he felt a strong gush of wind charging at him from behind.
“Sh*t!” Gavin cursed under his breath.
Instinctively, he activated an energy shield to protect himself.
The energy emanating from Gavin’s body started to spread out into the surroundings in an attempt to resist the immense wave of energy that was sweeping toward him.
Crack!
The energy shield shattered the second Thunder Slaughterer came into contact with it.
After penetrating the energy shield, Thunder Slaughterer pierced through Gavin’s body without slowing down.
Whoosh!
A split second later, the blood that spilled out of Gavin’s body turned into a cloud of red mist due to the scorching heat from Thunder Slaughterer’s Earthfire.
Shock and terror were written all over Gavin’s face. Moments later, the man collapsed on the ground and turned into a ball of fire before burning to ashes.
With that, all seventeen elites of Cordierite Association were wiped out.
Chapter 3944 He Is Here
In the face of Levi’s crushing attacks, the opponents were helpless and unable to fight back. “Retreat!”
As Levi issued the command, Dragon’s Grave and Thunder Slaughterer flew back into his palms. “Not bad! Not bad at all!” Levi was delighted at the combat prowess of both the ultimate weapons.
In the earlier fight, Levi did not harness too much power while battling the elite fighters of Cordierite Association. Instead, he primarily relied on his ultimate weapons when he made his moves.
This would explain why the Kenfort sects are pursuing premium ultimate weapons. These weapons are able to enhance combat prowess when one’s own cultivation is lacking. Even as I’m fighting against others, I can conserve energy thanks to these weapons.
Levi deduced that if he had to take on so many fighters of Cordierite Association at once, he would have needed to spend twice the amount of energy, even if that was no big deal to him.
“You two! Stop daydreaming and check out the loot these guys have brought with them,” said Levi as he waved a hand at the two women.
Cheriette and Larissa could feel their bodies stir as if they’d been jolted out of a dreamlike state.
Levi’s powerful combat prowess had once again refreshed their memories.
After all, he had just taken on a group of seventeen people whose power could easily rival that of the sect leader of Eclipse.
Yet, they had perished in such a short amount of time!
On top of that, Levi had not even exerted that much energy!
The two women gulped as they shared wide-eyed glances with each other.
One could clearly see the awe in their faces.
When the three of them boarded the cloudship, they saw many magical herbs and weapons for both offensive and defensive purposes.
Levi walked around and pointed out each weapon he saw in the armory. “Solar Shield, Flaming Crossbow, Cloud Spear… This equipment is decent enough to be on par with ultimate weapons. Look, there are also a number of pills. It seems like they spent a lot of resources combing through Dragon’s Grave Valley.”
Larissa mentally took note of all the loot on board. In the past, she would have definitely considered these items to be priceless treasures.
However, seeing Levi’s forging technique and ultimate weapons made all those ultimate weapons pale in comparison.
“Someone is approaching!”
Levi arched a brow. Immediately, Cheriette and Larissa were on high alert. They instinctively thought that Cordierite Association had sent over reinforcements.
The three of them then turned to face the southeast, and they saw a burly figure approaching them. He seemed to walk in a zig-zag motion, continuously avoiding Heavenly Thunder that rained from the sky.
Rumble!
Heavenly Thunder continued to fall, creating potholes around the burly figure.
It was not until the figure approached the cloudship that the thunder soon began to calm.
The two women immediately realized that it was Floyd.
What’s he doing here?
Confusion arose in the hearts of the two women.
They had no idea that Floyd put his life at risk to enter Dragon’s Grave Valley out of concern for Levi’s safety.
Floyd had noticed a key detail when he encountered the cloudship in the past. The cloudship was capable of attracting all the energy from Heavenly Thunder and earth ley line deposits in the area.
It was also due to this that Floyd followed the cloudship at lightning speed.
Because the dual energy deposits slowed down the cloudship, Floyd was able to rush over as soon as he could.
On top of that, Floyd had been trying to conceal his tracks to avoid being discovered by Cordierite Association. This slowed him down considerably.
As Floyd managed a more coordinated pace with the cloudship, he was able to avoid detection by Cordierite Association.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Floyd to follow the aircraft in secret for so long without blowing his cover.
However, the last leg of the journey was slightly more difficult. The cloudship was swept away, and Floyd had to endure the constant bombardment of Heavenly Thunder. When this happened, he could only slow down and duck whenever necessary.
“Master, you’re okay?” asked Floyd, clearly surprised.
Chapter 3945 On Your Own
Floyd spared a cursory glance at the corpses that littered the surrounding area before noting that Levi was indeed fine. Immediately, Floyd’s heart was filled with excitement and confusion.
It was difficult for Floyd to accept the news of Levi’s death as proclaimed by the Eclipse sect leader.
However, as he saw the ominous clouds of Heavenly Thunder gathering at the core of the Dragon’s Grave Valley, Floyd sensed that Levi was in danger.
Floyd was insistent on breaching the core area to find out the truth for himself, despite not expecting Levi to survive. “Come now. Were you hoping something would happen to me?” asked Levi in jest.
Levi had guessed why Floyd was here. He also deduced that Floyd showed up to see things for himself.
In fact, this was one of the sole reasons why Levi chose not to kill Floyd, even after what the latter had done was revealed.
Floyd’s affection and loyalty toward his master ran deep. All of the treacherous things that happened were the result of Gloria’s orchestrations. “O-Of course not!” stammered Floyd in denial.
Levi’s kindness toward Floyd made feelings of regret pool in his heart. The latter felt that he was unable to face Levi after all that had happened.
“Stand over here, lest you be struck by Heavenly Thunder.” Levi then extended an arm toward Floyd. Floyd quickly approached Levi. When he realized Heavenly Thunder was not attacking Levi and the others, Floyd became quite puzzled.
The thunder seemed to strike other places, deliberately avoiding the area Levi was in. It was as if the thunder feared Levi.
“Master, what happened here?” asked Floyd as he pointed at the many corpses that lay haphazardly on the ground. Levi briefly recounted all that had happened.
As Levi spoke, Floyd became even more shocked. He had not expected Levi to wrestle control of Heavenly Thunder and merge the area with it.
Floyd then looked around and realized that plenty of magical herbs littered Arctic Lake, where many premium ultimate weapons were forged.
This meant that the strange vision from before was triggered by the premium ultimate weapons. “Congratulations on your cultivation, Master,” said Floyd sincerely.
Having spent so long at Kenfort, Floyd was more aware of the cruelty that happened here and why absolute power was so important.
Prior to this, Levi had made enemies everywhere. Floyd was genuinely concerned about the former’s safety, but now he could relax a little.
If Levi could so easily lay waste to the elites of Cordierite Association, how could ordinary people stand a chance against him?
I daresay that there are few in Kenfort who would pose a threat to Levi. This made Floyd quite happy for Levi.
“What do you plan to do next, Floyd?” asked Levi in a deep voice. “Why don’t you stick with me?”
Although Levi had a resigned attitude toward Floyd, he was still worried about his once-favored pupil.
As it stood, Floyd was currently obsessed with cultivation and devouring power. He could be driven to madness if this continued.
On top of that, Floyd was going to be targeted by multiple sects. If Floyd remained with Levi, the latter could try and pull him away from the edge of that dangerous slope.
“Don’t worry about me, Master. The path forward is mine to take.”
Floyd refused Levi quite simply. After all, his main purpose in coming here was to see if Levi was safe.
Now that he could see that Levi was indeed safe and sound, he saw no reason to linger.
As for the feud with Gloria, Floyd was going to take care of it personally.
“Master, if there is nothing else, I will depart,” said Floyd decisively.
Levi let out a gentle sigh and replied, “Very well. Since you’ve made your decision, I won’t keep you. However, it will be difficult for you to leave Dragon’s Grave Valley on your own. Without the cloudship shielding you, I doubt you can withstand the constant bombardment from Heavenly Thunder.”
Chapter 3946 Boots Of Hermes
Floyd fell silent after hearing that, knowing that Levi spoke the truth. Heavenly Thunder seemed to strike more frequently in the core area. Any injuries sustained there were going to be lethal.
Using the cloudship as a form of protection, Floyd was previously able to enter the core area without any problems. With Floyd’s cultivation level, he would have been blasted to smithereens ages ago.
“How about this? This cloudship bears a number of anti-thunder divine tools. Take some from the armory. It should aid you on your journey. You may also keep some of the magical herbs. If you constantly devour power, you will end up at the bottom of the pit.”
Levi paused before continuing, “The magical herbs are also purer in consistency. You’ll see less resistance from the body if you consume them.”
As such, Floyd did not refuse Levi’s kindness this time. “Well, Master, I’ll be off now.”
Floyd turned around to leave immediately after. As soon as he set foot outside of Levi’s radius, he was swiftly bombarded by Heavenly Thunder.
He hastily used the anti-thunder divine tool to mitigate the constant strikes. Very soon, Floyd disappeared from Levi’s line of sight.
Whoosh!
At lightning speed, Floyd moved to dodge the strikes of thunder. The destructive pressure and ringing in his ears from each strike sent chills down his spine.
It was not until he left the core area that the frequency of Heavenly Thunder strikes dropped significantly.
“I should be able to deal with Heavenly Thunder in the non-core area,” muttered Floyd to himself.
He then tossed aside the divine tools and herbs that Levi had given him.
“Master, I must rely on my own strength to take revenge. However, I appreciate your kindness.”
Floyd was a man with a one-track mind. Before this, he was determined to use the cloudship to breach the core area. Now, he had used a divine tool belonging to Cordierite Association to leave it.
It was up to one’s skills to survive being pelted by Heavenly Thunder in the non-core area. If one was struck, they likely deserved it.
Rumble!
Dark clouds gathered as flashes of Heavenly Thunder filled the air. It was obvious that the thunder had begun to gather where Floyd stood.
“I can’t stay here!”
Without hesitating any further, Floyd made a mad dash toward the outer core of Dragon’s Grave Valley.
Meanwhile, it came as no surprise to Levi to see Floyd depart in this manner.
After all, Floyd had always been like this.
Since the Gloria incident, Floyd had become even more paranoid. There was no saving him now.
“Let him be,” murmured Levi faintly.
Next, Levi began a careful inspection of the cloudship, trying to understand the mechanics and the structure of the aircraft.
Levi had been curious about the cloudship since he first laid eyes on it. This was a good opportunity for him to take a closer look.
Suddenly, inspiration struck Levi. If he understood the flight mechanics of the cloudship, Levi could then craft Boots of Hermes.
“Speed is the key factor in crafting Boots of Hermes. It can play a very important role whether you are fighting head-on or fleeing from battle,” murmured Levi thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Boots of Hermes could be crafted from Subdivine Bones. Any supplementary materials could be found aboard the cloudship.
Without straying from the original plan, Boots of Hermes could also be crafted in batches.
This tool was going to greatly enhance the combat prowess of the core personnel who used it.
“Speed and strength are the essential attributes of combat prowess, after all. Mastery of the two will be ideal,” said Levi to himself.
At the same time, Prime Association had not found any traces of Cordierite Association cloudship. It was as if the vessel had vanished into thin air.
The scouts posted along the periphery had yet to discover any clues.
Naturally, they did not think of Dragon’s Grave Valley as a possible site. After all, based on past scenarios, it was unlikely that Cordierite Association would be interested in such a small place.
Furthermore, the team transporting cultivation resources for Cordierite Association had never passed through Dragon’s Grave Valley. As such, the entourage did not even think of investigating the place.
When this piece of news reached Sylvan’s ears, he immediately issued orders to track the cloudship’s whereabouts and report any findings to him.
Chapter 3947 Cordierite Association Woes
At Cordierite Association, Albert and the other council members were waiting anxiously for news. Gavin had brought a garrison to Dragon’s Grave Valley three days ago. If there were no complications, he should have returned by now.
Even if a hiccup had occurred, they should have heard from Gavin. After all, Gavin had a communication device on him.
As such, Albert took the initiative to ask for feedback on the situation. However, the receiver remained silent. Till now, nobody had heard back from Gavin.
The air in the conference hall was tense. With a grave expression, Albert looked at the other council members seated around him. “What do you all think?”
Many of the council members did not seem disheartened. In fact, they rattled out some relevant deductions.
“You needn’t be too worried, Mr. Fitzgerald. Dragon’s Grave Valley may be a remote place, but it’s still a hidden realm. It’s likely that Mr. Finnegan has not been able to reach us.”
“He speaks sense. Given how the area is plagued by Heavenly Thunder, maybe it has caused an unstable magnetic field that jams their communication devices.”
“Who knows? Mr. Finnegan may very well return tomorrow!” Albert nodded, but the responses did nothing to assuage his anxiety.
“We’ll wait for news, then!” Since everyone felt this way, Albert thought that he could not let himself be seen like this. He was a leader, and leaders had to be calm.
However, seven days had since passed. Gavin had yet to send any word back. This made the council members anxious, in spite of their high spirits from before.
When something went wrong, there had to be bad things afoot. Nobody could deny the wisdom in these old sayings.
“Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Finnegan has got a team of seventeen fighters, all of whom are top of their class. Even if they encounter a large sect, they can defeat their enemies easily!”
“Even if they were ambushed, I’m sure that Mr. Finnegan can escape unscathed. Logically speaking, they should not have encountered any problems!”
“Indeed! It is the territory of Prime Association, but even if the Lightspring branch sends out their strongest, they’re no match for our fighters.”
Everyone expressed their opinions. Even though they were anxious, they found it hard to believe that anything could pose a threat to a team led by Gavin himself.
Albert frowned hard. The situation vexed him as well. “You mean that the threat originated from Dragon’s Grave Valley? Has anyone else entered the valley?” asked Albert grimly.
Everyone present shook their heads. They were the council members of Cordierite Association, after all. Why would they pay attention to such a remote area like Dragon’s Grave Valley?
“Mr. Fitzgerald, the biggest threat in the valley is Heavenly Thunder, but Mr. Finnegan is traveling in Thunder Cloudship!”
“That’s also true. Thunder Cloudship has a strong anti-thunder shield. I don’t think Heavenly Thunder will pose a threat to them.”
“Mr. Finnegan has also stocked up on thunder-proof equipment. They can definitely defend themselves!”
“Why don’t we send in a team to investigate?”
Albert rubbed the center of his furrowed brows while signaling for everyone to remain quiet. Very quickly, silence befell the hall.
“If we don’t hear from Mr. Finnegan by tomorrow, I’ll personally lead a team to investigate,” declared Albert loudly. He had made the final decision.
“We hear and obey!” said everyone in unison.
Seeing that everyone was making preparations, Alfred whipped out a communication device and sent another message to Gavin.
Meanwhile, Larissa was counting the number of magical herbs stashed away on the cloudship when she was distracted by a faint buzzing.
Turning around to look, she realized that the copper emitter was the source of the noise.
“What’s going on?” asked Cheriette. Even she had sensed that something was off.
Larissa picked up the communication device and noticed that a message had appeared.
Albert: What’s the situation at the site? I need a status update right away.
Albert: Did we encounter problems?
Albert: Are you still alive? I need details!
Chapter 3948 Stalling For Time
Larissa could clearly sense that the sender of the message was getting more and more anxious. “Who’s Albert?” asked Cheriette with curiosity.
Most of Cheriette’s time was spent cultivating within the sect. Any news of the outside world was given to her by the elders of the sect.
Thus, Cheriette knew about Cordierite Association but knew nothing of its leader.
“As far as I know, Albert Fitzgerald is the Chairman of Cordierite Association,” replied Larissa gravely. “The Willowbank branch is ranked second in the whole organization. This means that Albert Fitzgerald has immense power. A mere fart from this man is able to affect the decision-making process and turn things around.”
Cheriette turned pale with shock. Albert Fitzgerald is not someone to be trifled with!
Now that Levi had completely massacred the elites of Cordierite Association, this created a very big problem. As things stood, there was going to be no room for negotiations. “Lord Garrison, how do we respond?”
Cheriette turned to look right at Levi. “Tell them that everyone’s dead,” said Levi indifferently. “So what if it’s Cordierite Association? I’ll just kill them again if they choose to take revenge.”
Larissa and Cheriette’s hearts sank. While it was true that Levi had the skills to combat them, Cordierite Association was still a goliath entity in the area.
Even Prime Association was no match for them, especially when it came to combat force.
Cordierite Association consolidated power due to sheer strength. In the early stages of its development, they had resorted to plenty of underhanded tricks like murder and extortion.
With the expansion of Cordierite Association, they then turned to more “righteous” forms of business.
It was precisely due to Cordierite Association’s reputation for brute strength in the early stages that many of the most vicious and powerful casual cultivators in Kenworth joined them.
Moreover, the number of new recruits kept snowballing. They have thus become a very important part of Cordierite Association’s vast combat reserves.
In particular, the Willowbank branch was especially powerful. Its garrison ranked among the best within the major branches of Cordierite Association.
Levi had so far only managed to kill off a third of their men.
Such a flippantly belligerent response from Levi was therefore deemed worrisome.
“Master, you still need to forge Boots of Hermes and cannot be disturbed. Why don’t I try stalling them first? When you’re done forging what you need, we can tell them the truth. What do you think, Master?” asked Larissa cautiously.
Levi briefly fell silent before finally approving Larissa’s proposal.
“Thank you for your approval, Master.”
Larissa immediately boarded the cloudship with the communication device in her hand. One could not send out messages without it being paired with the cloudship. However, incoming messages could be received.
Fortunately, Larissa had utilized the cloudship before. Since there was nothing to block the reception, the transmission of messages was conducted very smoothly.
She informed them that the situation in Dragon’s Grave Valley was quite complicated. Due to the sheer number of magical herbs to be gathered, they were going to be a few days late.
Cordierite Association had initially been ready to send a team to investigate. After hearing the news, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Even Albert felt that his worries were misplaced this time around.
With Gavin leading the troops, combined with their combat prowess, they can easily handle themselves in a fight against any unknown sects. Thus, it was unlikely for a whole garrison to be wiped out.
I understand why complications may arise. All these secret areas have strange and complicated attributes that allow for these magical herbs to manifest.
Uncovering these mysteries will take time. A month, a few years, who know?
Having thought of this, Albert and the other Cordierite Association council members did not let their thoughts dwell on the matter. As such, they were going to wait patiently for Gavin to return with his hands full of treasures.
Chapter 3949 Major Discovery Of Heptino
In the forest at the outermost area of Dragon’s Grave Valley, a couple of figures were whizzing across the air at lightning speed.
They turned out to be Gloria and Heptino. In the end, both of them came to a halt before the hills.
“Gloria, this place is where the latest dragon ley line is discovered. I’ll keep an eye out for trouble outside so that you can devour the energy of the dragon ley line without any worries,” said Heptino, seemingly fishing for compliments.
After listening to his words, Gloria put on a sympathetic visage. “Thanks for all that you do to help bring my cultivation to a higher level, Heptino.”
“Why would you say that, Gloria? I’ll always do your bidding without any hesitation, even if it means going through hell and high water.” What Heptino had said was from the depths of his heart.
The next second, Gloria gave him a light smack on the forehead. “You silly boy! You know I couldn’t bear to see you putting yourself in harm’s way.”
The latter blushed at her words. It was a moment of unprecedented kindness and love for him, which only served to encourage him to do just about anything for Gloria.
“Hmm?”
Out of the blue, Gloria sensed an overwhelming surge of aura coming from the southeast.
Heptino, too, felt the same sensation. They both shifted their lines of sight toward the source, only to find that the core area of Dragon’s Grave Valley was once again gleaming with a multitude of colors.
Looking from afar, one might conclude that the horizon was like a painting of nirvana. With Heavenly Thunder rumbling and electric arcs dancing all over the area, it was as if mythical creatures were soaring through the sky.
Crack!
Lightning flashed as a deafening clap of thunder reverberated through the air. It was like the sky was going to tear apart.
In an instant, brilliant rainbow rays appeared and cast over the land.
“Is this… a miraculous phenomenon? I knew it. My hunch was right all along,” murmured Heptino to himself.
Gloria was equally shocked by the miraculous phenomenon before her eyes. Simultaneously, she also caught on to the hidden meaning in Heptino’s words.
She couldn’t help but ask, “What do you mean, Heptino? What sort of hunch?”
Heptino hadn’t the slightest intention to hide it from her. “Actually, Gloria, the last time I was here, I somehow sensed that there was a unique spiritual ley line somewhere in Dragon’s Grave Valley,” he truthfully revealed.
“A unique spiritual ley line, you say?”
Puzzlement filled Gloria on that note. As far as she knew, dragon ley lines had always been the ultimate spiritual ley line. She couldn’t comprehend how special that particular spiritual ley line could be.
Heptino then elucidated, “I can’t really explain it, but this spiritual ley line is much more potent than any dragon ley line, and I think it’s probably in the ground underneath the core area. Even so, the energy discharged by Heavenly Thunder at the core area of Dragon’s Grave Valley is way too lethal. Even robbers who were equipped with great cultivation had lost their lives there. There’s no way I can ever get close to it.”
“Are you sure that it’s stronger than dragon ley lines?” Gloria was thoroughly amazed.
Given that she could already benefit a lot from devouring the energy of a dragon ley line, she couldn’t imagine how far she would progress once she got her hands on the spiritual ley line that was far above dragon ley lines.
Heptino nodded. “I wasn’t certain before, but seeing the miraculous phenomenon a minute ago, that sensation of mine has become vivid. I suppose this underground spiritual ley line must have a terrifying power that’s several folds of that of any large dragon ley line, especially when it emanates a scorching aura like that. It’s got to be the purest of all. It’s just that I couldn’t go near it because of how weak I am!”
Heptino was brimming with disappointment as he spoke. He even felt sorry for being unable to fetch Gloria that spiritual ley line.
A sigh escaped from Gloria’s lips upon hearing his remarks. “There’s nothing we can do about it. Not even those robbers could’ve fended off Heavenly Thunder, let alone the two of us. Don’t dwell on it, Heptino. Since Heavenly Thunder is so deadly, it’ll serve as protection for the spiritual ley line, don’t you think?”
Gloria paused momentarily before adding, “For now, I’m going to focus on getting the spot of the new Empyrean of Eclipse. When that happens, I’ll then have access to an abundance of resources to improve my cultivation. And once my cultivation level reaches new heights, I’ll head to the core area of Dragon’s Grave Valley to find that super-spiritual ley line.”
At that point in time, the only thing that mattered to her was winning the Empyrean selection trial. Never would she want to mess anything up.
“I suppose you do have a point there, Gloria. All right, then. I’ll be on the lookout around the periphery,” stated Heptino in a deep voice.
Gloria bobbed her head in acknowledgment. “Okay.”
After the exchange, she poured all her attention on devouring the dragon ley line.
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Chapter 3950 Come At Me All At Once
It took Gloria about half a month to finish absorbing the dragon ley line. As she gained a boost in her cultivation, it bolstered her confidence in triumphing over the impending battle for the title of Empyrean.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, Eclipse’s Empyrean selection trial had commenced. During the qualifying rounds, there were thirty outstanding females from various sects who had managed to stand out.
Standing on the stage was one of the elders of Eclipse. He was announcing the rules of the competition.
“Now, the competition is about to begin. Contestants will compete in a single elimination bracket, and matchups will be determined by drawing lots. Winners will advance to the next round. At the end of the competition, the last woman standing will be crowned our brand-new Empyrean. While sparring, contestants are reminded to observe proprieties and are strictly prohibited from endangering the life of their opponents. Contestants who fail to comply with the said rules will be disqualified from the competition. The number tags can be found in the wooden box below the arena. You may start drawing lots.”
Following the end of the announcement, all thirty candidates began to draw lots. Gloria, for one, was so calm and collected. That would make sense, for she had just devoured a dragon ley line, hence further increasing her power. Naturally, she would think nothing of her competitors.
“To the contestants with tag number one, kindly proceed to the area and begin preparation.” Thus began the first round of the Empyrean selection trial.
As the candidates ascended the arena one after another, every one of them put their ultimate techniques into practice. The battles were intense.
Soon enough, the elimination list for the first round was out. As expected, Gloria was able to secure a victory without even breaking a sweat. To top that off, she had been using only one of her hands to fight her opponent throughout the duel.
Alas, before they could move on to the second round, the second lot drawing session had sparked objections among the contestants.
“Elder, some contestants have had fairly weak opponents in the first round, so they’ve won without exerting much stamina. It’s unfair to people like us who had fought neck and neck.”
“I second that, Elder. Luck really plays too much of a part in that that it becomes no longer a fair fight.”
“Plus, they even got themselves a bye for the next match. What kind of luck is that?”
One by one, the candidates lodged a protest. Almost all eyes were on Gloria.
There were fifteen of them remaining to compete in the second round, so there had to be one contestant who would earn a bye into the third round. As chance would have it, Gloria was the lucky one to be given that privilege.
Considering that she also had an easy win in the first round, the others felt aggrieved and were jealous of her.
Then came the elder’s utterance with a smile. “Gloria, would you like to throw in your two cents on their doubts?”
Gloria fell into a light trance before giving her response. “Elder, what they said actually makes sense.”
“Oh? What do you plan to do, then?”
The elder was quite surprised, for he thought that Gloria would use the rules as an excuse to demand the continuance of the competition. After all, only that would place the latter at an advantage.
The other contestants were just as taken aback by the turn of events as well. They were merely attempting to appeal for a longer break time so that they could recuperate better and unleash their most powerful combat skills in the subsequent match.
Still and all, they were afraid of being the nail that stuck out and leaving a bad impression on the council members of Eclipse.
Because of that, they directed their hostility toward Gloria unanimously. From their perspective, not only was Lady Luck smiling at Gloria, but Gloria was also exceptionally strong.
In their endeavors to attain the title of Empyrean, Gloria was but their greatest hindrance.
“Since every one of you think that it’s unfair, I don’t mind introducing a handicap on myself. All of you can come at me at once. Defeat me, and the bye would be void.”
Gloria’s voice rang in the audience’s ears.
Whoosh!
The crowd flew into an uproar instantly, their gazes fixated on Gloria in astonishment.
“Has this woman gone mad?”
“How arrogant of her to even think of taking on all of us at the same time!”
“Some nerves she has to look down on us!”
“We need to teach her a lesson of a lifetime. She should learn that there’s always someone better than her.”
The fellow candidates were inundated with indignation.
Wearing an earnest demeanor, the elder advised, “This isn’t the time to be willful, Gloria! You’d better think twice before letting words slip out like that.”
Truth be told, the council members of Eclipse had high hopes for Gloria. Nevertheless, it would be a challenge for the latter to claim victory should she pit herself against all of them in one attempt.
“Yes, Elder. I’ve already thought it through.”
Gloria paused for a bit before going on solemnly, “Speaking of which, if I emerge victorious, I’ll be ordained the new Empyrean straightaway, correct?”