Chapter 219: The Intruder

The Intruder

[VOID SPEAR SOVEREIGN SYSTEM]

• NAME: Lothe [Surname Unknown]

• RACE: Human

• BLOODLINE: Unknown [Locked]

• CLASS: Spearman

• SUBCLASS: Array/Talisman Master, Armament Master

• RANK: Level 6, Tier 1 [Core Formation Realm, Early Stage]

• EXP: 10,000 / 100,000

• HP: 7,000 / 10,000

• QI POOL: 20,000 / 20,000

[ATTRIBUTES]

• Strength: 1,200, • Agility: 1,350, • Constitution: 1,200, • Qi Control: 2,000

• Unallocated Attribute Points: 200

[CORE SUPERPOWER]

• Spatial Perception

[SUBCLASS & PROFESSION]

[Array/Talisman Master]

• Rank: High-Tier Master Array Master

• Talent Grade: SSS+

• Soul Energy: 5,000 / 10,000

[FEATURES]

• [Advanced Array Analysis (Passive)]: Deciphers array nodes, energy vectors, and points of structural failure 400% faster.

• [Talisman Inscription]: Capable of drawing multi-layered Master-Grade Talismans.

[Armament Master]

• Inheritance: Supreme Armament Inheritance

• Talent Grade: SS

• Mastery Rank: None

• Cultivation Progress: Not Started

• Inheritance Status: Acquired

[RUNIC GRIMOIRE]

• Status: Bound to Soul Manor [30 Pages Unlocked]

• Catalogued Runes: 1,000 Ancient Runes

[KEY RUNES MASTERED]

• Foundational and advanced runes for Qi convergence, energy compression, refinement, array stabilization, soul manipulation, and spatial interaction.

[RECORDED SCHEMATICS]

• Multiple ancient and complex formations, including fully analyzed mechanisms.

[ACTIVE SKILLS & ARTS]

[ORIGINAL MARTIAL TECHNIQUES]

• [Void Spear Art — First Form: Rift Thrust (Flowing Rift)]

• [Void Spear Art — Second Form: Spatial Drill]

• [Void Spear Art — Third Form: Spatial Severance (Collapse)]

[SPATIAL ARTS]

• [Void Step — First Form: Spatial Anchor] (Original Technique)

• [Spatial Blades]

[VOID VORTEX]

• Classification: Forbidden Spatial Art

• Creation: Forcefully created, nearly damaging the host’s Soul Energy and Core.

• Status: Locked.

• Reason for Lock: Skill creation exceeded the user’s permitted cultivation and mastery parameters.

• System Warning: This skill was never meant to be created or wielded at the user’s current level.

[INTERNAL CULTIVATION ARTS]

• [Void Devour (Stage 2)] (Upgraded)

[PASSIVE SKILLS]

• Battlefield Veteran Lv. 6

• Inspect Lv. 6

• Qi Sight Lv. 6

[EQUIPMENT]

• Soul Weapon: [Void Spear]

• Void Silk Robes [Stored in Soul Manor]

• Gale Boots

"Wow."

Lothe stared at the information before him, unable to hide his amazement.

His breakthrough to the Core Formation Realm had brought a significant improvement. No wonder his body felt lighter and his movements seemed more effortless.

"The Core Formation Realm really is powerful."

He sighed, but his thoughts soon returned to the man in imperial-blue robes who had stood beside the Zombie Lord.

Compared with him, Lothe’s new realm suddenly seemed less impressive.

"Ever since the apocalypse began, it’s been one revelation after another."

Lothe rubbed his forehead and let out a tired sigh.

"Whatever comes next, I won’t become someone else’s stepping stone."

His gaze shifted toward the window. Moonlight fell across Seana’s closed chamber opposite his own.

A faint smile touched his face.

’Old B would’ve been happy to see this.’

Then another thought came to him.

Seana had wanted to return to her family for some time. One crisis after another had kept delaying the journey.

He wondered how the Salaze Family was doing. They must have been worried as they searched for her.

Before the apocalypse, everyone across the continent had heard of the Salaze Family’s pampered youngest daughter. Seana had been showered with affection, almost placed on a pedestal.

Naturally, rumours had spread.

Some people called her spoiled and useless. Others said she was arrogant and treated everyone with disdain.

Lothe found the rumours amusing.

Who would have imagined that the princess everyone gossiped about would disguise herself and secretly attend the Crown’s Academy in Country B?

And that was not even the most surprising part. Seana had become one of the most formidable cultivators he knew, an Alchemy prodigy—and she was now his girlfriend.

A nobody like him.

The system didn’t even know his surname.

All he could remember of his past was the name Old B had given him when he took him in. At the time, Lothe had never thought to question it.

But since the apocalypse began, some details had started to bother him.

"Wait. That doesn’t make sense."

His expression grew serious.

"Given the Salaze Family’s influence, finding one person should be simple."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Unless they don’t want anyone to know they’re searching. Perhaps they’ve been looking for her in secret."

The Salaze Family was famous for its alchemy. A family that powerful was bound to have enemies, and Seana’s disappearance could give those enemies an opportunity to act.

"Still, it shouldn’t be difficult for them to find their own missing daughter."

Lothe frowned. He didn’t like where his thoughts were leading.

"If that’s true, the triplets may already be in Country B. Seana’s actions at the Ancient Palace would give them a lead. They should be able to connect the dots and find her."

He paused.

"Unless approaching her directly would put her in danger."

A cold glint entered his eyes.

"Her enemies may already be here."

Moonlight spilled into the chamber.

The whole country was on high alert. The Zombie Lord had escaped and could strike again at any moment. Yet the city had grown strangely quiet.

The silence unsettled Lothe.

His instincts told him the coming days would be anything but peaceful.

A subtle tug touched his Soul Sense.

Lothe’s lips curved.

"So, you’ve finally made your move."

He pulled on his dark-purple outer robe and shot out of his chamber, heading toward the Calming Spirit Courtyard.

Before he reached it, he activated a talisman. It concealed his Qi fluctuations and made his figure invisible.

Within moments, he arrived.

A figure dressed entirely in black stood before the formation protecting the children’s rooms. Its face was hidden beneath a hood. Pale-white mist drifted over the barrier, moving along its surface like smoke.

Lothe didn’t attack immediately. He watched.

The pale mist followed the formation’s energy channels with surprising precision.

Then the barrier began to weaken.

Lothe’s eyes narrowed.

Interesting.

He activated his Spatial Perception. The intruder wasn’t forcing the barrier open. The mist was interfering with the flow between its nodes, weakening the formation from within.

The figure stepped through the opening.

Its destination was clear: the children’s chambers.

Before it could go farther, a black spear shot through the darkness.

Clang!

The intruder reacted instantly, drawing a sword from beneath its cloak. The weapons met, sending sparks across the courtyard.

Before the figure could redirect the spear, a wave of spatial force struck its side.

BOOM!

The intruder was thrown several metres and hit the courtyard stones.

At the same time, several talismans flew from Lothe’s sleeve. They rose into the air, spreading into a circle above the courtyard. Ancient runes lit across their surfaces.

"Seal."

Lothe formed a hand seal.

Purple light descended from the talismans. Their patterns connected with the inscriptions around the courtyard, forming a translucent barrier that enclosed the area.

The air trembled, then settled.

Lothe lowered his hand.

"Now lets find out who you are without disturbing the others."

The black-cloaked figure slowly rose. It glanced at the barrier, then turned toward Lothe.

Neither spoke.

Lothe called his Void Spear to his hand. Purple spatial Qi gathered around its dark shaft, warping the air nearby.

"Since you went to the trouble of sneaking in, I assume you have a reason for being here."

The intruder remained silent.

Lothe tilted his head.

"Unfortunately, I don’t have the patience to ask twice."

He vanished.

[Void Step—First Form: Spatial Anchor!]

Lothe reappeared above the intruder, spear already descending.

[Void Spear Art—First Form: Rift Thrust!]

A narrow spatial rift followed the spearhead.

The black-cloaked figure shifted one foot back and raised its sword.

Clang!

The spear was deflected.

The intruder immediately turned its wrist, guiding the sword along the shaft toward Lothe’s hands.

Lothe released the spear with one hand and twisted his wrist, letting the weapon rotate around the intruder’s blade. A sharp burst of spatial Qi erupted from its tip.

The intruder withdrew.

A thin tear appeared along the edge of its cloak.

Lothe landed several metres away.

Not bad.

He had expected an ordinary cultivator, perhaps Core Formation at most. But the stranger’s swordsmanship was refined. Every movement was precise; nothing was wasted.

The intruder raised its sword.

Pale-white Qi gathered along the blade.

Lothe’s expression changed.

The mist around the sword thickened.

[Mist Art: Thousandfold Veil!]?