Archfiend

Due to the heart attack Laurent almost had, his spirit-body didn’t say a word. Xu Yangyi raised a brow. “What’s up?”

Laurent’s spiritual sense quickly came to, and he immediately said with a rasp to his voice, “Sir, you truly have such a formula?”

“Of course,” Xu Yangyi casually said. “But I don’t have the ingredients. I need your family to go buy them.”

Laurent’s breathing was rushed, only settling down after a long time. After his over-excitement passed, he also realized something else.

Such a spirit-potion would absolutely rock the entire market!

However… could the Tullius Family bear this?

It was obviously impossible.

Plus, Xu Yangyi and the Dracul, who were behind the Tullius Family, were already clashing like fire and water. In that case… 

They only had one choice.

“Sir… are you thinking about having the Tullius Family rely on the Corvinus?” Amidst his intensely struggling thoughts, he gritted his teeth and said.

“Maybe, your family can wait until I help another family that’s part of the Corvinus. I think that the Corvinus would probably have their direct descendants monopolize this business, right?” Xu Yangyi unhurriedly sampled his coffee. “Are you saying… if the Corvinus would uproot the Tullius Family if someone else knew about this secret? Hmm?”

“Or maybe…” He set down his coffee and stepped forward. ‘You think your family is so truly important in the eyes of the Dracul that they would have an all-out war with the Corvinus? To the point that they’d hate to let you go?”

“Ask your heart, Laurent. For us to have cultivated to this step wasn’t easy. Are you really willing to let go of an opportunity to bring the Tullius Family to the next level?”

To himself, Laurent asked these three questions and took three steps back.

Each question was explored to a full stop.

The first question stemmed from the Corvinus’s protection. It was definitely nothing for them to protect a single insignificant Tullius Family! They were one of the twin supremacies of the west! Likewise, they were lycans going all the way back for several thousand years!

The second question was that the Dracul was more unlikely to protect them! This was because the Dracul had offended a master spirit-technician! This wasn’t science!

And the third question… How could he possibly abandon this present opportunity?

He was scared of the Dracul, but… Xu Yangyi’s three questions were like a carrot on a stick, luring him to walk forwards step by step!

Laurent even heard his throat gulping.

“How are you going to do it?” After a long time, he clenched his teeth and asked in a low voice.

“Get me in contact with someone in the Corvinus,” Xu Yangyi laughed. The bait had been taken… It had definitely been taken. Even in China, the Dao of Pills had led Core Formation Dao Masters to take action, let alone to speak of the cultivation desolace that was America.

“Alright.” Laurent firmed his resolve. He was neither pretentious, and his gaze flashed. “I’ll do it as fast as I can.”

“Second, get a noticeable auction ready, and sell for the highest price. I won’t be showing up myself.”

“No problem. No…” Laurent agreed, but an afterthought then seemed to echo in his mind. His complexion changed, and he promptly shook his head. “Your Highness, there’s a problem! A big problem!”

“I was too excited… I apologize, I forgot myself. No… there’s no problem with your plan, and we’re old hands at auctioning, but there’s an issue with the timing!” He paced back and forth inside his room somewhat impatiently. “This timing is down right bad… Your Highness, may I propose… that we announce this a year from now?”

Xu Yangyi was displeased. “Then what do I even need you guys for?”

“No no no… Your Highness, you misunderstand.” Laurent breathed in deeply and said solemnly, “It’s not that the Tullius Family can’t do it, and it’s not that we have some other thoughts about you, either. In fact, to be capable of working together with a master spirit-technician is the Tullius Family’s unparalleled honor. But…” He sighed, and his expression became even more cautious. His voice also lowered somewhat. “The Decennial Holy War will come soon.”

Xu Yangyi raised a brow, hinting to Laurent to keep talking.

“Your Highness, the western powers are much more complex than you can imagine…” Laurent laughed bitterly. “First of all, I’ll say that the Dracul and the Corvinus are mortal enemies. In themselves, they cannot resolve their issues. Murder between the two of them is already a common occurrence… but in New York, the casualty figure between these two western authorities reach a zenith once every ten years, to a shocking figure of 500 dead!”

Xu Yangyi furrowed his brows. This figure was truly excessive. There were only several thousand American cultivators. For 500 to die all at once was definitely a massive injury to America.

“Why?”

“The opportunity of a Grand Duke!” Upon speaking of this, Laurent’s face became excitedly flushed. “In New York… there is an opportunity to become a Grand Duke!”

Core Formation?

Xu Yangyi’s expression was finally overtaken by a grave look, and he said lowly, “Keep talking.”

“Why do you think… that these two families would respect Vatican City’s prestige? Just because of where the Catholic Church’s holy seat is? No no no… Sir, do you know of Saint John’s Cathedral? It’s one of the world’s ten greatest churches…” Laurent sucked in heavily, his face becoming fairly red. “There is a precious treasure there… A true treasure! A Holy Relic!”

“This so-called Holy Relic is the armament of a saint. And each of these legendary saints were all above Grand Duke! I’ve heard they were even above the Prince rank! And the one who wields this Holy Relic is Vatican City!”

“One who has the opportunity to comprehend the Holy Relic has a sliver’s chance at understanding a Grand Duke’s might and spiritual force movement in advance. This help for breaking through to Grand Duke is extremely hard to get! There are even some special bloodlines that need a Grand Duke-rank figure to awaken them. Bloodlines that can also be awakened at Marquis rank! Some secret arts can only be cultivated at Grand Duke, but there are some that can also be cultivated at Marquis as well!”

“But even more frightening… is the bloodline inheritance!”

“You should’ve heard the word ‘Pureblood’. The potential of a vampire, lycan, or anything else that can be called a Pureblood is very much exceptional. They can almost be affirmed to be one of the most precious seeds to break through to Grand Duke in the future. Ordinarily, all of them are strictly guarded by their families. Each time they make it to a new realm, they will receive a realm’s inheritance. However…”

Xu Yangyi was finally moved. “Comprehending a Holy Relic… might shift receiving an inheritance in advance?”

This was too scary!

To this day, he still hadn’t obtained the Wolfbane’s inheritance because he and his demon body had been separated. Still… if he could comprehend this Holy Relic, and when he united with the Wolfbane, he would have somewhat more assurance to assail Core Formation!

The once seemingly distant Core Formation Realm… didn’t look to be too far away now.

Laurent’s following words, though, caused him to coldly gasp.

“No… not might; definitely!”

Comprehending a Holy relic would definitely bring forth a Core Formation bloodline inheritance!

“This really is hard to believe.” Xu Yangyi’s eyes brightened. If this was true… then this occasion was a titanic destiny!

“There are hidden damages in my heart. Nothing can surpass the separation of mine and the Wolfbane’s twin souls. I simply can’t withstand its legacy. When I left Nanzhou, I received Butterflymother Southflower’s memories for the most part. If… I can presently understand what I want to inherit when I fuse souls in the future, then it’ll be ten thousand times better than blindly waiting to receive the inheritance when the time comes!”

His gaze chilled. “After all… when the time of my Core Formation arrives… I’ll definitely be up against several Core Formation ancestors in Nanzhou. I don’t even know if the bloodline inheritance will make me pass out. I’ve heard of too many inheritances that happen under a clan’s protection. If I don’t fully understand, my heart will be uneasy. The day of my death might be when my soul fuses.”

“But not that’s not the only thing. This mysterious Holy Relic might even allow me to comprehend Core Formation might in advance, and realize the Grand Dao of Core Formation… Just on this point alone, this Holy Relic deserves its reputation! If I can get a feel on my inheritance earlier, my odds at breaking through to Core Formation will be up by at least thirty percent!”

As his train of thought reached this station, he quickly asked, “Why don’t the Corvinus and Dracul steal something this good? I’ve seen Vatican City’s overseer. If a Core… a Grand Duke acts, there’s no way she’ll have the energy left to resist.”

“Yes, Your Highness. No one has seen Lady Jenny take action. It’s said that her strength is very powerful, but it’s still too far in comparison to a Grand Duke,” Laurent said. “But… this Holy Relic is strange. Humans cannot use it.”

“Oh?”

“It is only devils. Only devils can use it. And it will choose the strongest devil family to offer it essence. This last for ten years. Moreover, Vatican City is needed to choose, otherwise no one else can use it. That’s why no goes to steal it.”

Xu Yangyi knitted his brows together. America’s cultivation world wasn’t all that great. There were many things they’d never even heard of. Still, Xu Yangyi recalled a similar situation.

That’s right, big bro. At this time, Zhao Ziqi’s voice rang out. 

Xu Yangyi faintly smiled, and said in his spiritual sense, Ziqi, you can be considered a present commentator. What’s up? Why haven’t I seen much of you recently?

Zhao Ziqi paused and said a little bashfully, Big bro… i-it looks like I’m about to advance… 

Xu Yangyi stared into space, but laughed afterwards. That’s good news! You’re finally going to reach Foundation Establishment?

I don’t know how that happened, either. Zhao Ziqi rubbed his head. Just by sleeping I’ll reach Foundation Establishment… so I have to sleep a lot especially now. I feel that as long as I wait for a chance, I can reach Foundation Establishment… And… it’s like there’s a voice in the dark telling me that my chance will be in these next couple years.

Xu Yangyi nodded. Afterwards, he sniffed something out in his mind. You just said something’s right.

Heh heh, big bro, my spiritual sense is linked with yours. No matter how you hide it, of course I know what you’re thinking, Zhao Ziqi laughed. Big bro, weren’t you just thinking that this Holy Relic is like a living thing? Maybe it can be said that it also contains a cultivator’s long-cherished, unfulfilled wish? That it’s in a false-death state?

“Mhm,” Xu Yangyi hummed in agreement.

That should be it… When I arrived in New York, I could feel a very strong power of death qi in the direction of Saint John’s Cathedral. This aura, though, is strange. It isn’t from the west.

Xu Yangyi quickly asked, What does that mean?

I don’t know… It looks like this qi is from China. Plus, there’s life in this death qi, and death in life. It forms a loop. I-I can’t figure out if it’s dead or not, too… Only a wisp of spiritual sense, from a cultivator with an unfulfilled, long-cherished wish, on a magik treasure, or a magik treasure upgrading into a spirit treasure by itself can complete its master’s long-held desire. I can’t figure out why, otherwise… sigh, big bro, I’m pretty beat, I’m going to go ahead and sleep. I’ll probably wake up again in ten days… 

Zhao Ziqi’s voice gradually faded away. Xu Yangyi forced down the suspicions on his mind and looked at Laurent. “So every ten years, the Dracul and Corvinus have a holy war? So it’s not just a blood feud between clans, but also a war to decide who gets the Holy Relic?”

“That’s right!” Laurent nodded and said, “If we release this product now… that’ll make too many people pay attention to us! There’s no doubt that the Dracul will immediately intervene!”