Archfiend

Xu Yangyi’s gaze finally became solemn. He wasn’t worried at all about Savidean VII, but… he hadn’t expected that the House of Corvinus’s Full Moon Grand Duke was standing behind the other! A Core Formation cultivator!

“Today, I taught a lesson to a werewolf,” he said calmly. “His name was Versailles Anthony.”

Before Xu Yangyi even finished speaking, Laurent had already taken in a deep breath. “He… is His Highness Savidean VII’s trusted aide! The two of you…”

“He brought me some words.” Xu Yangyi’s face was as calm as usual, as if this matter had never occurred. “Savidean VII invites me to serve as New York’s borough overseer. Because his approach was pretty bad, I taught that wild dog a lesson in his place.”

“Your Highness…” Laurent’s voice was somewhat strained. “It’s as you say… between Marquises, the gap is large. I dare vow that in comparison to one of such lineage as Savidean VII, a direct descendant of the House of Corvinus, he definitely isn’t worth mentioning! Savidean VII himself once escaped with his life from the hands of a Grand Duke! A single hand from him… no! Half a hand from him can poke several cultivators like Versailles to death!”

“And that’s not mentioning Savidean VI behind him. I heard that His Honorable Highness the Grand Duke is in seclusion somewhere in New York’s outskirts. W-What… do you plan to do, sir?”

Xu Yangyi lit a cigarette in a carefree manner without answering. “He invited me to participate in the Holy War Feast in Central Park at Belvedere Castle.”

“The Holy War Feast?” Laurent paused and then let out a long sigh, “Your Highness, the Corvinus… might truly favor you.”

“Also, that Tamamo is said to be a Japanese cultivator, but her strength is far beyond her realm. Several Half Moon Marquises have fought with her, but they’ve all lost to her… New York’s boroughs have always been oppressed by the Dracul. This time, you almost heavily injured her. The Corvinus definitely wouldn’t let a cultivator like you get away. It’s a pity… they don’t know that you’re a master spirit-technician.”

“So, I want the first capsule,” Xu Yangyi coolly said. “I wasn’t originally planning on going to his bullshit feast, and I didn’t plan on taking out a capsule this early either, but if Savidean VII’s background is so deep there’s no harm in going.”

“You’re saying…”

Xu Yangyi’s eyelids slightly drooped downwards. “In all likelihood, a spirit-potion that can increase their odds at advancing will be enough to have them rein in their pride and arrogance. Plus, it’ll be enough to make Grand Duke Savidean VI hand over a precious spot for the Holy War.”

“S-Sir, you want to participate in the Holy War?!” Laurent’s voice became sharp, and he exhaled coldly. “My god… Your Highness! Please reconsider! Your status is so respected! It’s simply not necessary that you go struggle against those Marquises in mortal combat!”

“There’s no talk of injury during the Holy War! Only death! This is the drain between the Corvinus and the Dracul’s blood enmity! Once the Holy War’s battle arena is ascended, no one can leave apart from death! If a minor issue happens to you sir, I…”

“I’ve already decided.” Xu Yangyi wasn’t moved in the slightest. A cultivator’s destiny was to ride the wind and crest the waves, ambitious and fearless, to hang straight from clouds and sail the azure oceans. Where could he hide?

The Holy Relic had such a major effect; he couldn’t possibly relinquish this opportunity!

Silence. A long time later, Laurent gritted his teeth and said, “Won’t you reconsider, sir? The Holy War Feast is the grand assembly of vows as the Holy War is on the eve of beginning. Not only is it the Corvinus, but all of their vassal families will participate. This symbolizes that the Holy War is ready to unfold in full swing. Furthermore… the one to preside this event is the Bloody Ripper himself. With his reputation… he might not be that friendly to you… To the extent… that he will be especially nasty… And, it’s said that those who refuse the entire House of Corvinus don’t survive…”

“In five days, bring a capsule over,” Xu Yangyi finished speaking and hung up the phone. He pondered as he studied his cell phone, shaking his head and letting out a soft sigh, “No wonder.”

“No wonder you advanced to initial Foundation Establishment when you were so old. To look back and to look forward, and to be scared of head and tail. Your capability to advance to Foundation Establishment is the cultivated fortune of several lifetimes.”

Five days passed quickly.

Central Park was situated in the heart of Manhattan, right at the center. It took up 843 acres, not only containing just an opera house, fountain, grassy field, strawberry patch, amber lake, but also a moderate-sized castle. This was Belvedere Castle.

Night, 7 o’clock. New York’s sky had already darkened, and countless neon lights and lamps shot straight to the horizon, coloring the region into a nightless city.

On the main street with heavy traffic, Xu Yangyi walked out in a formal suit. With several flickers away, he disappeared into a corner and found himself on top of a building in the next second.

He didn’t head to Central Park immediately. Instead, he gazed far, far away into the distance and surveyed everything in the surroundings.

The Dracul’s and the Corvinus’s Holy War Feast were on the same day. Families were ever changing. While they might’ve stood on the side of the lycans decades ago, this time they might stand at the vampires’ battlefront. All clans took prolongment and benefits as number one. This was an unchanging truth.

“So tonight is the soldier ceremony of two great western giants.” The wind made his entire suit ripple aloud, and he murmured, “This is to figure out who’s going into battle and who left their troops… Maybe tonight will draw the quota for the battle arena. I… have no choice but to go.”

In his eyes, New York was already chaotically dancing with hordes of devils tonight. Massive bats, around one hundred to two hundred meters in size, slowly drifted through western New York. The color of the night hid about 70% of their giant wings. Like packs of black clouds, the bats circled about. And in eastern New York, there was a lycan almost 300 meters in size. Like a statue, it started at the all-consuming sea of bats. In its surroundings on each building, there were crouching werewolves that were about four to five meters tall. They all seemed to be marking the territory, as if making a vow over the domain.

No mortal whatsoever knew that tonight, in the New York sky above their heads, the reeking smell of blood was already beginning to saturate the air.

“Two half-step Core Formation.” Xu Yangyi’s gaze brushed over the two groups that were demonstrating their might. He pursed his lips and looked at the 1,250-meter-tall Empire State Building—the tallest building in all of New York. Over yonder was someone he had met, a middle-aged man wearing a cowboy hat. The middle-aged man had a cigar hanging out of his mouth, and he was calmly leaning against the splendidly lit building.

The colorful lights illuminated the middle-aged man into appearing somewhat unreal.

And on New York’s second tallest building, the 1,200-meter-tall Bank of America Tower, there was someone with a black cloak over their shoulders, leaning against a coffin. Their aura was extremely similar to the middle-aged man with the cowboy hat. The figure stood on the building like a sculpture, and the wind made their clothes ripple frenetically. They were like a silent death god in the night. Only the holy silver crossbow on their hand refracted the deathly moonlight.

The legendary devil-hunters Gowers and Van Helsing.

“It really is a stormy night.” Xu Yangyi took a deep breath. Just the open appearance of these four half-step Core Formation cultivators and their naked auras simultaneously warned everyone not to overstep bounds.

And only those of such heights as him, people whose strength far transcended realm, could see all of this. There were even more Counts—Qi Condensation cultivators—that were under the lead of their families’ Marquises. With a trace of cold disregard, hearts that thirsted for blood, and hidden excitement, they walked to the site of either the Dracul’s of he Corvinus’s Holy War Feast.

He looked for a moment more and faintly moved. Without a sound, he rushed towards Central Park.

Meanwhile, the ten-odd-meter-sized ears of the giant bat moved, and the eyes of the lycan swept over. Gowers and Van Helsing slightly raised their heads.

“Someone strong.”

“Mid Marquis, but he gives off an extremely sharp oppressive force… He didn’t hide his essence.”

“This person is strong. The direction he’s heading towards is to the House of Corvinus? Fuck… where did a monster like that come from?”

“I feel… he wouldn’t be afraid of a high Marquis, to the extent that he could fight with a Perfect one.”

And how fast was a Marquis’s speed? Soon, Xu Yangyi arrived at Central Park. Belvedere Castle was rather prominent. He quietly descended 300 meters away.

Because starting from 200 meters onwards, there were countless men in black tightly guarding the castle.

“Sorry, Belvedere Castle isn’t open tonight.”

“Sorry, Belvedere Castle will be open tomorrow.”

They were herding away the surrounding tourists.

At almost the same time he fell, in a grand hall that was hundreds of meters in size, a golden eye opened little by little.

“Darling younger sister.” A massive palm, covered in white fur, softly caressed a soft head of golden hair. A husky voice spoke. “Tonight, I invited a yellow-skinned monkey to come. I hope you don’t mind.”

A woman was sitting on the owner of the husky voice’s leg. Upon hearing these words, her brows unconsciously furrowed. “A minority? Why must you invite such trash? Their bodies are totally infected by filth. They are as craven as Ancient Rome’s dirtiest thief. They simply do not possess the qualifications to join the House of Corvinus’s Holy War Feast.”

“Hehe…” The husky voice laughed. “Yes, I think you’re quite right. They’re only sewer maggots. And we are the bald eagles in the sky. However, this man is a little different.”

“There’s no difference; they’re all nothing more than trash.” The woman lifted her hair and regretfully stood up. Not waiting for her to steady her footing, a massive palm gently caught onto her.

“This person can match that troublesome overseer of the Dracul. He might even be somewhat stronger.”

The woman turned her head around in shock. “That stinking fox from the Dracul?”

“But then so what? It’s because your status is noble, elder brother, that you don’t act yourself. If you personally took action, I believe she wouldn’t be your opponent at all.”

“Hehe…” the husky voice laughed confidently, “This man is strong. I need him to serve the House of Corvinus, so I specifically appointed the privilege of overseer. Bring him in. Make him vow to stand at our side. But…”

The voice snorted coldly, “There’s no need to feel wronged, and there’s no need to look at his face. The Corvinus never look at anyone’s face. He offended the Dracul, so the Corvinus is his last hope. He should clearly understand this point. I had him come to appoint him a high position. He should be deeply grateful because of this!”