Archfiend

Bloody Moon sucked in deeply. Why… when he had already resolved himself, why was his heart wavering again?

So much that he felt regret when he heard these words.

“In the West presently, the best restorative medicine is holy water. In five minutes, it can restore 50% of one’s essence and recover 50% of injuries. That is a Holy Light-ranked medicine. But he… was truly able to create a Holy Shadow-ranked medicine. This person… perhaps I still took him too lightly.”

His hands inside his cloak began to wring together. As an unbearable feeling looped again and again in his heart, the voices of several master spirit-technicians were already echoing further away from him. 

“Instant effect? Peak condition? Mr. X, are you really not lying to us?”

“This… is just too hard to believe! No wonder it was a Holy Shadow work. I truly cannot imagine what kind of pharmacology can arrange such a thing!”

“This is incredible, please allow us to test it!”

Bloody Moon licked his lips, his eyes started to redden. He understood all too clearly what this capsule represented.

A life.

There was no need pad words, it was that simple.

With a ten-minute-long effectiveness, the moment of its use was the moment there was no path left to tread. When mountains were rubble and rivers were drained. Ten minutes was enough to change a great deal of things. This was far more powerful, a hundred times better than Donaldo’s damn Goddess’s Teardrop!

“What a pity… if he joined the Dracul… after he was truly assimilated, I would’ve been willing to try speaking with Their Highnesses the First Bitten to allow him to compete in the next sequence for head of the enforcement division.” Bloody Moon glanced deeply at Xu Yangyi. In his cloak, his fingernails had already dug out bloody cuts on his palm. “But this isn’t even the most critical thing… No, it is his age.”

Vampires had an even keener perception of age. He clearly sensed that Xu Yangyi had cultivated for somewhere around over thirty years. Even considering the addition of Xu Yangyi’s ten-odd years of past maturation, Xu Yangyi wouldn’t have been over fifty-five years old when he attained mid Marquis.

In the cultivation world… this was a horrific number!

How many people were there in their seventies and eighties who had no hope to become Marquises?

And yet this person already overlooked everything as a mid Marquis! Furthermore, he was even a master spirit-technician! A master spirit-technician who had created a Holy Shadow work!

Even he, who regarded life as grass, deeply felt Xu Yangyi’s potential.

Two ideas intertwined in the centuries-old vampire’s heart. After ages, he softly sighed, “But… he saw the Holy Coffin.”

“You may test it. This year, there will still be another ten Soul Return Capsules made.” Xu Yangyi maintained his air of mystery as much as he could and laughed.

“Good.” Just as Xu Yangyi’s voice fell, Pale Dragon laughed heartily, “You, come over here.”

A low Marquis of the Corvinus sucked in deeply and walked over. He seemed to know what the other wanted to do.

In the next second, a white whirlwind exploded out from Pale Dragon’s hand. In a flash, the Marquis was grievously wounded. Strangely, though, the whirlwind lingered over his body like a living creature. His essence and life was rapidly slipping away.

So fast! So strong!

Xu Yangyi clenched his fist. America’s peak battle power definitely wasn’t easy to belittle. Just now, he’d also guessed what Pale Dragon wanted to do. Still, while he exhausted his spiritual sense, he didn’t even see the lycan take action.

To seemingly raise the heavy with ease, the Grand Dao at most simple. Perhaps Pale Dragon didn’t understand these words, but he achieved the same with a different approach. 

An expert just a step away from crossing the door of Core Formation… Are people like this also going to be in the Holy War?!

The Holy War… what kind of place is it? If they’re going, then I don’t have a ghost of a chance at winning!

He began to mumble to himself in his heart. There were some things, if the gap was truly too great, where struggle wasn’t necessary.

“Now, I think he’s in a fitting state for the Soul Return Capsule.” Pale Dragon was merciless, and he said indifferently, “The first pill, for ten times the price, the House of Corvinus shall test it for everyone. How about it?”

Shameless!

Everyone inwardly cursed. They all knew that if this capsule was the real deal, then it definitely wouldn’t be worth just this much. Nonetheless, they were hard-pressed to say anything in this kind of situation.

The capsule entered the Marquis’s mouth, and white light shortly penetrated through his body. In a second, the cultivator just swiftly approaching death was actually finding his footing. He looked at his hand in shock.

“This…” He waved his hand, his face covered in awe. “T-This isn’t possible?”

“R-Right now, I feel no different from not being being injured!”

Bloody Moon closed his eyes, and his chest heaved up and down a few good times. As he opened his eyes, a wisp of determination flashed through them.

“A perfect gift.” Pale Dragon looked up as he sighed and then studied Xu Yangyi deeply. “Mr. X, please be at ease. In a week, the House of Corvinus will surely give you an answer.”

“Go!” He lightly beckoned, and a storage ring flew towards Xu Yangyi. 

Xu Yangyi didn’t take it. “The transaction still isn’t complete,” he said

“This is merely a little bit of the House of Corvinus’s goodwill,” Pale Dragon smiled. “Regardless of whether the deal goes through or not.”

Only then did Xu Yangyi tuck the ring away. He was a little touched. Even he was surprised by this rich and powerful figure from the Corvinus.

There was no less than a million spirit stones inside!

All of them middle grade!

In the past, he’d originally done his utmost to obtain a million, and he was nearly even taken in by Daomaster Floatingcloud’s hidden plot. Now, though, the House of Corvinus, a western supremacy, had handed him a million spirit stones. He didn’t even need to return anything.

“Strength, strength is a cultivator’s root. Regardless of what kind of strength.” He squeezed the storage ring in his hand, and the thirst in his heart became even stronger, becoming steadier and steadier.

Business was already done. His standing in America was finally considered firm and stable. With reverential gazes, the crowds gradually dispersed. As for him, he also prepared to leave the auction hall.

“Mr. X.” Bloody Moon still hadn’t left. On the contrary, he slowly walked over in front of Xu Yangyi and bowed. “Do we have no chance… of working together?”

Against this old monster, Xu Yangyi wouldn’t lower his guard by the slightest hair. His qi was already mobilizing. Bloody Moon raised his pale finger and smiled, “Shh…”

“Don’t move, Mr. X. In fact, I do respect you. You are strong, and I can sense it. Even I do not dare to confirm whether I would be able to kill you within ninety moves. You know, even if it was Savidean, I would still be able to kill him around a hundred twenty and a hundred thirty moves.”

“I don’t want to act against you, to be honest. In particular, I wouldn’t want to fall out with the Holy White Cross Association.” The red velvet inside his black cloak contrasted his pale face, creating an intense visual impact. “You are from China, and Tamamo is also strong. I feel that she should’ve been equally matched with me once. You understand that along with China and India that the quality of America’s individual soldiers is about the same, but there is too far of a difference between the total bases. America’s cultivation history is too short, and this isn’t something that science and technology can make up for.”

The black cloak shook, and an extremely well-cared for hand, akin to transparent white jade, extended out from within and lifted up the long hair in front of his forehead. “Mr. X, it has already been a long time for me since I’ve spoken so sincerely with someone. No one else has this respect. Including Savidean. I want to say that I admire you and the realm you’ve reached in such a short time. Complemented with an even stronger power is the knowledge of an unimaginable master spirit-technician. If something unexpected happens to you, it would be an immense loss to America.” 

His black yet pupil-less eyes bored in Xu Yangyi. “I hope that we can work together.”

Xu Yangyi smiled, “I hope that ‘if something unexpected’ happens to me, it won’t be from something I see. And it won’t be from the House of Dracul, either.”

“Sometimes, the reason why a thought is called a thought is because it only exists in the brain.” Bloody Moon gently snapped his fingers, and two cocktails appeared out of thin air. He intimately wedged a lemon. Just as Xu Yangyi was about to take it though, Bloody Moon delivered it into Xu Yangyi’s hand himself.

In the moment their palms touched, Bloody Moon’s pale jade-white hand gently gripped Xu Yangyi’s thick palm.

Icy-cold along with the scent of death.

“Join us. Only this way can our misunderstanding be resolved.” Bloody Moon wore a perfect smile on his face, but his voice was like a winter sun. “I do not apologize for Vanessa and Tamamo’s conduct. There are somethings that not even the name of a master spirit-technician can muster.”

Xu Yangyi looked intently at the other. “And my request?”

“This time it cannot be done.” Bloody Moon softly touched Xu Yangyi’s hand and let go, without a drop of sweat. He said regretfully, “Although I want to, it cannot be done. Not even I am aware of the House of Dracul’s list of names for the Holy War this time.”

The two of them conversed like friends, like they were sitting under a cherry blossom tree and drinking wine. However, Xu Yangyi knew of the fatal poison in this cup of wine, and Bloody Moon was much more aware.

Using elegant words to speak of murder from red lips was the drama they were good at.

Not even the slightest sign of a threat was heard. All that remained under the cherry blossom tree fluttering in the rain was unquestionable killing intent.

Xu Yangyi was silent for a few seconds. Afterwards, he raised his head and looked Bloody Moon straight in the eyes. “Although I want to, I can’t as well.”

Bloody Moon sighed. As before, he sat underneath that cherry blossom tree, so elegant that there wasn’t a blemish. The dagger in his heart couldn’t be seen.

“My Way is to bravely advance straight ahead, without ever retreating,” Xu Yangyi said in a heavy voice. “There are people waiting for me, waiting for me in China. I want to settle some things as fast as I can.”

“I don’t know how they are. If because of my impulse back then if they’re suffering is beyond words. If it was because of me that they spend their days worse than pigs and dogs. Once I think of this, I just can’t stop.”

Bloody Moon said nonchalantly, “Someone else, in the end, is someone else. Only ‘the self’ is eternal truth.”

Xu Yangyi looked at him for a very long time until he finally laughed, “This is where we differ.”

“This isn’t about being eternal. This is a man’s promise.”

“Please accept my refusal.”

Bloody Moon bowed in a refined manner. With his long black gown bundled around him, he was like the most wicked devil in an oil painting. “In that case, I wish you good luck.”

The glass in his hand suddenly burst into flames. The wine he hadn't drank spilled onto the pale carpet like blood.

He left, and the entire House of Dracul followed him like his attendants, swiftly drifting away.

“Your Highness?” After they left, Ansas asked heavily.

“I’ll take action myself. No one else is allowed to interfere.” Bloody Moon raised his tender gaze and looked at the sun in the sky. He said calmly, “This is respect for a master spirit-technician… and also a memorial service for a powerful Marquis.”

“We must settle this affair before he joins the Holy White Cross Association.”

“Your Highness…” A quasi Grand Duke hesitated. “What in the world did he see? Mr. X… if he dies it’ll be too much of a pity. On top of that, we’ll be unable to explain ourselves to the Holy White Cross Association. To all of America, this will place the House of Dracul on the lap of the most fierce public opinion.”

“In that case, how important do you think that item is to the family? Since it was glanced upon by an outsider, we must eliminate him, no?” He faintly covered his forehead and furrowed his brows. “Ugh… damned sun…”