Archfiend

As soon as Xu Yangyi and Yue Congrao returned to Earth’s more hospitable atmosphere, Xu Yangyi said his goodbyes, turned around, and flew away.

Yue Congrao pushed down on a cloud, and all his Core Formation spiritual pressure, murderous aura, and heroic aura vanished without a trace. Once again, he took on the guise of an ordinary American teacher. Just as his foot settled on the ground, though, he slapped his head. 

“Dang it.”

“Dang what?” A faint voice rang out behind him, and Yue Congrao felt his face shiver. He turned around, hoping to save his skin. “Be good, don’t worry. Father will get him right now…”

“Dad, you don’t have to go.” Angel watched the gradually departing figure in the night, and her red lips slightly curved up. “Doesn’t China have an ancient saying? If you have to use force to break a melon off a vine, it won’t taste sweet.”

Yue Congrao thoughtfully gazed at Xu Yangyi’s descending shadow and said in a soft voice, “Relax, someone I favor won’t be run off that easily.”

“I am late Core Formation. As long as I wish, starting a sect isn’t a difficult matter. He didn’t even suck up to me, but I didn’t feel modest about it, either. I have been watching all along. Cultivators able to accomplish this bit, even among geniuses, are one among a hundred.”

Angel’s fair white hand traced over her ample and perky lips. Her eyes brightened and she laughed a moment later. “Dad, what’s his phone number and social media?”

“...” Yue Congrao was silent. An extremely uneasy premonition arose in his mind. “What are you going to do?”

“Some forceful twisting.” Angel laughed without a hint of apprehension. “To extract a little melon juice.”

“You’re making trouble!” Yue Congrao coldly snorted, “My daughter, going to chase after a criminal wanted in China? Can’t you be a little mindful for your father? What cultivator would care about social media? And you! You don’t even spend a quarter of the day cultivating! Others would be itching to stay each day in a cultivation room.” [1]

“With your talents, you have hope for Core Formation. You’re wasting your advantages! That kid is a cultivator with a heart stronger than iron. How will you even get him if you can’t follow him! He’ll fling you aside!”

“Who cares about a heart stronger than iron?” Angel lifted up her hair. “I care if he’s strong somewhere else.”

“...Scram back into your cultivation room and cultivate. You’re not allowed to come out unless you reach middle Foundation Establishment.”

“Why! I’m twenty-six now, it’s only going to keep getting harder after Foundation Establishment! I’ll be at least forty-six when I come out! Will I still be able to find a husband?! There’s no one even to marry now… well, there are, but I don’t like them. By then, are you hoping that an old cow will eat up young grass like me? You might have no sense of shame, but I do!” Angel’s hands lightly squeezed down on her snow-white face in an exaggerated manner. She felt her supple skin and giggled, “Dad, let me have fun for a few years, let’s say thirty years. I guarantee that I’ll definitely work hard to cultivate after thirty years!”

Yue Congrao’s lips trembled. “That number of years…”

Angel smiled as she slightly leaned back. Her hands lightly stroked the railing behind her. In the night, her head of golden hail was blown up like a cloud, and her blue eyes and rosy lips made her appeared like a goddess under the moon. In particular, her chest was like a pair of plump white doves, as if they were going to fly out from her thick fur clothing.

Her slim waist and straight, long legs emitted the night’s enticement. Her fair jade-like hand softly brushed over legs covered in black stockings, and her lake-blue eyes narrowed. “Dad, how am I in comparison to Audrey Hepburn?” [2]

“How can an insignificant mortal be mentioned on equal terms with my daughter?” Yue Congrao said disdainfully.

“Marilyn Monroe?” [3]

“How could an old horse dare be compared with you?”

“Anne Hathaway?” [4]

“Inferior.”

“Kristin Stewart?” [5]

“Hehe…” Yue Congrao scoffed.

Angel was pleased. She pushed her long hair down and said in a soft voice, “Then what reason does he have to not like me?”

“...” Yue Congrao was quiet. Eventually, he sighed, “You… Although you are initial Foundation Establishment, perhaps you wouldn’t be able to defeat a true half-step Foundation Establishment genius… You cannot understand that desire for true strength that comes bursting forth from a man. And… there are many things that weigh on that kid. His character is the typical model of stubbornness, but he is much more crafty and nimble. Again and again, he has turned misfortune into blessing. I reckon that he won’t think of these things before Core Formation.”

Angel’s eyes brightened. “You’re saying he doesn’t have another woman?”

“That’s not the main point I’m talking about!”

Angel beamed as she jumped in front of him. “In that case… dad, when you shook hands with him, did he have calluses? Were his hand seals lightning fast?” [6]

Yue Congrao’s facial hair would’ve bristled if he had any. “Go back! Get back to your room and cultivate! You’re not allowed to come out for three days!!!”

“No.” Angel rolled her eyes, and raised her leg and started walking away. “I’m going to find my husband. See ya.”

Yue Congrao was a mess as if he was having a stroke.

Xu Yangyi was none the wiser about all of this. If he could know about their conversation then he wouldn’t be Foundation Establishment. He continued on the street back to his hotel.

He didn’t dash on top of buildings, and he didn’t fly either. Instead, he slowly walked the New York streets, thinking about his conversation a little while ago with Daomaster Yue.

The shock was too great, to the extent that much of his worldview had been reconstructed. More importantly, so was his ultimate objective of the Holy War, the Holy Relic. In his heart, a long-absent feeling of impatience arose.

It was weak, but it did indeed exist.

He didn’t know where it came from. He mused to himself for a very long time. In the end, he found the source.

It was from the auction, from the strength displayed by the Corvinus and the Dracul.

“I once believed… that there was a great gap between the western cultivation world and China. Later on, I thought again that the peak western powers were inferior. I wasn’t really on guard, though. It wasn’t until I saw Pale Dragon and Bloody Moon did I realize that the western cultivation world is also incredibly rich and powerful,” he sighed. “The entire whole isn’t equal, but the me that can’t kill Core Formation cultivators was seriously too simple.”

He thought about the Holy War and then shook his head.

He didn’t know how many monsters this Holy War would draw from the two houses, and he didn’t know who he would meet.

At this time, as his foot touched the ground, a ring of pitch-black fog scattered up in a faintly discernible circular shape. His gaze sharpened, and he snapped his head up. To his awe, however, he discovered that there were two people standing on two opposing skyscrapers. 

Under the moon’s glow, they appeared similar to poles, standing straight like spears.

He could vaguely make out long black gown covering a body and a pale face.

“The House of Dracul?” Xu Yangyi was swiftly roused from his thoughts. His eyes traveled into the distant extreme, and his heart abruptly sunk.

There weren’t just two… 

On all the buildings on the street, there was a vampire standing on each one. Although their auras weren’t great, and the strongest was only a high Count, they continued to spread out in sight to no end.

There were at least dozens!

They didn’t speak or open their mouths. Just like so, they quietly stood under the moon. Scarlet eyes, like the Grim Reaper’s javelin, were firmly nailed to his body.

At some unknown time, the sound all around had progressively quieted down. In barely several seconds, all sound from the outside world was severed. The street… was as silent as a mortuary.

“Bloody Boundary Field.” At the end of the street, a cultured and refined voice sounded. All of a sudden, an expanse of pitch-black bats loudly exploded out from the end. Their numbers couldn’t be determined. Like terrible red cloud, they instantly pervaded the surrounding 500 meters.

Xu Yangyi didn’t forget himself, but rather coolly turned around. Nonetheless, he immediately discovered that the region behind him had already become filled with black fog at some unknown time as well. The scenery all around also began to gradually turn fuzzy. It was replaced by blood-red fog, which quietly spread out.

The air was steeped with the scent of blood. The only visible things were the javelin-like figures in the blood mist standing on top of the buildings that were already beginning to turn illusory. Their gazes were like icy blades.

Swish… two faint-yellow lanterns brightened at the end of the street. In the next moment, swishing sounds rained down on the air. All the hazy streaming lights and vibrant colors grew indistinct. All that remained was row after row of hell’s lights.

“Mr. X.” At the end of the road, the clip-clop of horseshoes and the clear sound of a wagon rolling followed. In the blood mist, a man’s graceful voice sounded. “I believe that the etiquette towards any master spirit-technician, even if it is a funeral, should still be grand and in good taste, don’t you think?”

The voice was light, echoing in Xu Yangyi’s mind, yet his heart was fiercely shaking.

This… was Bloody Moon’s voice!

In the blood fog, the silhouette of an old-fashioned European carriage was revealed, becoming clearer and clearer as it came. However, the two black horses pulling it didn’t have heads!

“Did you know… that there is not a day that you live that the House of Dracul is uneasy? Ah… please pardon me. My friend from the East, I have no choice but to act this way. In this generation for the Dracul, no Marquis has appeared that can contend against the Corvinus. But once we welcome the Holy Coffin back, we might have a feasible method to directly turn a vampire into a Second Bitten.”

Swish… His long black gown pooling over the ground, Bloody Moon slowly exited the carriage and bowed. “But this isn’t an explanation.”

“I only want to let you know, Mr. X, I have a reason that leaves me with no choice but to act this way. I will send you to hell, but do not blame me. Ah, I forgot. You should go to heaven, although I don’t believe in these things myself.” He straightened his figure. “In that case… Mr. X, please be on your way in peace.”

Xu Yangyi didn’t reply. His battle intuition was already warning him over and over again. This situation was dangerous, very dangerous! He had to leave now!

Regardless, his feet didn’t even budge.

As long as he was distracted against this seemingly weak pale-faced man who was as graceful as a gentleman, the other would use his sharp fangs to tear apart his throat.

“I consider your silence a kind of tacit agreement.” Bloody Moon smiled as his right hand pressed down on his chest and his left hand opened up his cloak. As if a storm was brewing, his cloak audibly rippled. “Believe me, death is only the beginning of everything. It is not frightening, but sweetly intoxicating.”

With the corner of his cloak, black clouds capsized. A crash rang out, and the street became dead-silent. All that was left was teeming murderous intent that scattered everywhere.

In this moment, in Bloody Moon’s pitch-black cloak, countless red eyes abruptly flashed. Each one was staring right at Xu Yangyi. It was like a pile of little animals had appeared in a magician’s hat. 

Shing! A sound rang out from Xu Yangyi at the same time. The Fishbowel Sword was unsheathed.

Those were not cute little animals whatsoever… 

Cold sweat soaked his palm. He clearly saw… that it was an endless horde of blood-sucking bats!

“The opening ceremony.” A bewitching smile surfaced on Bloody Moon’s pale face. “Inferno.”

Screeeeech!!! The sound of bat wings filled the world, bringing along unending screeching. Countless bats flew out from Bloody Moon’s cloak. Black and red, they twisted together to create a painting of death!