Reaper of the Martial World

Book 7: Chapter 320: Mask (1)

Dyon’s provocative words stunned Ri. Was the Palace Master really wearing a mask? And even if she was, wasn’t that just more reason to not trust her? Why would Dyon exchange his identity for hers?

Ri knew more than almost anyone else just how important Dyon’s identity was. If Jasmine had ulterior motives, it would definitely cause Dyon’s empire to collapse before it even got off its feet.

As things stood right now, Ri and Dyon both understood how fragile Dyon’s upstart was. The people under him had no sense of belonging, they were all seeking their own benefits, and only folded to Dyon’s call because he had the larger fist. But, what the hell did Dyon’s own strength have in the face of a monster like Jasmine? She wouldn’t even need to lift a finger to kill him even if he brought out every trump card he had.

If Dyon’s current allies followed him because he was strong, who was to say that they wouldn’t leave him for someone even more powerful?

Dyon had faintly begun to understand just why no one had succeeded in creating an Emperor God Clan in a single lifetime. Creating a nation and an empire was about more than just collecting talents and accumulating territory. Why was Faith so important in the martial world? Wasn’t it because the feeling and aura of a people – what was in their hearts – was just as important as how strong their leader or they were?

The Dyon of today simply couldn’t afford to take such a risk.

Despite thinking through all of this, Ri kept her heartbeat steady and her features expressionless. She had cultivated a trust in Dyon for the more than 20 years they had been together. In the mortal world, this was already enough for a husband and wife to be considered inseparable. Considering their souls were also linked, this was doubly so for Ri and Dyon. Ri simply didn’t believe that Dyon was rash.

Almost as though she was expecting to detect something, even after hearing Dyon’s words, Jasmine’s divine sense trained on Ri. But who would have expected for it to not even be capable of entering the ten-meter radius of the youthful couple?

Jasmine’s eyes narrowed further. She could tell that if she tried to force her way in, she would suffer a severe backlash.

Since Dyon’s Presence had fused with every aspect of his being, that of course included his own divine sense. As of now, his divine sense was almost like a living creature and had its own tangible aura. How could a dao expert who specialized in the energy path like Jasmine be even remotely a match for Dyon?

Despite Jasmine’s probing, Dyon’s heart was at peace. He noticed how calm Ri remained and that made him appreciate just how amazing it was to have such capable women by his side. In fact, wasn’t this entire affair Ri’s idea to begin with? It was her that gave them a path to success.

His wife had already done her part, it was now Dyon’s turn to grasp the opportunity.

“How interesting. My instincts tell me that you definitely aren’t a dao expert despite my not being able to sense your cultivation. Yet, your divine sense is contradictorily far more powerful than mine. I’m afraid in a battle of souls, even a hundred of me wouldn’t be worthy of you, hm?” Jasmine’s smile didn’t fade.

Dyon shrugged. “All that means is that you can’t hope to lock down this area with your domain. If I want to leave, even you can’t stop me.”

Jasmine giggled. “You’re a bit too naïve, Little… Jaws, was it? Aren’t you underestimating us dao experts a bit too much?”

“Maybe I’m underestimating dao experts as a whole. But, I’m definitely not underestimating you. It’s a shame that a talent like you is bound to never leave this floating island.”

When Jasmine heard these words, her expression truly changed for the first time. This didn’t happen when she was promised great rewards, nor when she was handed the opportunity to become a Higher Existence, nor when Dyon accused her of wearing a mask. But, when she heard these words, her soul was shaken to the core.

In that moment, her expression twisted. The bright and lively Jasmine’s features suddenly became disgustingly dark. She was just as beautiful as before, but she had a menacing and dark aura that made her completely unapproachable.

Her irises grew in size as they darkened, enveloping her eyes in a profound, deep black. Looking at her now was akin to staring into an infinite black hole. She looked no different than a pale, vengeful ghost.

Although Jasmine realized her mistake in the next moment, it was already too late to fix anything. The true face of the Water Mist Sect’s Palace Master was revealed before Ri and Dyon.

That sinister light, that evil aura, even if the Heavens themselves descended in some humanoid form to tell Dyon that this woman didn’t practice any evil techniques, he would never believe it.

Ri frowned. Did she make a mistake? How could they ally themselves with such an evil individual? From the looks of it, Jasmine most definitely practiced numerous evil techniques. These weren’t the same as demonic or devil techniques, they fell into a category of cruelty and murder those former techniques never touched upon.

Dyon smiled lightly. “It seems you’ve finally decided to show yourself. Well. I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I didn’t keep my word, now would I?”

Dyon faintly touched his silver-gold mask. In the next moment, it began to slowly disappear into his face.