Chapter 905 - Lord Rholthos
Just by looking at the messenger's urgent expression, it was clear that he bears important news to report.
But before the messenger could enter the palace, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman quickly stopped him at the entrance.
"Stop! Why are you in a hurry?" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman questioned.
"Greetings, Battle King One-Eye," the messenger respectfully saluted before he answered, "The Battle God Palace's third lord has arrived outside our tribe, my Lord."
"The third lord?" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman raised an eyebrow and asked, "The third young master, you mean?"
"No, my Lord. It is not the third young master. It's the third lord himself, Lord Rholthos, third son of the Battle God, and father of the third young master Zion," the messenger corrected after he shook his head.
"Lord Rholthos? I understand. You may continue to report to Chief Valencia," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's eyes flickered seriously.
Nevertheless, he allowed the messenger to resume his task.
"Thank you, Battle One-Eye."
After the messenger disappeared into the palace, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's expression turned solemn.
"It seems a big shot has come to the Darkmoon Tribe. However, I'm afraid that the matter isn't simple this time around," the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman commented with a deep frown.
After contemplating for a moment, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman glanced at Leon.
"My Lord, please don't leave us just yet. Although I don't know why Lord Rholthos decided to leave the Battle God Palace and visit us, I smell trouble—trouble that would require your intervention, my Lord."
"Very well," Leon agreed with a nod.
The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman expressed his gratitude for Leon's understanding.
Afterward, he quickly summoned warriors from the tribe to take the mountain of sea monster bodies away for processing.
Once that was settled, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman made his way back into the great hall with Leon, Aria, Darlene, and Duna.
Around that time, Chief Valencia had finished listening to the messenger's report and sent people to escort the guests into the tribe.
"I don't have a good feeling about Lord Rholthos's visit. No, Lord Rholthos definitely has a purpose for coming," Chief Skyhawk raised his concern.
Nevertheless, the other members in the hall were, more or less, suspecting the same thing.
They have neither any special relationship nor connection to Lord Rholthos of the Battle God Palace. If anything, they shared some connection to Lord Rholthos's third son instead.
"We'll understand Lord Rholthos's intention once we meet," Chief Valencia coolly stated.
However, the creases on her forehead revealed the same concerns she shared with the other members in the hall.
"We shouldn't be too concerned. Lord Rholthos did not bring too many people, only fifty warriors or so. Two-fifths of them even belong to his third son. Thus, we can assume they didn't come for trouble," a Half-step Battle King spoke.
However, the other members in the hall immediately scoff at the Half-step Battle King.
"Don't be ridiculous. Fifty warriors would not be a problem if it were any other tribe. However, this is the Battle God Palace we are talking about. Who knows how many among their fifty warriors are Half-step or even full-fledged Battle Kings."
"But even, they pale in comparison to Lord Rholthos. His presence itself is the real problem here," Chief Baskara added.
The three lords of the Battle God Palace were said to be Extremity-rank Battle Kings.
Even the Battle King One-Eye would not be Lord Rholthos's opponent, let alone the slumbering ancestors of their three tribes.
After all, their slumbering ancestors were mostly Early to Mid-rank Battle Kings.
In other words, Lord Rholthos can bring the entire coalition down on its knees if he has any intention of subjugating their tribes.
Nevertheless, the murmurs died down after Leon entered the hall with the others and took their seats.
His presence brought the hall members back some confidence.
Even so, it was only some confidence. Most people on the Darkmoon Tribe's side didn't believe anyone could deal with Lord Rholthos—should there be conflict.
Several breaths later, the Darkmoon Tribe's warriors led Lord Rholthos's group into the great hall, where seats were prepared for them.
The moment everyone's gazes fell on Lord Rholthos, they understood that the impressions in the rumors were not exaggerated in the least.
Lord Rholthos had long black hair, sharp brows, and eyes. His body was tanned, huge, ripped, and exuded a domineering aura. He was a full head taller than Chief Valencia, who was considered huge herself.
Several hall members felt like the war god's incarnation had just arrived.
"The wind must be blowing in the southern region's favor. May I ask Lord Rholthos's purpose for gracing our humble tribe with your presence?" Chief Valencia spoke modestly.
"Chief Valencia speaks too humbly. There's no need to be so formal," Lord Rholthos coolly replied, but his voice was deep and powerful; it resounded throughout the hall, loud and clear.
"So Lord Rholthos knows my name. I am honored," Chief Valencia said, feigning calmness.
Nevertheless, Lord Rholthos is not a person who engages in idle pleasantries. As such, he jumped straight to business.
"For two weeks, your tribes have been living under my third son's protection. However, you must understand that my third son is still young, and his wings have not grown. Given the chaotic situation in the Infertile Plains, few would give him face," Lord Rholthos spoke.
"Lord Rholthos meaning is…?" Chief Valencia narrowed her eyes with suspicion.
"The tribes were giving face to me. In other words, you have all been living free of conflict under my protection. However, that protection ends now; it's time to make a choice. I am giving your tribes the opportunity to join me. It's in your best interest to agree," Lord Rolthos stated.
A heavy atmosphere immediately descended on the hall members.
It was clear that Lord Rolthos was someone used to giving orders. He was not asking them to join his faction; he was telling them to join him.
He did not take no for an answer.
Nevertheless, Chief Valencia couldn't make the decision for everyone; she turned her head to Leon for help.
Chapter 906: Darlene's Fury
Leon casually met Chief Valencia's gaze. However, it wasn't just Chief Valencia who directed her gaze at him.
The One-Eyed Venerable shaman, the other two chiefs, the other Venerable Shamans, and the Half-step Battle Kings all directed their gaze towards Leon.
Evidently, they all made him the ultimate decision-maker and the alliance leader, which was bound to happen sooner or later.
Nevertheless, Lord Rholthos was surprised by the situation. He raised an eyebrow at Leon with growing interest and curiosity, wondering who the young man might be.
"That is the Big Brother Leonhardt I mentioned to you about, Father," Young Master Zion whispered to Lord Rholthos.
"So you're the one who saved my son. You have my gratitude," Lord Rholthos nodded at Leon approvingly.
"To be a leader at such a young age, you're definitely overflowing with talent. However, you must know where your limits are. The Infertile Plains issue is much bigger than you can handle. Therefore, you should convince your people to join under my banner. That is the only way you can keep everyone safe and well-fed."
Lord Rholthos chose such a time to visit because he knew they were running low on food.
At the same time, everyone understood that while Lord Rholthos's words sounded like he was looking after them, his tone was full of oppression and coercion, which was deeply ingrained in his nature.
A person like this was clearly not as benevolent as he made himself to be.
"Lord Rholthos spoke too seriously. The Seven Tribes Alliance does not need anyone's help. We're grateful for your protection over the past three weeks, but now that I am here, all problems are as good as gone," Leon calmly stated.
With a wave of his hand, he casually blew away Lord Rholthos's oppressive aura with his dragon aura, allowing everyone on his side to relax.
"Oh?" Lord Rholthos's eyes narrowed with a solemn look and reassessed Leon.
For a moment, Lord Rholthos thought Leon's strength eclipsed his own. After all, not just anyone could dispel his oppressive aura so casually.
However, Lord Rholthos found it impossible for a human to possess such a powerful dragon aura.
Thus, he concluded it to be the result of a unique technique to make the person more powerful than he actually seemed.
In other words, the person was bluffing.
"Are you saying you're going to reject my offer?" Lord Rholthos questioned in a low and gloomy tone.
"Wrong, I already rejected your offer," Leon stated coolly.
"No need to keep up the pretense, Lord Rholthos. If you were truly looking after us, you wouldn't need to recruit us. Furthermore, the fact that you even tried to recruit us shows your intention to compete in the battle for hegemony."
"Thus, don't treat us like we are all idiots. We have no intention of becoming cannon fodders in your war," Leon stated coolly.
At the same time, he flashed the young Zion a look, causing the person to feel guilty at once.
Zion wanted to look after the Darkmoon Tribe to repay his benefactor.
But after hearing his benefactor's answer and knowing his father's nature, he immediately knew there would be a conflict.
In other words, he brought disaster on his benefactor.
Without surprise, Lord Rholthos's aura became even more oppressive after he heard Leon's reply.
"Since you understand the situation so well, you should understand you only have one choice. Unless you all want to die together, you'll submit to me! Or do you think you can beat me, an Extremity-rank Battle King?"
Lord Rholthos swept his sharp gaze across the hall members, causing many to avert their gaze with fear and intimidation.
Nevertheless, there were also a few determined individuals who faced Lord Rholthos's gaze head-on without cowering.
"Extremity-rank Battle King? Is it strong?" Leon snickered dismissively. Then, he turned to Darlene and sought her opinion with an amused smile, "What do you think, Darlene?"
An Early-rank Battle King possesses the strength of 5-million jin while subsequent breakthroughs increase their strength by 2.5-million jin.
In other words, an Extremity-rank Battle King only has the strength of 15-million jin.
"Only so-so," Darlene nonchalantly replied.
Given her strength at the Early Rank 2 Body Transformation in the bone-forging and flesh-tempering phase, her physical strength was indeed a bit short from the 15-million jin mark, about 3-million jin to be exact.
However, she can easily close that gap and even surpass it with her near-Paragon level spatial ability.
Thus, she found Lord Rholthos's confidence in his strength to be quite comical. After all, he was still far from the peak of Paragons. What's there to be proud of?
Nevertheless, her reply shocked everyone in the great hall.
The strength of an Extremity-rank Battle King is only so-so? The people in the hall didn't know whether she was ignorant or overconfident.
However, her words enraged Lord Rholthos and his loyal subordinates.
"How audacious! Young lady, you are too arrogant! You have greatly disrespected my Lord! Allow me to teach you how to be humble in your parent's stead!" shouted a Mid-rank Battle King beside Lord Rholthos.
The Mid-rank Battle King dashed towards Darlene with his hand raised, intent on slapping her into the ground in the next instance.
However…
Peng!
Darlene planted her feet on the Mid-rank Battle King's chest and sent him flying out the great hall with a kick.
"You'll teach me a lesson in my parent's stead? They're not worthy, let alone you!" Darlene thundered furiously.
Swish!
Darlene dashed out of the great hall, chasing after the Mid-rank Battle King, intent on beating the sh*t out of the person and perhaps even killing him.
She flew past Lord Rholthos and the people of the Battle God Palace, but no one stopped her. Instead, they stood rooted on the spot with looks of sheer shock.
No one would have thought that such a slim woman would possess such tyrannical strength for someone of her size.
Evidently, she had the strength to back her words.
"But how? How can that lady have such brute strength with a figure like that?" another Mid-rank Battle King raised his doubt in shock.
Fortunately, he wasn't the one to infuriate the person.
Chapter 907: Piss Off
After Darlene revealed her strength, Lord Rholthos was forced to reassess Leon's strength. Not just him, but the other two slim women besides him as well.
If someone as slim as the tanned woman could be a Battle King, then these three other people with fair skin might not be much weaker—No, they could even be stronger!
Lord Rholthos's expression turned grim.
At the same time, the Battle God Palace's warriors craned their necks to look at their third palace lord with astonishment.
It was the first time seeing their palace lord show such a careful expression in any matter besides the other two palace lords.
"On account that the Seven Tribes Alliance has been relatively peaceful thanks to your protection, I'll allow you to leave. And I won't pursue this matter further," Leon coolly stated. "So, leave now and don't come back."
Nevertheless, Lord Rholthos was unwilling to leave just like that.
Although Lord Rholthos miscalculated the Seven Tribes Alliance's strength, his desire to bring them under his wing intensified.
"Even if I leave today, my first and second palace lords, my elder brothers, will still pay you a visit. However, at that time, their means to subjugate your band of tribes will be even more forceful than mine," Lord Rholthos spoke in a low tone.
"You need to understand that your tribes have no choice but to pick a side, or do you intend to reject all three palace lords and make the entire Battle God Palace your enemy? Even if you're strong, it's not enough to go against the entire—"
"Enough!" Duna thundered.
In that instance, an overwhelming pressure descended on Lord Rholthos and his men. The pressure was so powerful that it suppressed them into the ground and suffocated them.
Not a single person in the Battle God Palace could utter a word under Duna's soul suppression.
"I am tired of listening to your drivels and watching you prance around with your overinflated ego! You might think you are strong, but in reality, you are not! Know your place and piss off, vermin! You're an eyesore!"
Lord Rholthos and the rest of the Battle God Palace took on the brunt of Duna's Great Demon Lord-level soul suppression.
Not only did it shock them, everyone else in the hall besides Leon and Aria was also shocked!
The color was drained from Lord Rholthos's face, making him look pale like the rest of his people.
Duna's overwhelming power shattered whatever confidence they had left and instilled fear into all of them.
"Still not leaving?" Duna uttered with annoyance.
Alas, the Battle God Palace's people felt wronged. Everyone wanted to flee, but they couldn't move—not unless Duna relieved her soul suppression.
"Scram!" Duna yelled.
Her voice carried a powerful wave of invisible mental strength that blew Lord Rholthos and his men out of the hall.
Only the young Zion remained behind. Everyone else was expelled.
After recovering from his initial shock and fear, Zion glanced at Leon with guilt and uttered, "Big Brother Leonhardt… I…"
"Just leave," Leon waved his hand dismissively.
Zion opened his mouth, but no words came out. Shortly after, he nodded with a sigh and turned around to leave the hall.
Although Leon could guess the boy had kind intentions, he was too na?ve.
The Infertile Plains was a land filled with proud warriors. The various tribes all formed their collective powers, and it wasn't easy to subjugate them.
It wasn't easy to get a tribe to submit unless they had overwhelming power or charisma.
He, himself, wouldn't be viewed favorably in the tribe if he hadn't already established his prestige based on his cumulative feats.
The current state of affairs in the Infertile Plains is the way that they are because everyone wants to become the hegemon. But, alas, not everyone can.
Thus, those aware of their lacking qualifications willingly submit to other tribes.
On the other hand, the powerful tribes with qualifications will butt heads. Furthermore, they will do so fiercely until a winner is determined.
Chief Valencia and the other hall members weren't so sure that they could stand toe-to-toe with the Battle God Palace and the other King-rank tribes based on the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman's strength alone.
But after they witnessed Darlene and Duna's strength, they became completely confident in their qualification to participate.
"Now, we've completely fallen out with the Battle God Palace. But, alas, this was bound to happen if we wanted to fight for the hegemon position," Leon casually stated.
Several hall members nodded.
They were aware of what they were getting themselves involved in. If they weren't prepared for this, they would have already submitted to a stronger power.
"However, what concerns me is the Battle God," a Crimsonfog Tribe's Venerable Shaman said.
However, Chief Valencia and several other hall members shook their heads with a wry smile at the person's remark.
Given the overpowering strength that Miss Duna revealed, the Battle God wouldn't be a problem at all.
"The Battle God shouldn't be a problem. After all, we can assume that something happened to the Battle God if the Battle God Palace's palace lords are competing with each other," Leon stated.
"True," the One-Eyed Venerable nodded and added, "The palace lords are the Battle God's children. I doubt he would like to see them going after each other's necks if he was perfectly in good health."
"In other words, something happened to the Battle God, and the palace lords are fighting for the throne?" Chief Skyhawk rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Now it makes sense that the Central Region's King-rank tribes dare to compete for the hegemon position. The Battle God Palace is busy with their internal conflict," Chief Baskara understood.
While the discussion was ongoing, the hall members would sneak some glances at Duna with silent speculations from time to time.
The strength she revealed was simply too shocking and beyond their worldly knowledge.
Nevertheless, the hall quickly quietened after Darlene returned with bloodstains on her face a short while later.
"Did you kill him?" Leon softly asked while wiping the Mid-rank Battle King's blood off her face.
"No," Darlene shook her head before saying, "But I did beat the living crap out of him."
Chapter 908: Duna's Notice
After hearing Darlene's reply, laced with lingering resentment, Leon slightly smiled and gave her head a rub.
He could understand her feelings.
After all, her parents disowned her for being unable to cultivate.
Nevertheless, her parents wouldn't have thought that there would come a day when their daughter could send a Mid-rank Battle King flying with a single kick.
Sometime later, the hall meeting moved onto managerial topics and development plans for the three tribes.
It wasn't something that required Leon's presence. As such, Leon chose to leave the hall with his women.
However, after stepping outside the hall, Chief Valencia caught up to them and stopped him.
"Hold on just a moment, Young Master Leonhardt—No, Alliance Leader," Chief Valencia spoke.
Shortly after, Chief Valencia had a servant bring forward several rolled-up parchments. Then, she gestured the servant to hand it over to Leon.
After Leon accepted the rolled-up parchments, he raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Then, he glanced back at Chief Valencia with a questioning look.
"What is this?" Leon asked.
"You were interested in our runic mining tech, right? Although it took some time, this is the blueprint for the upgraded version of the mining automatons," Chief Valencia explained.
"Oh?" Leon exclaimed with a pleasant surprise.
If he brought this blueprint back for the Lancaster family to study, he was certain they would accept it with delight.
And once they incorporate the runic technology in the blueprint, it will push forward the empire's development plans.
"Please give me regards to the other side when you return, Alliance Leader."
"I will," Leon nodded.
After Chief Valencia watched Leon store the rolled-up parchments in his interspatial storage, she felt relieved, like she had just put down a burden.
Shortly after Chief Valencia returned inside the great hall, Leon turned to Darlene.
"Why don't you head on over to Barrenrock Courtyard first and check on your sisters first, and warn them about Empyrean Infinite Void's matter while you're at it?" Leon suggested.
Darlene contemplated for a moment before she nodded, "Mm. Then, I will see you later."
"Yeah, I'll pick you up when we are returning to the Human Domain," Leon promised.
Shortly after, Darlene took off from the plateau and plunged to the lower ground with a single jump. Such height was no longer a problem for someone with her level of body cultivation.
"I'll be leaving too," Duna uttered indifferently after contemplating for a moment.
Aria and Leon immediately turned to face her with surprised looks on their faces. Then, Leon quickly asked, "Leaving? Where are you going?"
"To look for opportunities elsewhere. Given my current cultivation level, it will continue to stagnate if I only follow you. Don't try to persuade me otherwise. This is something I need to do," Duna stated calmly.
"I see…"
Leon uttered, feeling at a loss. Since she already said as much, there wasn't much he could say to make her stay.
"Don't be too disappointed. I won't be leaving right away. Come and find me in my room at Barrenrock Courtyard alone after you've settled your matters in the palace. I won't leave before then," Duna stated.
Leon let out a sigh before he nodded, "Alright."
Shortly after, Duna also left the area. Then, Leon turned towards the palace's inner courtyard's direction.
"Let us visit my adoptive parents and little sister."
"Mm," Aria complied.
Thinking Leon might be feeling dispirited by Duna's notice to leave, Aria hugged Leon's arm to comfort him on the way to the inner courtyard.
…
Shortly after Aria and Leon stepped into his adoptive parent's courtyard, he spotted Mia playing by herself.
However, she instinctive felt someone's gaze and turned her head to the courtyard entrance. When she discovered Leon there, her big eyes quickly lit up like the stars.
"Big brother!" Mia exclaimed.
In the next instance, she rushed over with excitement. However, she suddenly lost strength and tripped over nothing, falling forward.
Luckily, Leon caught her before she could graze herself on the rough ground.
"It seems like you still remember this big brother of yours," Leon chuckled softly before saying, "But be careful next time."
"I didn't forget Big Brother; it was Big Brother who forgot about Mia—!" Mia pouted in response when she suddenly started having a coughing fit.
"Hm?" Leon's eyes flickered seriously.
"Your little sister appears to be unwell," Aria mentioned with concern.
At first glance, Mia appeared perfectly healthy. However, the phlegm from her cough carried a foul scent. Furthermore, Mia appeared much weaker after her coughing fit.
Her face paled, and her lips turned slightly purplish.
Leon nodded.
Being a skilled doctor, he immediately knew what was wrong with his little sister. The dark energy in the environment had whittled away her health.
Such a problem wouldn't happen in other children, but Mia only had one kidney.
At that moment, Helen and Brian also stepped out of their room after hearing the earlier commotion outside.
They were overjoyed to see Leon. But before they could celebrate his return, they noticed Mia's sickly look in Leon's arms and rushed over with shock.
"What's happening to Mia?" Helen inquired with concern.
After hearing his adoptive mother's question, Leon glanced at his adoptive parents' confused and concerned expressions with doubt.
"You didn't know about Mia's condition even though it deteriorated this much, Mom?" Leon asked with knitted brows.
It shouldn't have been difficult to notice Mia was sick at least, right?
"Mia started having a few light coughs in the past two weeks, but we thought it was due to the growing cold weather. Mia, herself, said she was feeling cold. We thought it was just a simple cold and kept her inside to recuperate."
"We only just let her out to play again yesterday when she said she felt better. It's the first time we've seen her condition deteriorate this seriously," Helen explained with a look of self-blame.
She wondered if she had been taking care of Mia poorly and missed the signs of her deteriorating health.
"Big Brother, don't blame Mom and Dad. Mia didn't want to inconvenience anyone," Mia said weakly.
Everyone immediately understood Mia had been hiding her sickness.
"Haiz, you silly goose. You mustn't hide the truth from Mom and Dad when you are sick," Leon sighed.
Shortly after, he took out the highest quality Tier-6 Divine Returning Spring Pill he refined and fed it to Mia.
Chapter 909: Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts
The moment the Tier-6 Divine Returning Spring Pill entered Mia's body, it displayed a reaction unlike any other recovery pills below tier-6.
It was like a fuse being lit, causing Mia's body to shine with brilliance like a star. Her pale skin regained her healthy glow, and the purplish tint on her lips receded in an instant.
Within a few breaths, the accumulated toxins in her body vaporized from her body like a powerful ray of light shining through the darkness.
Helen and Brian were immediately shocked by the startling phenomenon.
"What kind of pill is this?" Brian uttered with wide eyes.
"A tier-6 divine pill," Leon casually replied.
Nevertheless, he continued to observe Mia's bodily changes under the effect of the Tier-6 Divine Returning Spring Pill.
After the divine pill expelled all toxins and restored Mia's health to its peak, the medicine started to gather under her left rib cage region.
Mia felt an inexplicable sense of comfort. Then, however, a sudden wave of drowsiness overwhelmed her, causing her to fall into a deep slumber.
By the time she reawakens, the Tier-6 Divine Returning Spring Pill would have restored her missing kidney.
Shortly after, Leon handed Mia over to Helen to carry.
"Why did Mia's health suddenly deteriorate so much? Do you know what caused her to be sick, Leon?" Helen inquired seriously.
She didn't remember feeding Mia anything strange. But then again, the typical food in the Darkmoon Tribe was mainly comprised of beast meat.
"It's the environment, Mom," Leon sighed.
"The environment in the Infertile Plains is too heavy in dark energy, which isn't suitable for Mia. In addition, Mia is weaker than most children because she lost a kidney at such a young age. After all, her body only has half the strength to fight off the harmful effects of dark energy."
It might not be so bad if Mia stayed anywhere else in the Darkmoon Tribe. However, it just had to be in the palace, which had the densest dark energy due to the Divine Demon Tree.
Nevertheless, Leon didn't mention this to avoid making his adoptive parents feel worse.
Even so, Helen and Brian still blamed themselves.
"So it was my fault… If I didn't insist on staying here, Mia wouldn't have to endure this suffering…" Helen glanced at Mia's face with guilt and said, "This child… She's very bright. She kept silent about her sickness because she didn't want it to affect my business here."
"For Mia's sake, we should move back to the Human Domain," Brian stated.
However, Leon shook his head and said, "That won't be necessary, Dad. I already fed her the Tier-6 Divine Returning Spring Pill and restored her missing kidney."
Furthermore, the Tier-6 Divine Returning Spring Pill is more capable than just that. The tier-6 divine pill restored her health and also strengthened her foundations. It won't be easy for any sickness to infect her again."
The effects of a tier-6 divine pill are already considered a miracle in the mortal realm. However, the miraculous effect is even more so when fed to someone without cultivation.
"But is the Weeping Forest really that important, Mom? What are you trying to find there?" Leon inquired with knitted brows shortly after.
"To be honest, I don't know myself. However, there must be something special about the Weeping Forest for the environment in that place to be the way it is. Nevertheless, we haven't gotten many opportunities to explore it due to the ongoing conflict between tribes," Helen replied.
Leon furrowed his brows.
The Weeping Forest was full of yin energy, which reminded him of the Extreme Misty Forest, a Perilous Land. It was unknown what sorts of dangers lay deep within it.
For his adoptive parents' safety, he should explore the Weeping Forest and assess its dangers first.
"Mom, Dad, this land is full of dangers. So it's better if you both start body cultivation. I'll feel more at ease if you both become stronger. You don't have to worry about the cultivation method, though. I have one that you can both practice," Leon said.
Although Helen and Brian were slightly surprised by the topic, they expressed their agreement with a nod.
"Alright, son."
Helen and Brian didn't want to be Leon's burden. Thus, they would gladly start if practicing body cultivation could relieve his worries.
Shortly after, Leon transmitted the Godfiend Body Forging Method to them. Furthermore, he also added another cultivation method, the Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts.
Since his adoptive parents cultivated yin and dark energy before, he found the Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts most suitable for them.
"These cultivation methods…"
Helen and Brian lingered in the aftershock of learning the two cultivation methods, one for energy and the other for the body.
"They're primordial methods, Mom, Dad. They're superior methods that cannot be compared to what you've practiced until now. You'll understand once you start cultivating with them," Leon explained.
Shortly after, he took out some cultivation resources. Then, he put them in a spare Tier-6 Interspatial Ring before passing it to his adoptive mother.
"Please take this, Mom. The items in this interspatial ring should aid with your practice. I'll drop by another time to revisit you all," Leon said.
"You don't want to wait until Mia wakes up and spend some time with her, son? You know she misses you the most," Helen mentioned.
After all, Mia's life only changed for the better after Leon picked her up in the lower district.
Leon glanced down at Mia's sleeping face and tousled her hair. Shortly after, he shook his head with a smile.
"It's fine. I won't take too long to visit again like I did this time," Leon stated.
"Alright," Helen and Brian nodded.
Since Leon had made up his mind, they didn't try to keep him. Nevertheless, they felt a bit sad that they didn't get much to spend much time together like they did in the past.
"Stay safe, and make sure to visit us again."
"I will," Leon promised.
Shortly after, Helen glanced at Aria guiltily. They didn't get a chance to speak even though Aria visited them with their son.
However, Aria shook her head with a smile, expressing that it was fine.
They will get another chance to speak.
Chapter 910: Duna's Parting Gift
Sometime later, Leon and Aria left the palace and made their way back to Barrenrock Courtyard, which Leon owned.
On the way, Aria turned to Leon and asked curiously, "What cultivation methods did you teach your parents?"
"I taught them the Godfiend Body Forging Method and the Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts," Leon replied.
"The Godfiend Body Forging Method? Isn't that what you teach everyone else? Is that alright with you? There should have better methods, right?" Aria asked.
"There are," Leon affirmed with a nod before he continued, "However, the better methods are more specialized. It might conflict with the Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts."
After hearing Leon's explanation, Aria quickly understood.
The Godfiend Body Forging Method was only supplementary cultivation to strengthen his adoptive parents' foundation.
Their main focus was the Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts.
"The Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts… This cultivation technique sounds like a demon cultivation technique. Is it fine to teach them something like this? If we bring them back to the Divine Realm…" Aria mentioned her concern.
However, Leon shook his head.
"They already started cultivating dark energy by the Divine Demon Tree. Not to mention them, any warrior in the Infertile Plains would be regarded as a heretic for cultivating dark energy," Leon stated.
"However, the day we return to the Divine Realm, I will destroy this discrimination against dark energy and create a haven for everyone to live, regardless of what they cultivate. Of course, there's another reason why I chose the Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts for my parents."
Helen and Brian were once disciples of the Illusory Butterfly Sect.
Even if they abolished their cultivation, the remnant yin poison hidden in their body could pose a potential danger to their life.
After they started cultivating dark energy, a different energy source, there was no telling what hidden risks and problems his adoptive parents' bodies may have.
Thus, the Heavenly Yin Revolving Dark Arts were the best solution. It was a cultivation technique that harmonized dark and yin energy to produce a stronger power.
The technique was created by the Dark Yin Heavenly Devil, a being that stood on even grounds with the Heavenly Gods.
After Leon explained that to Aria, she felt like Leon made the best choice for his adoptive parents.
Rather than simply removing the hidden danger from Helen and Brian's bodies, Leon gave them a cultivation technique that could make use of it instead.
It was like transforming a disaster into a blessing.
…
After returning to Barrenrock Courtyard, Leon and Aria spotted Darlene sitting by the stone table, catching up with the six maids.
Darlene sensed their gazes before turning her head and acknowledging their presence with a nod. Then, she prepared to head over personally and greet them.
However, Leon shook his head and gestured for her to stay where she was and continue catching up with her sisters.
He did not want to interrupt them.
"I'll be in my room if you need me," Aria took her cue to leave after Leon fixed his gaze on Duna's room. He smiled warmly after her understanding and nodded.
Shortly after, he adjusted his mental state and strolled into Duna's room.
Duna sat on the bed with her eyes closed while waiting for Leon inside the room. The moment Leon entered the room, her eyes snapped open. Her eyes flickered, and the doors shut tight behind Leon in the next instant.
"What do you want to say to me before leaving?"
"Let's talk in my spiritual world."
Leon's eyes flickered after hearing Duna's statement, vaguely understanding her intention. Yet, at the same time, he did not understand due to her indifferent expression.
Nevertheless, he nodded in agreement.
He took a spot on the bed and lay down with Duna. Then, he performed Soul Dive and sent his spiritual avatar into Duna's spiritual world.
…
Inside Duna's spiritual world, Leon immediately noticed the world had undergone a startling transformation compared to the last time he visited.
The land was no longer flourishing with greenery and fertile land. Instead, it didn't look much different to the demon's territory.
The land was barren with ruined cities while dark clouds loomed over the crimson sky. Purplish-red lightning streaked across the heavens as the crackling thunder resounded furiously throughout the spiritual world.
The place seemed time eroded and full of destruction, death, and darkness wherever Leon looked.
'Is this the result of Duna's laws reaching a high level? Or…' Leon studied the spiritual world with a pondering look.
However, Duna suddenly pounced him and brought him down to the ground. The disappearance of their clothes and a steamy dual cultivation session followed afterward.
Half a day later, Leon and Duna lay on the barren land with their bodies intertwined in the spiritual world.
Although Leon knew Duna enjoyed the experience, he felt strange that her expression remained indifferent throughout the dual cultivation.
It was as if she had lost the ability to express her emotions.
"Is this all you wanted to do before leaving?" Leon softly asked.
"Yeah," Duna calmly nodded and said, "As you are now, there shouldn't be anything in the Infertile Plains that can pose a threat to you. However, I want to leave behind some assurance."
As Leon suspected, Duna wanted to dual cultivate in the spiritual world to gift him the fruits of her law comprehension.
However, he wondered if she would gain anything from him as well.
"Must you leave?" Leon softly asked.
"Don't persuade me to stay. You are tied down by responsibilities; there are things you must do. But, there are things I must do too. Thus, we must part ways," Duna stated indifferently.
Although Duna didn't express herself well, Leon vaguely felt like she was trying to say that she would explore the world in his stead while he settled his matters.
Nevertheless, Leon didn't want to hold Duna back either selfishly. Thus, he had no choice but to let her go.
"I understand," Leon uttered.
Duna was a strong and independent woman. She was more than capable of protecting herself while out looking for opportunities.
…
When Leon returned to the real world, Duna had already disappeared without a word.
Although he felt disappointed, he understood that he couldn't be with everyone all the time. They all had things to do too.
'Let's see what I improved…' Leon focused on himself.
Chapter 911: The Two Palace Lords
After deciding to check on his abilities, Leon closed his eyes and delved into his sea of consciousness for introspection.
Contrary to his expectations, his previous dual cultivation session with Darlene and Aria merit little gains.
His Lightning, Ice, and Spatial Law improvement from the second dual cultivation session was minuscule compared to his first time with them.
'It seems like the benefits of dual cultivation cannot be abused…' Leon mused.
When he thought about the limitation, it made perfect sense.
No matter how heaven-defying his True Grandmist Body is, it's impossible to let him catch up to his women's law comprehension. At the very least, it cannot be done purely through dual cultivation alone.
Nevertheless, Leon did not fixate his attention on the Lightning, Ice, and Spatial Law.
After looking at his other abilities, he was startled by the improvement of four laws—or rather, three laws and an addition.
He had acquired Duna's Destruction.
Not only that, it was even at the Early Preliminary Accession-stage Transcendent. Besides the Destruction Law, the Temporal and Darkness Law reached the Late Preliminary Accession-stage Transcendent.
However, his Death Law experienced the most significant improvement, having reached the Early Seeking Insight-stage Transcendent!
Furthermore, his soul core was still in the process of absorbing the essence of Duna's law comprehension in his sea of consciousness! It did not finish digesting everything, far from it!
His Destruction, Temporal, Darkness, and Death Laws have yet to reach the end of their improvement!
There is a chance that his Destruction, Temporal, Darkness Laws will reach the Seeking Insight-stage Transcendent. As for his Death Law, it might even reach the Acknowledged Paragon-stage Transcendent!
Just by looking at his potential improvement, Leon could guess that Duna's law comprehension in the Destruction, Temporal, and Darkness Laws have already reached the Paragon level.
As for her Death Law, it was likely at the Demon Lord level—!
'No, her Death Law might be at an even higher level,' Leon speculated.
Considering Duna was already a Great Demon Lord, it was more plausible to think that one of her laws has also reached the same level.
Furthermore, his Death Law had the most significant improvement. Thus, it was most likely to be Duna's most proficient law.
Leon didn't expect Duna could raise her law comprehension by so much within the three weeks of secluded training.
But of course, everything was just blind speculation at this point.
Even so, he thought she was only raising her soul cultivation. But considering the height of her laws, she must have paid some price to raise them alongside her advancement in soul cultivation.
'Did she integrate her devil soul fragment?' Leon wondered with furrowed brows.
Shortly after, Leon sighed.
Even if he wanted to ask, the person had already left. Perhaps Duna left quickly to avoid his questions.
After sighing again, Leon shelved his thoughts aside. He can't dwell on it forever. As Duna mentioned in the spiritual world, they both have things to do.
Leon adjusted his state of mind. Then, he entered meditation to digest the rest of Duna's law comprehension essence in his sea of consciousness.
…
Six hours later, Leon left the room. The sky was darker, but his eyes were like a pair of stars that flickers in the night. His body emanated a deathly aura, but it was powerful and authoritative.
He had reached the Paragon level in the Death Law.
Leon glanced around, but he found no one in the courtyard. Evidently, Darlene and the six maids had already retired to their rooms for the night.
Nevertheless, he didn't bother looking for them. Instead, he took a seat by the stone table. Then, he enjoyed the tranquil environment with a steady expression, feeling neither rushed nor too relaxed.
Having reached a level of strength that could dictate the Infertile Plains, Leon didn't feel a sense of urgency.
Alas, the tranquility in the courtyard didn't last forever.
After a short incense worth of time passed, a powerful voice resounded throughout Darkmoon city, alerting everyone in the city.
Even the ground slightly shook with tremors.
"Lord Razarkan, the Battle God Palace's second palace lord, has come to visit! Come out and see me, leaders of the Darkmoon Tribe!" said the powerful voice.
Aria, Darlene, and the six maids exited their rooms shortly after. The voice surprised them, but Leon's lonely figure in the courtyard surprised Aria and Darlene more.
They didn't know how long he had been sitting there by himself.
"Did you settle your business with Duna? Why are you sitting here by yourself?" Aria asked.
"Un," Leon nodded before he calmly said, "I just wanted to enjoy the tranquil environment for a moment. But, alas, it was interrupted by the voice just now."
"Lord Razarkan, the second palace lord of the Battle God Palace… is another Extremity-rank Battle King on par with Lord Rholthos—No, he should be stronger than Lord Rholthos," Darlene mentioned.
Lord Razarkan had been an Extremity-rank Battle King longer than Lord Rholthos. Thus, even if they were at the same level of strength, their experience differed.
"Nevertheless, this Lord Razarkan sure arrive fast. Lord Rholthos didn't leave that long ago," Aria stated amusedly.
The internal conflict within the Battle God Palace was most likely more fierce than everyone anticipated.
"The voice came from the north side. Let us head over and observe the situation," Leon calmly suggested.
If he hadn't delayed his departure, the Darkmoon Tribe could have been in some serious trouble without him.
After Aria and Darlene agreed, they all made their way over to the northern outskirts of Darkmoon city.
However, it wasn't just Leon's group. Lord Razarkan's powerful voice attracted all three Tribal Chiefs, Half-step Battle Kings, and the Venerable Shamans.
…
…
…
Meanwhile, Lord Razarkan waited patiently with sharp eyes and arms crossed on the northern outskirts of Darkmoon city.
"Bahahaha! So you've arrived ahead of me, Second Brother! I see you also have eyes of the southern region after you caught news of Third Brother's failure!" another powerful voice resounded from behind Lord Razarkan.
After several Battle Kings among Lord Razarkan's people heard that, they quickly turned around with alarm.
"The first palace lord is also here…!"
Chapter 912: Lord Rholthos's Ambitious Plan
After the Battle Kings under the second palace lord exclaimed, Lord Razarkan finally turned around. His gaze quickly landed on the first palace lord in the distance before his expression turned grim.
"Did you follow me here, First Brother?" Lord Razarkan questioned the first palace lord in a low tone.
"Followed you? Don't kid yourself, Second Brother. You are of no interest to me. However, I can't say the same for the Darkmoon Tribe right behind you, though," the first palace lord, Lord Reingard, grinned.
Lord Razarkan immediately glared at Lord Reingard before he spat, "Piss off! I arrived first!"
"Arrived first? You still cry like a child, Second Brother. Better yet, you still reek of your vixen mother's milk," Lord Reingard ridiculed with amusement.
"Nevertheless, I will acknowledge that you arrived before me. Thus, I will allow you the first attempt to subjugate the southern region's tribes. However, if I see you using force to subjugate them, don't say that I didn't warn you."
Although the three palace lords shared the same father, they had different mothers. Furthermore, Lord Reingard was thirty years older than Lord Razarkan.
"Don't try to sound so magnanimous, First Brother. Don't think that I don't know what you are thinking with that sly mind of yours!" Lord Razarkan snorted coldly.
Nevertheless, Lord Razarkan still flicked his wrist and returned his attention to the Darkmoon Tribe, awaiting its leaders.
Even if Lord Razarkan knew what Lord Reingard was thinking, he was unwilling to yield his chance to his first brother.
At the same time, Lord Reingard shrugged his shoulders.
Lord Reingard found himself a spot away from Lord Razarkan's group shortly after. Then, he sat down and watched Lord Razarkan closely with a leisure attitude.
Uniting the Infertile Plains was every ambitious warrior's dream.
The southern region may have fewer tribes, but it wasn't any less desirable than the other regions in his conquest.
However, there must be a reason why his third brother, Lord Rholthos, failed to bring the southern tribes under his banner and left in defeat.
As such, Lord Reingard intended to watch Lord Razarkan confront the Darkmoon Tribe's leaders first and learn their strengths and attitudes. That way, he would have better cards to play during his turn.
…
…
…
Meanwhile, Lord Rholthos and his people made their way back to the Battle God Palace. Eventually, they arrived at the border that divided the Infertile Plain's southern and central regions.
Suddenly, a scout returned to them.
"My Lord, it is as you suspected; the first and second palace lord had secretly followed us to the southern region. They should have arrived at the southern region's tribes by now," the scout reported.
"Is it fine to not do anything about the first and second palace lords, my Lord? What if they succeed in getting the Demon King's demon core in Battle King One-Eye's possession?" a High-rank Battle King inquired shortly after.
Lord Rholthos paused his stepped abruptly. Then, he turned his head to look at the High-rank Battle King with a condescending look.
"Do you honestly believe my two elder brothers have better chances than me when the southern region has that 'thing' protecting them?" Lord Rholthos solemnly questioned.
Although Lord Rholthos looked seriously, his hands couldn't stop trembling with lingering fear. The 'thing' left a long-lasting impression on him. Or rather, it was fear
It's been a long time since Lord Rholthos felt genuine fear towards anything besides his father, the Battle God.
Nevertheless, the High-rank Battle King quickly apologized, "Please forgive me, my Lord. I spoke without thinking."
Naturally, the 'thing' they confronted in the Darkmoon Tribe had strength beyond their imagination. Even the Battle God wasn't so terrifying during his prime.
"What should we do now, Father?" Zion asked.
"Given first and second uncles' temperaments, they are most likely to suffer. The southern tribes won't let them get away like we did if they try to subjugate the southern tribes with force and rob the Demon King-level demon core from Battle King One-Eye."
"It'll be even better if both sides can kill each other off," Lord Rholthos said with narrowed eyes.
"However, I know that won't happen with that 'thing' around. As such, I will just settle for the first and second palace lords' deaths."
"Your illness wasn't due to Demon Possession, right?" Lord Rholthos inquired his third son shortly after.
"That's right, father," Zion nodded.
"According to Big—er, the Divine Doctor, my sickness was the result of a dark-attribute poison, masked to look like symptoms of Demon Possession."
"If that's the case, it was most likely one of my brothers' schemes to ruin your talents and remove a future threat to their throne," Lord Rholthos guessed.
Shortly after, Lord Rholthos's eyes flickered with a fierce glint.
"Since one of the two palace lords dare to lay their hands on my third son, we will make them pay! While the first and second palace lords are out, we will return to the Battle God Palace and take full control of it with force!" Lord Rholthos declared.
"Yes, my Lord!" the third palace lord's followers answered excitedly.
Without the first and second palace lords to hold the fort, it shouldn't be too difficult to sweep the first and second palace lords' people from the Battle God Palace.
"However, the elders won't just stand still and watch us spill blood in the Battle God Palace. How do we intend to deal with them, my Lord?" a Mid-rank Battle King raised his concern.
"The elders of the Elder Council are all Peak-rank Battle Kings. Furthermore, the Supreme Elder is an Extremity-rank Battle King, who rivals even you in strength, my Lord."
"You don't have to worry about that," Lord Rholthos stated coolly.
"The Supreme Elder and one-third of the Elder Council supports me. Why else do you think my older brothers would be so desperate as to use underhanded schemes like poisoning their own nephew?"
"As long as I coordinate well with the Supreme Elder, the entire Elder Council and Battle God Palace will fall into my grasp. By then, even if the first and second palace lords want to return, they won't have a place," Lord Rholthos stated.
His eyes brighten with confidence if he can foresee the future.
Chapter 913: Leon's Declaration
Back at the northern outskirts of the Darkmoon Tribe, Chief Valencia, the other two chiefs, the Half-step Battle Kings, and the Venerable Shamans arrived one by one.
Not far from them, Leon, Aria, Darlene, and the six maids also arrived.
Chief Valencia and the others nodded at Leon before they faced the front and focused on the huge warrior, who shared a similar war god-like appearance to Lord Rholthos, Lord Razarkan.
Nevertheless, Chief Valencia and the other willingly took a step back and allowed Leon to stand in front. They acknowledged his leadership and gave him the reins over the matter.
Nevertheless, it was because they were aware that they were lacking. A single Extremity-rank Battle King was too much for them, let alone two.
"You waited out here for us instead of meeting us inside the tribe directly? My, how considerate of you, Lord Razarkan, I take it? I suppose you also came for the same reason as Lord Rholthos," Leon spoke.
"This Lord takes it that you are the de facto leader of the southern tribes, not that it matters to me," Lord Razarkan glanced at Leon but paid him little interest.
Leon's aura was so withdrawn into his body that Lord Razarkan wasn't aware a Paragon stood before him. In Lord Razarkan's eyes, Leon was just a scapegoat the southern tribe leaders sent out to test the waters.
The real leaders of the southern tribes should be the ones standing behind the skinny young man.
"Naturally, it is proper etiquette that you send people to escort this Lord into the tribe when this Lord is visiting," Lord Razarkan stated with a strong and confident tone.
Since the Darkmoon Tribe sent a young man to speak to him, it shows that they were wary and afraid of him. That makes it easier for him. The Darkmoon Tribe will quickly surrender to him with a bit of push.
Lord Razarkan did not understand how his third brother, Lord Rholthos, could fail when the Darkmoon Tribe was this timid.
His third brother was still simply not vicious and cruel enough.
"That's right! This Lord has come to bring the southern tribes under this Lord's wing. If you know what's best for you, you will all submit to this Lord! You must understand that this Lord is nothing like that incompetent third brother of this Lord!" Lord Razarkan declared shortly after.
Lord Razarkan's voice was loud, clear, and authoritative. Although he didn't use any threats, coercion was ingrained in his bones.
"Since you came to subjugate the southern tribes like Lord Rholthos, then there is no need to invite you into the tribe. You can stay out here. Better yet, you can get lost. The southern tribes will submit to no one," Leon stated coolly.
Swish!
Lord Razarkan's oppressive aura immediately exploded after being told to get lost. Lord Razarkan's expression turned fierce, and his eyes flickered with cold killing intent.
"How dare you speak to this Lord like that! Whether the southern tribes submit to this Lord or not, it isn't for a frail-looking young man like you to decide! This Lord is speaking to your leaders! Out of the way, boy!" Lord Razarkan thundered.
In the next instance, Lord Razarkan raised his to swap Leon away. However, it wasn't just a simple swap. No, Lord Razarkan intended to smack Leon to death!
Boom!
Before Lord Razarkan could follow through with his smack, a giant battle-ax flew over swiftly and embedded itself in the ground between him and Leon with a loud bang!
"Have you forgotten my warning, Second Brother? I definitely said that I will intervene if you try to use force to subjugate the southern tribes, or did my words mean nothing to you?" Lord Reingard strolled over with a solemn look and retrieved his giant battle-ax.
After resting the giant battle-ax on his shoulder, Lord Reinhard glared at Lord Razarkan.
"So, which is it?" Lord Reinhard questioned.
"Stay out of this, First Brother! This young man disrespected this Lord! He deserves death!" Lord Razarkan barked.
At the same time, Lord Razarkan immediately summoned his giant battle mace from his storage pouch with a wary expression.
Lord Razarkan did not want to fight Lord Reingard—not because he was afraid, but because there was nothing to gain from it.
It would be a stalemate that would look pathetic in front of the people they are both trying to subjugate.
"True, what you said makes sense. Disrespecting a palace lord is truly deserving of death," Lord Reingard stated. But then, he suddenly added with a grin, "But what if I insist on protecting him? What are you going to do about it?"
Not only did Lord Reingard intervene, but he also provoked Lord Razarkan to lose his temper. That way, he could improve his image in the eyes of the southern tribes.
Lord Razarkan's expression turned dark. He understood what his first brother was trying to accomplish. However, his gaze suddenly shifted back to Leon with surprise.
Lord Reingard also noticed his gaze and glanced behind him with surprise. The young man did not budge an inch from his spot. The poor guy must have been frozen stiff in fear.
"Hm? Young man, it's alright. No need to be scared. He won't be able to touch you while you have my protection," Lord Reingard assured. Then, he added, "Nevertheless, the least you can do is say thank you and step back."
"Didn't need it," Leon calmly said.
"Hm?" Lord Reingard frowned.
This was not the response he expected to receive. There was something wrong with this person's head. No, that's not right! This person was too calm!
Nevertheless, Leon didn't care about Lord Reingard's doubts.
"You lot from the Battle God Palace sure like to boss people around and scheme. I've said it before, and I will say it again; the southern tribes are not interested in being subjugated by any force," Leon declared.
"So, stop wasting my time and get lost. Otherwise, there will be a price to pay."
"…"
Lord Reingard fell silent with a gloomy expression after Leon spoke.
Chapter 914 - A Cowardly Sneak Attack
"Do you still want to protect him now, First Brother? This fool didn't just disrespect me, but he also disrespected you!" Lord Razarkan said.
Naturally, Lord Reingard was aware of that.
However, this young man dared to disrespect both the palace lords of the Battle God Palace repeatedly. He was either a complete ignorant fool, or he had immeasurable confidence.
Considering his third brother, Lord Rholthos, left the southern region in failure, there had to be a reason. At the very least, there had to be someone powerful enough to make him leave in such a hurry.
Lord Reingard swept his gaze across Chief Valencia, Battle King One-Eye, and the others, but none of them seemed to be that person.
He knew their strengths.
They weren't half bad but still far from being a match for an Extremity-rank Battle King, let alone surpass one. Only Battle King One-Eye was relatively close to their level. Nevertheless. The person's strength still falls short.
As such, none of them could have been responsible for his third brother's failure. Only the strength of the young man and the two women behind him was unclear.
Although it defied his common sense, Lord Reingard suspected that one of these three people possessed Battle God-level strength. And if he had to guess, the young man was the most likely suspect.
Everything would make sense if the young man had the strength to back his blatant behavior.
In a short instance, Lord Reingard arrived at the conclusion that the young man was truly the leader of the southern tribes with unmatched strength.
It was the only explanation he could think of.
After all, the person with Battle God-level strength had to be present amongst the southern tribes' leaders.
Otherwise, even if the southern tribe had a hidden leader with Battle God-level strength, they could not stop him from slaughtering everyone if the person wasn't present.
Nevertheless, so what if the young man was a Battle God? Even a Battle God cannot possibly survive the sudden blow of a Tier-6 Battle-Ax to the neck.
Once the leader is taken down, the rest of the southern tribes shouldn't be a problem. He only needed to deal with his Second Brother then.
Lord Reingard gathered his thoughts and settled on his plan.
Lord Reingard suddenly swung his giant Tier-6 Battle-Ax at Leon's neck without warning in the next instance. It was a swift yet cowardly sneak attack. However, Leon was still faster!
Peng!
Leon blocked the attack with his Tier-7 White Spear. The force of the two weapons clashing immediately generated a shockwave, blasting out from the epicenter.
Everyone was quickly pushed back by the force of the wind. However, Leon and Lord Reingard stood their ground as it cracked beneath their feet.
"It was a good plan," Leon calmly stated. Shortly after, he added, "Unfortunately, you f*cked up."
"F*ck!" Lord Reingard cussed with a rapid change in expression.
He quickly retreated and created distance from Leon with a leap. He had one chance, but he blew it. No, the young man must have seen through his intention from the start!
At the same time, Lord Razarkan stood blankly in astonishment.
What did he just see? That skinny young man had traded blows with his first brother without being overwhelmed by his first brother's brute strength.
The young man was so strong!
Lord Razarkan immediately tightened his grip on the Tier-6 Battle Mace in his hand with a guarded look, readying to defend against any incoming attacks.
"Since you tried to kill me, you can forget about leaving this place now. I haven't met a good opponent to test my present strength. I think the two of you will do just fine," Leon pointed his Tier-7 White Spear at them coolly.
He had made his decision to kill both palace lords. It would save the Darkmoon Tribe the trouble when he returns to the Human Domain.
In the next instance, the withdrawn dragon aura in Leon's body surged outward explosively, filling the area with a grand yet oppressive feeling.
The two palace lords' expressions changed for the worse immediately.
Not only did the young man possess such powerful strength and aura, but he even had a powerful weapon to bolster his strength even further!
"This person is very dangerous!" Lord Razarkan warned his people with a solemn expression.
"Second Brother, I never thought I would say this, but if we want to survive, we have to work together to defeat this man!" Lord Reingard said gravely.
After all, since Leon said he would kill them, naturally, he wouldn't let them leave.
"You don't say!" Lord Razarkan scowled with a grim look. His first brother stated the most obvious thing to do.
Shortly after, he barked at his men, "Everyone, attack together! There's no way a human could possess such an aura! He must be a demon! A demon in human skin! We must defeat him here and now!"
"Kill!"
Lord Reingard didn't waste his breath; he directly gave the kill order to his men.
In the next instance, the group of loyal Battle Kings immediately charged ahead of their palace lords with disregard for their own safety. They will use their lives to create an opening for their palace lords!
At the same time, the two palace lords intended to use them as cannon fodders.
Shing!
Boom!
Two streaks of lights, a sword wave with ice-lightning power, and a spatial cutter that tore through the dimension slashed at the empty ground and created two long scars before the Battle Kings' feet.
The Battle Kings were forced to halt their charge and shift their attention to the two women behind the young man.
"None of you shall interfere with our man's fights, or you will bear our wrath," Aria and Darlene stated coolly.
At the same time, their unique auras surged from their bodies.
The Battle Kings' momentum was cut short, and their morale dropped. They stared at Aria and Darlene with serious expressions.
Not only was the young man powerful, but even his women were powerful!
Chapter 915 - Monstrous Defense
After Aria and Darlene revealed their strength, Lord Razarkan and Lord Reingard immediately knew they were in deep sh*t.
While the Battle Kings were intimidated by Aria and Darlene, Leon flew over their heads with a leap and landed in front of Lord Razarkan and Lord Reingard.
In response, Lord Razarkan and Lord Reingard retreated a few dozen yards and distanced themselves from Leon further. Their expressions were heavy and grave.
"Young man, can we about this?" Lord Reingard suggested.
Lord Reingard tried to re-establish communication and avoid the imminent conflict. However, Leon scoffed at Lord Reingard's question.
"I believe we are way past the point of negotiating. If you're not making your move first, then I will do it!" Leon stated.
In the next instance, Leon immediately took a decisive step forward and lunged at Lord Reingard with his Tier-7 White Spear. The tip of his Tier-7 White Spear glowed with an ominous light akin to death.
"Dammit!" Lord Reingard immediately cursed his bad luck. Between the two people, he had to be the person's target.
Nevertheless, Lord Reingard recalled that the person's strength was roughly the same as his in their last exchange. As such, Lord Reingard chose to receive Leon's spear strike head-on.
"Second Brother, take this chance to strike his opening!" Lord Reingard roared madly.
"You don't need to say the obvious, stupid! Are you trying to warn our opponent?!" Lord Razarkan snarled.
Nevertheless, Lord Razarkan gripped his Tier-6 Battle Mace with his eyes peeled, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.
Lord Reingard swung his Tier-6 Battle-Ax at Leon's Tier-7 White Spear with all his might, intending to parry it away.
Boom!
The two weapons clashed, and the ground beneath the two people's feet couldn't withstand the force of their collision, causing web-like cracks to spread across the ground surface.
It was just a single exchange, but the ground suffered layered impacts. After the ground cracked, it sunk. Then, it sunk again, creating a crater-like pit with cracks. It was like a barren land that suffered severe drought.
Lord Reingard's eyes narrowed in an instant. He felt the ominous light draining his strength. No, more precisely, it was draining his life the longer he remained in contact with it.
'What deathly power is this?!' Lord Reingard inwardly cried with alarm.
Nevertheless, Lord Razarkan took that chance to flank, swinging his large Tier-6 Battle Mace right at Leon's back.
Lord Reingard saw his second brother's incoming attack. Thus, he forced himself to endure the weakening effects of Leon's Paragon-level Death Law.
However, Leon wasn't blind. He anticipated Lord Razarkan's attack. But rather than evading the blunt attack, he chose to withstand it with his bare body!
Leon parried Lord Reingard's weapon with his Military Arts, causing the Battle-Ax to follow his spear like it was glued to it.
Then, he stabbed the spear into the ground, putting himself in a position where he wrestled with Lord Reingard in strength at the front and endured Lord Razarkan's incoming attack at the back.
The moment he chose to do that, both palace lords' eyes widened, dumbfounded by Leon's stupidity for putting himself in such a disadvantageous position.
However, they weren't going to let go of such an opportunity. Their eyes gleamed with ruthlessness. Then, they exerted even more strength into their weapons.
Bam!
Lord Razarkan's Tier-6 Battle Mace landed squarely on Leon's back, and the sound of the impact resounded throughout the area.
Due to the forces sandwiching Leon from the front and back, his body didn't budge from the spot.
Lord Reingard smiled victoriously. Even if the young man had Battle God-level strength, his back would still break from a direct hit like that.
However, Lord Razarkan's expression was the complete opposite. The feeling of the impact that transmitted into his hand didn't feel right. It was like he had just struck an indestructible iron wall.
When Leon raised his leg and gave Lord Razarkan a back kick to the stomach, sending Lord Razarkan flying away with blood spurting out of his mouth, Lord Reingard's victorious smile finally froze.
"Impossible…!" Lord Reingard uttered with shock.
What kind of monstrous body does this person have?! This isn't the body of a human, but that of a beast!
Leon raised his leg from another kick, but Lord Reingard immediately retreated some distance right away.
"You're still alive over there, Second Brother?!" Lord Reingard hollered, but his gaze remained fixed on Leon warily, observing him for any sudden movements.
Lord Razarkan spurted another mouthful of blood, suffering multiple broken bones and internal organ damage.
"Why don't you try taking a kick to the gut and tell me if you're still alive afterward?!" Lord Razarkan replied sarcastically. That single kick robbed half his life!
Nevertheless, Lord Razarkan quickly took out some blood-red recovery pills and swallowed them.
"Second Brother, your weapon is too useless! This person's fleshly defense is too high! We need a sharp weapon like my battle-ax to break his defense! I need you to pin him down for me!" Lord Reingard stated.
However, even if the young man's fleshly defense was strong, he should have suffered internal damage from the shockwave. But since that also seemed unlikely, it shows that the young man's inner defense was also monstrous.
Nevertheless, Lord Razarkan didn't rebuke Lord Reingard's words.
Any Tier-6 bladed weapons could break the defense of Paragon-level beasts. Thus, his first brother's Tier-6 Battle-Ax could indeed break the person's fleshly defense.
…
Meanwhile, the Battle Kings were caught in a dilemma. Although they were aware their lords behind them needed help, they could not give their backs to the two ladies in front of them.
"Dammit, our lords need us!" a Mid-rank Battle King stated.
"Don't even think about averting your eyes from the front! The moment you turn around, you can expect a sword wave coming your way!" a High-rank Battle King warned with a grave look.
Even if the two ladies weren't strong themselves, the Tier-7 Divine Sword in Aria's hand filled them with dread.
Who knows how many more sharp sword waves the lady can fire?
Chapter 916 - Cowardly Escape
"What are you all waiting for?! Fight!" Lord Reingard barked at the idle Battle Kings.
The Battle God Palace's Battle Kings had been indecisive. But once they got the last push from Lord Reingard, they immediately charged at Darlene and Aria.
"Take down these two women quickly so we can join forces with our lords!" a High-rank Battle King shouted.
The Battle Kings roared to bolster their morale.
"You could have lived if you just stayed put. Alas, you chose to walk the road of death," Aria shook her head.
Shortly after, Aria's eyes flickered with decisiveness, and her Tier-7 Divine Sword emitted sparks of white lightning and blue ice flakes.
Shinggg!
Aria slashed a dozen times in a few short breaths and shot out waves of sharp chilling Sword Intents swiftly.
The Battle Kings anticipated her attacks, but they were still shocked by the numerous sword waves flying at them. They quickly used their tier-5 weapons to block in a hurry.
Although they succeeded in blocking Aria's flurry of sword waves, her sharp Sword Intents chipped away at their tier-5 weapons. At the same time, a chilling breeze left patches of frost on their weapons and parts of their bodies, slowing them down.
Alas, it wasn't just Aria who attacked.
Darlene carried out her attacks at the same time. By compressive her spatial power, she could send what looked like sharp wind attacks. However, they had the ability to tear apart space at the moment of impact.
She called her spatial attack Dimensional Slash.
However, in essence, they only share the appearance of wind attacks while their actual function was more like that of timed bombs, exploding and rapidly splitting space and everything between it at the moment of impact.
Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!
The Battle God Palace's Battle Kings found Darlene's Dimensional Slashes more difficult to defend against. The first row of Battle Kings quickly fell victim to her attacks.
Over a dozen Battle Kings had their limbs and bodies split into numerous pieces, spilling their blood everywhere in a gruesome manner.
It was a near-instant kill.
The remaining seven dozen Battle Kings immediately froze in their tracks with horrid looks on their faces. They knew the two women were powerful, but they didn't expect the gap to be this huge.
Before reaching the two women, they had already lost over a dozen of their people. Resistance was futile, and stubbornness equals death.
There was nothing they could do about these two ladies' strange shamanic powers.
…
Meanwhile, Leon continued to confront the two palace lords. After being struck in the back, he felt like an itch had been scratched.
"Who knew getting beaten could feel this comfortable?" Leon rolled his left shoulder with a pleasant surprise.
"You… you monster! You really are a demon!" Lord Reingard accused him. The more nonchalant Leon reacted to Lord Razarkan's direct attack, the more he felt threatened.
"Monster? Demon? Which is it? Make up your mind," Leon casually uttered.
Nevertheless, after Lord Razarkan recovered a great deal, he followed through with the plan, switching roles with Lord Reingard.
The moment Lord Razarkan engaged Leon with his Tier-6 Battle Mace, he immediately hollered, "Do it now, First Brother!"
However, two short breaths quickly passed before the lack of response from Lord Reingard immediately gripped Lord Razarkan's heart with a bad feeling.
When he turned his head to look, Lord Razarkan realized his first brother, the eldest palace lord, had actually chosen to abandon everyone and flee on his own!
"Reingard, you bastard!" Lord Razarkan howled madly, so loud that it even alerted the followers from both their palaces.
"No way…. Did Lord Reingard really abandon us and flee on his own?" a Low-rank Battle King uttered with disbelief, feeling betrayed.
"Even if we don't believe it, the truth is before our eyes," another Low-rank Battle King gazed at Lord Reingard's fleeing figure in the distance with disappointment.
Although the first palace lord's followers wanted to be loyal to their lord, it was hard to do so when their lord betrayed their trust.
Several Battle Kings from the Battle God Palace's First Palace dropped their weapons and surrendered quickly after realizing their lord abandoned them and fled like a coward.
At the same time, Leon broke away from Lord Razarkan with an amused look after seeing the madness in the person's eyes. He was intrigued to see how the person would react to the betrayal.
Naturally, Lord Razarkan did not disappoint Leon's expectations. After Lord Razarkan broke free from Leon, he immediately chased Lord Reingard like a mad dog.
"Reingard, you bastard!!! How dare you sacrifice me for your escape! Don't you even think about getting away! Before I die, I will kill you first!!!" Lord Razarkan roared furiously during his chase.
Nevertheless, Leon did not intend to let the two run off on their own.
What if it was just one big ploy to escape together?
Furthermore, the two palace lord's strengths were equally matched, so it wasn't easy for Lord Razarkan to catch up.
"Kukuku, let me help you," Leon said with a wicked chuckle. He flew into the skies and quickly overtook Lord Razarkan with his incredible speed.
Then, he pulled out an expendable Tier-3 Bone Spear from his Worldspace.
Weaves of lightning, fire, earth, death, spatial, temporal energies wrapped around the Tier-3 Bone Spear and empowered it. However, six energies were fused half-heartedly, making them unstable, just as Leon wanted.
In the next moment, he locked onto Lord Reingard's figure and hurled the empowered Tier-3 Bone Spear.
Boom…!
The empowered Tier-3 Bone Spear whisked through the air with a sonic boom. The unstable energies exploded under the extreme speed, creating another boom before the Tier-3 Bone Spear flew even faster!
Lord Reingard quickly sensed the incoming threat.
But just as he even entertained the thought of evading, the sonic Tier-3 Bone spear impaled his right leg and exploded, tearing off half of it. The blast hurled Lord Reingard into the air before his body rolled in the rigid ground.
"Arghhhh—!" Lord Reingard howled painfully, despite his fair share of it.
The lingering power of the six energies ate away at his right leg's remaining half like a contagious disease, turning the skin black.
Chapter 917 - Warm Welcome
Lord Reingard squirmed painfully on the ground.
It wasn't just his half-leg that was affected by the six energies; bone shards from Tier-3 Bone Spear had also pierced a few other parts of his body during its explosion.
Nevertheless, the corroding half leg posed the greatest threat to his life, primarily due to the Death Law's power.
In a short instance, Lord Reingard decisively chopped off his decaying half leg to preserve the rest of his body.
Even so, he could not stop the Death Law on the other bone shards from corroding the other parts of his body, one of which was his other leg.
The blackening of his skin horrified him.
"What kind of sinister power is this?!" Lord Reingard bellowed. This trip to the southern region had been disastrous!
Alas, while Lord Reingard was preoccupied with preserving his body from the decaying effects of the Death Law, Lord Razarkan's shadow appeared within his field of vision on the ground.
Lord Reingard immediately glanced up and saw Lord Razarkan's mad look, and the Tier-6 Battle Mace held high above his head.
"Second Brother… Wait, let's talk about this. I didn't mean to—"
"There's nothing to talk about!" Lord Razarkan howled.
In the next instance, Lord Razarkan dropped his Tier-6 Battle Mace on Lord Reingard and bashed his head in, splattering his blood and brain matter.
After Lord Reingard's headless body lay motionless on the ground, Lord Razarkan dropped his Tier-6 Battle Mace to the ground with a dull look like someone waiting to die.
"Finish it," Lord Razarkan said after feeling Leon's presence nearby. Lord Razarkan understood there was no chance of escaping after witnessing Leon's spear-tossing power.
Leon nodded.
Then, Leon pointed his finger at Lord Razarkan's head, and eerie black specks of light gathered to the tip of his pointed finger. A black beam shot through Lord Razarkan's head and killed him in the next instance.
Shortly after, Leon returned to the Darkmoon Tribe and tossed both the palace lords' bodies in front of Chief Valencia and the others.
"You can hang these bodies in front of the tribe to ward off the other tribes during my absence. Anyone coming to cause trouble will have to think twice before offending a tribe that killed two of the Battle God Palace's palace lords," Leon stated.
"Will do, Alliance Leader," Chief Valencia and the others nodded.
…
Shortly after, Leon left behind a bunch of primordial cultivation techniques for the alliance, allowing them to choose which ones they wanted to practice.
At the same time, the surrendered Battle Kings were quickly absorbed into their ranks, vastly boosting the alliance's strength to a new height.
Lord Reingard's followers submitted willingly, while Lord Razarkan's followers had mixed feelings. Even so, they had no intention of betraying the alliance.
They came to subjugate but got subjugated instead. They were defeated, and the alliance was the victors; they had to follow their alliance since they chose to surrender.
…
When everything was settled in the Darkmoon Tribe, Leon finally took the Teleportation Array in the Barrenrock Courtyard. He returned to Desolate Crow Clan in the Wildlands with Darlene and Aria while the six maids were left behind to guard Barrenrock Courtyard once more.
"It's been a while since we were here. I wonder how Lilith and Softfeather are doing," Aria mentioned after glancing at the familiar cellar under the palace.
"We'll know once we head out," Leon stated before urging them, "Come, let us head up and see how the Desolate Crow Clan has been doing."
"Mm," Aria and Darlene nodded.
Shortly after, the three left the cellar and headed upstairs. The floor was neat without a speck of blood nor a hint of foul smell.
The mess within the palace had long been cleaned up after the clan leader and elders returned to the Desolate Crow Clan.
Nevertheless, the palace servants were immediately alarmed by the wingless intruders. However, it wasn't before that they recognized the benefactors of their clan.
"We welcome you back, Prince Leon!" the palace servants greeted with joy. Shortly after, one of them urged the others, "Quick, inform the clan leader and her highness of the Savior's return."
The palace became busy at once while Leon, Aria, Darlene was left on the spot. However, it didn't take long before an excited Lilith came rushing over.
"Leon!"
Lilith jumped straight into Leon and hugged him like a koala sticking to its tree. She rubbed her cheeks against Leon's with joy, switching on Aria's alert mode.
Aria quickly peeled Lilith away from Leon's body in the next moment.
"What do you think you're doing to another person's man?!" Aria snarled while glaring at Lilith like a cat that just got its tail stepped on.
"Hehe, sorry. I was too excited to see everyone again," Lilith made a silly excuse with her tongue poked out.
However, Aria wasn't buying it. If Lilith truly felt that way about everyone, then was she giving special treatments to only Leon?
"Hmph! Whatever," Aria uttered. She couldn't be bothered making a great deal out of it.
Lilith smiled with an understanding look before she latched onto Aria. Then, she started rubbing her cheeks against Aria's intimately as she did with Leon.
"I see, I see. You also wanted some of this."
"Hey, hey! Stop it!"
Aria resisted with a hand planted on Lilith's left cheek. She tried to shove Lilith's head away with an embarrassed look.
Shortly after Aria successfully repelled Lilith, Lilith shifted her gaze to Darlene. However, Darlene quickly backed a few steps with her hands raised and stuttered, "I-I don't want any."
"Lilith sure is in high spirits. It seems everything has been working out for you here. No trouble from Desolate Netherbird Tribe, I presume?" Leon mentioned with a wry smile.
"Mm!" Lilith nodded.
"There was some trouble at first. In fact, we were even on the verge of a great war with the Desolate Netherbird Tribe. However, they quickly called off their attacks after they found out a member of the Blue Luan Tribe was our friend."
"Oh?" Leon raised his eyebrow with interest.
Chapter 918 - Poke Me Too
"The Desolate Netherbird Tribe is that afraid of the Blue Luan Tribe? Did Softfeather reveal her identity as the daughter of the current Blue Luan Tribe's leader, Bluewinter?" Leon wondered.
"Not at all. Softfeather didn't have to do anything. The Desolate Netherbird Tribe's army retreated the moment they saw her," Lilith said after shaking her head.
"The Blue Luan Tribe is powerful but also quite reclusive. Thus, Desolate Netherbird Tribe was probably cautious after seeing a Blue Luan in our clan. They didn't know what sort of relationship we shared with the Blue Luan Tribe."
"Nevertheless, that happened two weeks ago. We haven't heard much from the Desolate Netherbird Tribe since then. Even Nethergrass City, which is closest to us, has been quiet—too quiet, in fact. It's rather strange."
Lilith mentioned her doubt after the matter was brought up. However, she quickly shook her head after and said, "Come, let me introduce you to my parents."
"No need, Lilith," a middle-aged man's voice trickled over.
Shortly after, everyone saw the clan leader and his wife approaching them from the other end of the hallway.
"How can I make our Desolate Crow Clan's great benefactor and savior come and meet me? It is only appropriate that I would come and meet the savior instead," the Desolate Crow Clan's leader, Lidoran, stated.
A few moments later, Lidoran and his wife, Lilianna, stopped beside Lilith and checked Leon out from top to bottom. Their gazes quickly flickered with approval and respect.
"Well met, Prince Leon. You are extraordinary, as I heard. No, perhaps you are even more extraordinary than that! We honored that you would grace our clan with your presence once more," Lidoran greeted humbly with praises.
Although the Desolate Crow Clan's leader couldn't tell the depths of Leon's strength, the clan leader had met the Desolate Netherbird Tribe's leader before.
But even the Desolate Netherbird Tribe's leader could not compare to Prince Leon in aura alone.
Words could not describe how Lidoran felt about Leon's aura. It was like the king of all beasts was dwelling inside of him.
Nevertheless, Lilith and her mother, Lady Lilianna, were surprised by Lidoran's humble words. He did not speak like an elder to a junior but a subordinate to his lord.
"Likewise, clan leader. It's good to see that you are doing fine," Leon replied. He did not know much about Lilith's father. Thus, he could only reply as such.
Even so, it was enough to put a smile on Lidoran's face.
"Hahaha, this is all thanks to Prince Leon's blessings. If you did not help my clan awaken their bloodline and improve their strength, it wouldn't have been possible for them to rescue the elders, my wife, and I," Lidoran stated.
"Please stay with us for today, Prince Leon. Allow us to act as proper hosts and treat you to a sumptuous feast and thank you for everything you have done for our Desolate Crow Clan," Lidoran offered shortly after.
However, Leon smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, but I will have to turn down your offer, clan leader."
"Since I've been away for quite some time, there are also other places that I wish to check up on right away. As an apology, allow me to offer some primordial cultivation techniques that prove useful for your clan."
"Primordial cultivation techniques?" Lidoran uttered with surprise.
Leon nodded.
However, he found it inappropriate to poke the Desolate Crow Clan's clan leader on the forehead. Thus, he called Lilith over and poked her instead.
"Hm… Lilith, come over here."
"What is it?"
Streams of information shortly flowed into Lilith's confused head after being poked on the forehead. It didn't take long before her eyes widened with shock.
"The Grand Desolation Technique? Storm Roc Revolving True Wind Art? The Godfiend Body Forging Method?" Lilith uttered with surprise.
Lilith became even more shocked by their potential as more information flowed into her mind.
"These are all True Divinity methods!"
"What!"
Lidoran was shocked after hearing his daughter's cry of surprise. In the next instance, Lidoran glanced at Leon with reverence.
"Weren't you going to teach me the methods, Prince Leon? Why did you give them to my daughter instead?" Lidoran voiced his doubt.
"This is only our first meeting," Leon mentioned before adding, "As such, I found it inappropriate to poke the forehead of the Desolate Crow Clan's clan leader."
"Hahaha, what is inappropriate about receiving more blessings from our Savior? I don't mind at all. Please poke me a few times too, Prince Leon," Lidoran gleamed with anticipation.
"Ahem," Leon coughed and said, "Clan Leader, please speak more concisely. Your words can be rather misleading when taken out of context."
"What?" Lidoran quickly revealed a baffled look before turning to his wife and asked, "What is Prince Leon talking about?"
However, Lilianna stared at her husband weirdly.
Then, she chuckled and said teasingly, "I was wondering why you don't touch me at night anymore since we returned from the prison cell in Nethergrass City… It turns out it was because you are g—!"
"Stop! Don't say anymore!" Lidoran pleaded before saying with a bitter smile, "You know that's not the reason. How can I be… No, never mind that."
Lidoran finally understood what was going on. Even so, he was caught off guard. He didn't expect Prince Leon to make a joke.
"Prince Leon sure knows how to joke," Lidoran said wryly.
Leon smiled.
He didn't expect Lilith's mother to play along with it either. Nevertheless, he glanced at Lilith and said, "It looks like you got your playful side from your mother."
Lilith replied to him by poking her tongue out.
Shortly after, Lilianna turned to her husband and said sensibly, "Dear, since Prince Leon is busy, we should not insist on keeping him. It will only make things difficult for Prince Leon instead. Also, we don't need to trouble Prince Leon further when our daughter can teach the techniques to us."
"Right… I was too excited and didn't think of that," Lidoran nodded after some self-reflection.
After sparing a few words, Leon, Aria, and Darlene bid farewell to the Desolate Crow Clan.
They returned to the cellar and adjusted the Teleportation Array's coordinates before stepping into the spatial rift and disappearing to the other side of it.