In Magus World, strength reigns supreme, and sometimes, people may exchange words before resorting to power.
But in the Heavenly Demon Clan, reasoning does not work; only strength matters.
If you possess strength, then you have the right to speak.
Now, Aizen found himself in such a situation. If he wanted to speak, he first had to get through Valentino.
Facing Valentino's unstoppable sword, Aizen dared not be careless. His experience in actual combat was not extensive, even though he had learned a few basic sorcery techniques.
But relying on these unfinished basic Sorcery arts to face Valentino, who had mastered the basic sword sorcery technique, was pure foolishness.
Whoosh!
The sword rang through the air, and Aizen barely managed to dodge. The sharp blade slashed through his clothes, and Aizen felt cold sweat drip down his back. But before he could catch his breath, Valentino followed up with a horizontal slash.
Aizen reacted quickly, squatting low to the ground in a monkey-like stance, barely evading the cold blade as it passed over his head, slicing off a lock of his hair. His scalp tingled from the close call.
At that moment, Aizen felt unprecedented pressure. The system could not help him in this situation, and he had to rely on his own strength to survive.
Facing Valentino, who ranked among the top ten out of the hundred thousand black-clad disciples, thinking he could handle it like he did with Steward Edric was pure wishful thinking.
Every year, the top hundred black-clad disciples are promoted to the outer Clan, and Valentino was already considered one of the top candidates for this promotion. His swordsmanship was sharp and deadly, far beyond what Aizen's basic Sorcery skills could handle.
Whoosh!
Just as Aizen barely dodged the first strike, Valentino followed up with a swift downward stab. His swordsmanship was flawless, without the slightest hesitation, both fluid and lethal.
This time, Aizen had no way to avoid it. Meanwhile, Lilith shot a few throwing knives, but they were intercepted by the two attendants who kept her busy.
Seeing the cold sword about to pierce his body, Aizen made a sudden move. He reached out with both hands to catch the sword by its blade.
At the moment he extended his hands, his internal Aura surged through his meridians, concentrating in his palms.
Barehanded blade-catching?
Valentino's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he sneered internally, mocking Aizen for overestimating himself. He didn't hold back, his sword plunged down with even more force.
Shrrrk!
The sword drove downward but suddenly slowed, as if meeting resistance. Finally, it stopped, unable to advance any further.
Valentino's eyes widened in disbelief. Aizen had actually caught his sword barehanded?
The sharp blade tip was less than an inch from Aizen's chest, but it couldn't move any closer.
Aizen's hands were gripping the sword's blade.
Even Lilith and the two attendants were startled, their gazes filled with astonishment as they looked at Aizen.
Valentino was furious. He could feel a tremendous force pulsing through Aizen's hands, causing his sword to tremble, making it difficult to hold on. With a roar, Valentino attempted to press the sword down harder.
But at that moment, Aizen also let out a roar, surging forward instead of retreating. His hands clamped down on the iron sword, bending it as his body propelled upward.
Clang!
A loud explosion echoed through the hall as Aizen snapped the iron sword in half with his bare hands. The sharp blade sliced into his palms, drawing blood.
"How dare you!"
Valentino staggered back two steps, his face flushed with rage, and his eyes filled with murderous intent.
At that moment, Aizen suppressed the surging Aura within his body. His eyes flashed briefly before he dropped to one knee, bowing his head. He placed the broken sword blade gently on the ground.
This gesture took Valentino by surprise. He watched as Aizen pulled out four large silver ingots from his sleeve, each weighing fifty taels.
The shiny ingots glistened in Aizen's bloodied hands. He placed them on the ground and then retrieved a small fifty-tael banknote, which he had taken from Steward Edric, and laid it beside the ingots.
A total of two hundred fifty taels of silver!
Aizen's message was clear. Valentino's anger subsided slightly, but his eyes still flickered with cold intent as he weighed his options. His urge to kill had not yet dissipated. In the Heavenly Demon Clan, there were no strict rules or laws—everything followed one's desires. Valentino had wanted to kill Aizen a moment ago, and that desire had not disappeared so quickly.
Aizen knew Valentino's murderous intent remained. He stayed on one knee, not rising, and respectfully said, "Senior Brother Valentino, I came today to pledge my loyalty to you, not to cause trouble or create conflict."
He gestured to the silver ingots and continued, "Here are two hundred fifty taels of silver. Fifty of them were taken from Steward Edric, and the other two hundred were borrowed from Senior Sister Lilith to show my sincerity."
"I killed Steward Edric out of necessity, but my desire to join the Left Faction and serve under you is unwavering. I hope you will accept me."
Lilith stood by, watching Aizen kneel. Her eyes flickered with surprise. She knew Aizen was here to pledge loyalty and had been prepared to recommend him. But after the fierce battle, she thought it was over. She never expected Aizen to endure such humiliation and kneel to pledge his allegiance.
If it were her, she would never do such a thing.
But Aizen did. He bent his knee willingly.
Valentino glanced at the silver on the ground, squinting his eyes as he stared at Aizen, deep in thought.
"You killed Steward Edric and seek my protection to escape Leo's wrath. Do you think I'm willing to take on this trouble?"
Aizen nodded calmly. "Senior Brother, you have just tested my strength. While I may not match half of your power, I am confident that I can stand on par with your two attendants. If I pledge myself to you, your influence in the Left Faction will only grow stronger."
"As for Leo's revenge..."
Aizen paused, his gaze locking onto Valentino's darkened eyes. "Are you really afraid of Leo, Senior Brother? Let's be honest, even if I don't join your faction and you hand me over to Leo, will he become your ally? Will he treat you kindly?"
"Impossible."
This answer echoed in the hearts of Lilith, the two attendants, and even Valentino.
Looking at Aizen, who spoke boldly yet respectfully, Valentino finally began to calm his last bit of anger, his gaze landing on the two hundred fifty taels of silver on the ground.
Two hundred fifty taels of silver—considering his monthly allowance from the Left Faction, it would take him at least a year to accumulate that much.
Moreover, the silver came from Aizen, who had borrowed it from Lilith. Did this also represent Lilith's willingness to compromise?
And Aizen's strength was not insignificant, and he had already become a mortal enemy of Leo.
Valentino's mind began to weigh the possibilities.