NOVPUB
Chapter 165: Return to Badin City
"What kind of act will the devils carry out? Is it something so severe that even the entire continent can’t contain it?" Duke Valiard asked.
"Something beyond your comprehension," Aldrian replied. "I’m sorry, but I can’t show you yet. This is something that demands the attention of the entire continent. We need everyone to work together to destroy the devils’ plans." Aldrian knew that revealing the scene of the creature would only shatter their spirits, and he preferred it this way—sometimes ignorance was a blessing.
Aldrian then took out the Heavenly Blaze Sword, its sentience already docile toward him. Usually, a divine-grade artifact is difficult for random people to touch, especially if it already has a master. However, this sword showed no reaction when Aldrian picked it up. Fortunately, the Greed Devil had not been strong enough to withstand the Slash of the End, so the sword’s damage was only minor.
Duke Valiard and Mardred widened their eyes, and Xin Haotian looked curiously at this sword, which was of a higher grade than his Illumination Sword.
"The Heavenly Blaze Sword," Duke Valiard said. "To this day, I still wonder how the Greed Devil managed to steal our most precious artifact from the treasure vault. It seems Duke Badin played a role in this. The sword was stolen a few years before the blueprint accident, and at that time, we didn’t know the thief’s identity. It looks like the Greed Devil was behind it all."
"Yes, Duke Badin provided the Greed Devil with the structure and intricate layout of the royal palace, including the route to and interior of the treasure vault. Being a master of space laws, the Greed Devil was able to bypass all detection and take the sword." And with Mardred’s disappearance along with the blueprint a few years later, Duke Badin persuaded other lesser noble families to pressure the Valiards, casting them as suspects. It was a clever move to shift the royal family’s attention to Mardred instead of the devils.
However, after all these years, there was still no sign of Mardred or the Heavenly Blaze Sword, and not enough evidence to prove Mardred’s involvement in the sword’s theft, preventing them from taking serious action against Duke Valiard. As a result, most nobles at that time were satisfied with the challenge for Duke Valiard could at least produce a low divine-grade artifact as proof of his contribution to the kingdom and as a way to redeem his family for his brother’s disappearance and the allegations of his involvement in the blueprint matter.
"However, what are we going to do about the blueprint?" Duke Valiard asked. "My brother said the blueprint wasn’t with him. How are we going to inform His Majesty?" He already understood the blueprint’s status, but now that it had vanished, he wasn’t sure how the royal family would react.
"You don’t have to worry. I’ll speak to His Majesty myself. I need to talk to him, anyway," Aldrian replied, glancing down at Duke Badin’s body.
"Anyway, our business here is done. Let’s return and inform His Majesty as soon as possible—there are many matters that require his attention," he added. As for the remaining soldiers of the Badin family, Aldrian decided to leave them be. Initially, he had wanted to intimidate Duke Badin by slaughtering the devils and instructing his underlings to inform the duke. He hoped that in his anxious and nervous state, Duke Badin would make a mistake that he could exploit. However, everything changed when he discovered that the Greed Devil and his right-hand man were also present. With their appearance, his plans would now be more swift and direct.
However, there was one drawback: the members of the Badin family had already seen his disguised face, so he guessed that many people would soon recognize him. However, it didn’t matter; he could simply change his disguise again. Fortunately, he had been alone when they saw him.
Without wasting any time, they emerged from the cave and flew into the sky, which was now free of deadly winds. However, Aldrian could sense that the mountain’s formation was beginning to reactivate after his intense battle with the Greed Devil. He was amazed that, despite the devastation that had altered a quarter of the entire mountain’s landscape, the formation was still functioning. Now that the heavenly energy and aura had scattered because of his battle, the formation could operate more smoothly, just as it used to.
He predicted that within an hour, the deadly winds would return, making Dragon Back Mountain a forbidden zone once again. They then flew toward Badin City at high speed. Aldrian knew that his heavenly tribulation had already drawn attention to the mountain, and many cultivators would flock to the area to investigate, so they needed to leave quickly. True to his prediction, not long after they left the mountain region, they sensed many incoming presences approaching their location.
Aldrian and the others then hid on the ground to avoid encountering anyone, waiting for the crowd to pass. Moreover, they were carrying the body of Duke Badin, which they couldn’t conceal in their storage rings since those were only meant for objects, not living beings. They watched as dozens of King and even Emperor stage cultivators flew past them toward Dragon Back Mountain. Duke Valiard had already taken out an artifact that could conceal their presence, ensuring that even those at the Middle Emperor stage couldn’t detect them.
After a few minutes, and believing there were no more followers from the group that had just passed, they resumed their journey to Badin. Aldrian had already devised a plan for them to pass through Badin City’s gates and transport Duke Badin to the teleportation station. Once in Dalahan City, he would meet with King Douwin, and afterward, he wanted to check something, as he had already received reports from his slaves regarding his parents’ movements in Dalahan City!
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Half an hour after Aldrian and his group left Dragon Back Mountain, the formation was almost back to its original state. However, this region had become a gathering point for cultivators curious about the events that had just transpired. When they arrived, they were stunned to see many unconscious dwarves scattered throughout the surrounding mountain area. They also observed the destruction of one part of the mountain, which was enough to convince them that a battle between emperor-stage cultivators had taken place.
They didn’t dare venture inside the mountain due to the phenomenon surrounding it, so their only hope was to wake up the dwarves and ask them about the events. They were also curious about what had happened to the dwarves and why the members of the Badin family were in the area. However, after they managed to wake up some of the dwarves, the only thing they heard from them was the appearance of the "Grim Reaper," a creature that embodied death itself. Wherever he passed, death followed, leaving slaughter in his wake, and nothing could stop him.
Many cultivators felt confused but couldn’t dismiss what the dwarves said, as they all recounted the same tale. Aldrian was unaware that because of the dwarves’ description of him as the personification of death, Dragon Back Mountain that already feared, would gain an even more ominous title "The Grim Reaper Mountain" in the future.
The traces of battle that had destroyed the landscape were engraved in their minds, and they wondered if this "Grim Reaper" was also the same person as the mysterious swordsman. They couldn’t enter the central area of the mountain because the formation was already active again, preventing them from checking the area. With that, they could only speculate about where the mysterious swordsman might be now.
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Aldrian and his group were now inside Badin City, preparing to take the teleportation portal to the capital. After pulling a few tricks to bring the still unconscious Duke Badin with them, they finally reached the teleportation station. They placed Duke Badin inside a box, adjusting his body to fit the box’s size. The box was neither too big nor conspicuous, ensuring that people wouldn’t be suspicious of its contents. Many others were transporting their belongings in similar boxes, making it a perfect disguise.
While they waited, Aldrian extended his senses to the surrounding area, wanting to ensure there was nothing amiss and that they weren’t being followed. As he focused, he overheard various conversations about the heavenly tribulation and the mysterious swordsman, along with reports of many people heading to Dragon Back Mountain. He ignored those discussions and relaxed only after confirming that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Just as they were nearing their turn to enter the teleportation portal, a bald man suddenly approached them. Aldrian raised an eyebrow at the sight of him, recognizing him as a monk from the Buddhist sect.
"Good friend, may I follow you to your destination?" the monk asked.
Aldrian regarded the monk attentively. He was a middle-aged man dressed in a simple brown robe, devoid of any luxurious or conspicuous items. He resembled a humble monk, detached from worldly matter. His aura seemed to blend seamlessly with nature, and there was nothing particularly noteworthy about him.
"Of course you can follow us, teacher. May I know who I’m speaking with?" Aldrian replied.
