NOVPUB
Chapter 193: Irene’s Location
Ilyon town is not actually the closest place to the initial border between the devil territory and the Doria Empire. There is another place the devils have already passed through to reach Ilyon. the fortress town of Falanis. This town, which fell under devil control after being attacked several times during the initial phase of the invasion, has become their new buffer zone before orthodox cultivators can reach the devil territory.
Before the invasion, people could clearly see the devil territory from this town, as the sky above the devil territory was blood-red and ominous, even from a distance. However, since the devils took control of this place, the red sky has started to move, and now part of it hovers directly above the town. The ominous atmosphere has also grown so intense that mortals without any cultivation risk being driven insane just by staying there.
Thick negative energy has already started to manifest in this town, gradually shaping it into a place that supports devil cultivation. If the town is not retaken quickly, orthodox cultivators will face significant challenges due to the negative energy, which corrupts everything in its path. The air, the earth, the water—everything will become unusable for humans, benefiting only devil cultivators. This corruption can only be cleansed using holy energy.
As the day neared its end, a small part of the sun sank below the western horizon, further enhancing the eerie atmosphere surrounding Falanis Fortress. However, unnoticed by anyone, a figure suddenly appeared in the sky above the fortress. He stood there, gazing downward, observing the state of the town. Just like Ilyon, this fortress town had been mostly destroyed by the devils’ attacks, and he could also sense the heavy presence of death energy here.
He could only guess that there were at least hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides to create such thick death energy. Of course, no one else here could perceive or sense this death energy except him. With so many casualties and such rich death energy, this place not only benefited the devils but also served as a valuable opportunity for him to enhance his mastery of the death laws.
However, at this moment, he was not in the mood to focus on comprehension. He was determined to find any trace of his mother here, and he would do so by cleaning up the way he had with Ilyon town. Without hesitation, he disappeared, and moments later, the only thing the devils in this place knew was the sudden death of their comrades, followed by their own demise, accompanied by screams of pain and terror.
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At an unknown place.
The area was shrouded in darkness, with no light to be seen. The air was thick with humidity, and droplets of water clung to the ceiling. Stalactites and stalagmites dotted this place, suggesting it was an untouched, natural cave. In one corner of the cave lay an unconscious woman in armor. Her armor showed dents in several places, and her beautiful face was marred only by bloodstains drained from her mouth.
A few moments later, she gasped as she woke up and began to look around. However, due to the darkness of the environment, she couldn’t see anything. She had to rely on her senses, but she used them cautiously, not wanting to alert anything that might be lurking in the area. Moreover, she was on the run from someone she had to avoid at all costs.
"Fortunately, my escape artifact is working as intended. If not, I would have had to kill myself before that bastard could touch me," Irene thought.
When she was almost caught by the Lust Devil, she managed to dodge his grasp and strike him with her technique. However, there was no way her technique could harm the Lust Devil, though she still had her low divine-grade armor. The Lust Devil then took out his famous artifact: a middle divine-grade long chain, with a knife tip, intending to subdue her.
He almost got her, but just then, one of her escape artifacts automatically activated, sending her to a random location 5,000 kilometers away. The sudden shift caused by the powerful space laws rendered her unconscious for some time, as this escape artifact was intended for use by king-stage cultivators. Luckily, no one found her while she was out, and she silently thanked the heavens for it.
She then sensed something amiss in the atmosphere, feeling uncomfortable and sick. She circulated her energy to alleviate the discomfort, and only after that could she relieve the unsettling sensation.
"Where is this place? Why is the atmosphere here so ominous and stifling? This... this is thick negative energy!" she thought, but she didn’t panic and kept walking.
She walked, following the path her senses guided her on, and before long, she finally saw an exit. Cautiously, she stepped outside, and as she took in her surroundings, her eyes trembled at the sight. The sky was blood red, and the land around her resembled a no man’s land rather than a living environment. Dead trees and bones were scattered everywhere, and the thick negative energy painted the air with a red and black hue. All of these elements combined to create the eerie atmosphere surrounding her.
"This... this is devil territory?!" she thought, shocked. But then she sighed, unsure whether she was lucky or unlucky that her escape talisman had brought her here. She pushed those thoughts aside and walked further from what appeared to be a small cave entrance. She didn’t know exactly which part of the devil territory she was in, but based on her estimation, she was at least 500 kilometers deep inside the territory.
There were a few problems with her being here. Despite what seemed like a short distance for someone of her cultivation level, the immediate issue was that it was still quite far to walk back to the border. She would need to use her movement technique to travel faster, but there was another problem. She had already expended a significant amount of energy in the last battle and hadn’t had time to cultivate and replenish it.
If she tried to cultivate here, not only would she be unable to replenish her energy, but she would also risk awakening an inner demon. The thick negative energy in the area would affect her in many ways, so she had no choice but to avoid cultivating for now.
Even now, she had to use her energy as efficiently as possible to repel the negative effects of the energy here, so she couldn’t afford to use her movement technique to reach the border. She did have energy replenishment elixirs, but their supply was limited, and they wouldn’t restore all of her energy. And that was not even considering the potential obstacles she might face on her journey back. She would need to plan her route as carefully as possible.
She pondered for a moment before deciding to begin her journey back. It was better than lamenting her fate for being sent here without doing anything. She looked at the setting sun, determined which direction to take, and immediately set off towards the south, where the border of the Doria Empire lay.
"I hope that bastard doesn’t find me here." She still had one more escape talisman, but she didn’t want to rely on it—it was a double-edged sword. If she were suddenly teleported deeper into devil territory, it would be the same as signing her death sentence, especially in her current condition. With that thought, she continued walking, silently hoping that the heavens would help her on this journey.
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Back at Aldrian’s location, he floated in the sky above the Falanis fortress. After completing his cleanup here, he finally found a clear direction for where he needed to go next.
"The Lust Devil is pursuing my mother, and it seems he’s heading back to the devil territory," Aldrian thought, gazing into the distance where he could see the edge of the devil territory. The meaning was clear to him, he had to venture into the devil territory, as it was the most likely place where his mother could be. Having already made this fortress town his domain, he now had two domains within the Doria Empire.
Without much hesitation, he moved toward the devil territory, using his teleportation, not wanting to keep his mother waiting.
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On the other side of the battlefield, the situation had reached a stalemate as the Rivas family’s main force reinforced the fortress city of Karak. After weeks of fierce battles with the devils, the balance began to tip when the Wrath Devil appeared, causing the Rivas family’s forces to lose ground. Fortunately, Grand Duke Rivas had brought one of the Rivas family’s legacy artifacts, the Divine Rain Sword. With the support of the imperial family, they managed to thwart the Wrath Devil, though at the cost of several casualties.
At this time, Grand Duke Rivas sat inside the command post of the city, unable to concentrate. A few hours earlier, he had received the news that Ilyon Town had fallen, and when he inquired about his daughter’s condition, there was no information. His worry over her safety consumed him, leaving him unable to focus on anything else. To make matters worse, with the fall of Ilyon, the devils now had the opportunity to launch an attack on Vicanti, pinching his position from the side.
He was filled with frustration and stress at this moment, but suddenly, one of his retainers rushed toward him and whispered something in his ear. Something that made him raise his eyebrows.
