NOVPUB
Chapter 327: The Flamecrest Family’s Move
Some king stage and emperor stage cultivators flew over Larson City. What they had just witnessed sent chills down their spines. They were members of the Blue Dragon Battalion, tasked with controlling the crowd as panic began to spread earlier. Thanks to their efforts, the chaos did not spiral out of control, as the people felt reassured by their presence.
Little did they know, the commander of the battalion himself was terrified after seeing the Cerberus. The energy it exuded was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Many others felt the same—this was their first time encountering the horrifying presence of a creature capable of spreading the feeling of death, a feeling they couldn’t control.
Commander Shang looked at the destruction caused by the battle. Since earlier, he had ordered his troops to assist in evacuating the people. Although he was deeply intimidated by the Cerberus’s massive size and the ominous energy emanating from its body, he reminded himself of his duty to the emperor.
Earlier, he had prepared himself for the worst. However, despair overwhelmed him as he gazed at the giant creature and its deathly aura. It felt as if his soul was bound by something unknown, something that dragged him into the chilling grip of death.
However, as if heaven itself was aiding them, a person capable of overpowering the monster suddenly appeared and slew the creature with a single slash. It was a simple slash, yet it carried power far beyond what he was capable of wielding, a power he had already heard about from many accounts.
All the swords within Larson City unsheathed themselves and flew into the sky—a phenomenon that could only be achieved by one person in this era.
The mysterious swordsman.
The golden energy radiating from the slash confirmed his identity. Commander Shang wanted to approach the sensational and enigmatic figure, but the man had already disappeared from both his sight and his senses. All he could remember was the silhouette of the swordsman’s back—the only glimpse he managed to catch.
"I must report this to His Majesty! That mysterious swordsman—we need to establish a connection with him!" he thought.
The people began returning to the battle area and when they arrived at the scene, they saw numerous dead bodies scattered across various places. Judging by their attire, they were all cultivators from the Larson family. These unfortunate souls had been caught in the crossfire of the battle, and they were also the ones Aldrian had deliberately left behind, choosing not to teleport them to the safe zone.
Not long after, news of the battle spread beyond the city and across the empire, eventually reaching the capital.
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In the capital, the emperor had just received the envoy from the Flamecrest family and heard their intentions. However, what he heard was such a bold statement that he nearly broke the armrest of his throne.
"You are already attacking the Larson family’s territory? And without even declaring a nobles war?! Do you understand what that means?!" Emperor Herman said, his cold eyes fixed on the man standing before him.
In front of him stood a middle-aged man with red hair, the envoy from the Flamecrest family. At that moment, he felt the full weight of the emperor’s rage bearing down on him. He knew that his words had effectively disregarded the imperial family’s rules and had the potential to destabilize the entire empire.
The Flamecrest family had suddenly attacked the territory of the Larson family, and that area was a mining site that had originally belonged to the Duclan family. The Larson family had obtained this land as part of the reward for uncovering the Duclan family’s connection to the devils.
Although the emperor was starting to question the truth behind that event, the territory had already been granted to the Larson family by the imperial family. Attacking it without the formal agreement of a nobles war was a direct challenge to the imperial family’s long-established rules.
"Your Majesty, please hear me out before passing judgment on our actions. If, after hearing my explanation, you still believe our actions are wrong, then you may punish us," the envoy said, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. The pressure from the emperor’s anger was overwhelming, and this was the first time he had truly felt it. Yet, he had to convey what his family had discovered and what they had to do, as it was in line with their principles.
"You’d better have a good reason," Emperor Herman warned. "Otherwise, I’ll declare that the Flamecrest family has disregarded the rules and will be punished accordingly." With that, he eased the pressure and aura he had been radiating.
The envoy sighed in relief as the pressure lifted, then began to explain.
"Your Majesty, I know our family has been presumptuous by attacking another noble’s territory without declaring a noble war, but we have a strong reason for that, and it is connected to the devils."
At the mention of the devils, Emperor Herman remained silent, his attention fully on the envoy as he continued to speak.
"As Your Majesty is aware, the recent news about the devils’ activities within the Larson family has become increasingly difficult to ignore. The presence of the devils in the empire cannot be underestimated. This applies to all subjects within the empire. And the devils’ presence in the Larson family’s territory is not just a matter of infiltration."
"Based on our findings from trusted sources, the Larson family has not only allowed their territory to be infiltrated, but they are also working with the devils. One of the places where the devils have found a suitable location to establish a secret base is one that is inconspicuous, a place not many would expect. That place is the mining site that once belonged to the Duclan family, but is now under the Larson family’s control, Your Majesty."
"That site, which was rumored to have traces of the devils when the Duclan family controlled it, was actually just a plot by the Larson family to make the Duclan family a scapegoat for their own actions when they took over the mine. What you will learn next, Your Majesty, will surely shock you."
"After the Larson family took over the mines, they actually used the site to connect the empire’s territory to the devil’s domain. Since the fall of the Duclan family, that place has become a hidden entrance for the devils to enter the empire undetected. The people wouldn’t suspect anything, because they believed the traces of the devils had been cleaned up when the Larson family took control."
Emperor Herman’s eyes widened slightly. Some of the information he heard confirmed what he already knew or had suspected, but there were other information he hadn’t known—or rather, things that his imperial intelligence hadn’t uncovered.
"How do you know all of this? Is your source reliable? If this information is wrong, it would be tantamount to indirectly slandering the imperial family for aiding the devils. Do you understand what that would mean?" Emperor Herman asked, his eyes turning sharp. Despite the pressure, the envoy nodded confidently.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I understand that this information could be as dangerous as a blade aimed at the imperial family, though that is not our intention. However, we cannot simply disregard the information shared by our source, for our source is the one who destroyed Boraz Fortress and the one who helped us uncover the devils’ plot within the Flamecrest family—a plot orchestrated by the devils with the Larson family’s help."
"The source of our information is the mysterious swordsman," the envoy said, his expression serious.
"What?" Emperor Herman replied, his eyebrows slightly raised in surprise.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The mysterious swordsman who has caused such a sensation and remains enigmatic is now in this empire—or to be precise, in our Flamecrest Grand Duchy. To be honest, Your Majesty, the destruction of Boraz Fortress wasn’t carried out by the Flamecrest family, but by that person, who seems to always be fighting and targeting the devils. From him, we also gathered information about the devils’ operations inside our Grand Duchy and how the Larson family has been plotting against us."
"Many of the devils’ operations inside the empire trace back to Boraz Fortress, which is actually connected to that mining site. When we inspected the destroyed Boraz Fortress and matched the information we received from the mysterious swordsman, everything aligned."
"We cannot allow the devils’ presence in the empire to linger any longer, so we’ve decided to strike now, especially with the incident in the Larson Grand Duchy happening at this moment," the envoy said.
"The incident in the Larson family? Do you mean—" Before Emperor Herman could finish his question, an imperial soldier suddenly approached, kneeling before him.
"Your Majesty, I bring urgent news!"
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At this moment, in another location, battles erupted across many separated areas. The terrain was mountainous, with mining tools scattered throughout. The marks of battle had already spread across the surrounding mountain range. A clash of auras from both devils and orthodox cultivators filled the air, though it was clear that the devils were being pushed back.
Among the orthodox cultivators, all of whom had red hair, Aldrey could be seen fighting several devils on his own.
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from his body, severely injuring some of the devils and killing others.
"Damn it, how could the Flamecrest family launch a surprise attack?! What the hell is the intelligence group doing?!" one of the devils shouted.
